The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the police hunt for Michael Wheatley who absconded from HM Prison Standford Hill on 3 May 2014.
Damian Green
This information is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people are currently employed in prisons to calculate the release date of prisoners.
Jeremy Wright
The number of staff employed in prisons specifically for the purpose of calculating release dates for prisoners is not held on central systems. To obtain the information would involve collecting data from every establishment, which would entail disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to legal aid to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out in Scotland.
David Mundell
The Scottish Government is responsible for defining the entitlement criteria for these passported benefits. They will need to consider the current eligibility criteria and make arrangements to ensure that they can continue to deliver these benefits as Universal Credit is introduced.
There is ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that any solution is simple, fair, easy to understand and affordable.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 536W, on shipping: exhaust emissions, whether he intends to have a UK review of the effect of the new sulphur regulation limits before 2019.
Stephen Hammond
The Department has not had discussions with the trade unions specifically on the implementation of the sulphur rules. However, the trade unions have had the opportunity to contribute their views during the eight-week public consultation on the draft UK Regulations and the associated Impact Assessment which commenced on 29 April 2014.
The maturity and efficacy of ship-board exhaust gas cleaning system technology was one of the key subjects under consideration when I chaired the ‘round table’ meetings of industry stakeholders in October 2012 and March 2013 to which I referred in my Answer of 17 June 2014. At those meetings, first-hand information was forthcoming from both the shipping industry and the exhaust gas cleaning system technology industry.
The Department has engaged the European Commission about the potential impacts of the new regulations and the scope for financial support from EU sources, including finance from the European Investment Bank. The Commission has reaffirmed the possibility of support for the maritime sector through the new Connecting Europe Facility or the Trans-European Network (TEN-T) programme.
The Department is investigating impacts on prices as part of its assessment of the impact of the draft UK Regulations.
The Department will conduct the review at an appropriate time and not later than the timetable specified in the Regulations themselves, in accordance with normal Government practice and consistent with the principles of better regulation. It would be premature to make a commitment now concerning the precise timing of the review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to a jobcentre plus discount travel card to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.
Esther McVey
The Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card is a discretionary travel discount scheme operated in conjunction with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).
There is no evidence to suggest that ATOC have plans to change their approach of targeting support at specific benefit recipients based on specific eligibility criteria.
However, If ATOC were to allow access to all Universal Credit Claimants the cost to DWP would be in the region of £100,000, but the impact on ATOC members would be around £20 million (roughly estimated)
Currently the following UC claimants are entitled to the JCP Travel Discount Card:
· Universal Credit claimants in the All Work Related Requirements group from 13 weeks to point of Work Programme referral
· Universal Credit claimants not in the All Work Related Requirements group who are actively engaged with a Work Services Coach in returning to employment
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what audit he has made of (a) ICL mainframes, (b) IBM mainframes and (c) other legacy ICT systems in Government departments and the availability of skills needed to maintain them; and when each relevant maintenance contract falls due.
Mr Francis Maude
Government Digital Service (GDS) has worked to identify legacy IT equipment, which includes a small number of important legacy IBM and ICL mainframes. To ensure these are effectively managed Government is creating a Crown Hosting Service, which is due to go live next year.
In many cases departments are locked into contracts signed over 10 years ago, by the previous administration, which means they are dependent on suppliers to manage these systems.
GDS is supporting departments to bring in new skilled officials to address a long-standing lack of digital skills.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 1 October 2014 to Question 206270, what discussions and meetings (a) Ministers in his Department, (b) officials in his Department and (c) Business Bank staff have had with (i) participating lenders and (ii) business organisations where allegations of misselling relating to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme were discussed since 2012.
Matthew Hancock
The British Business Bank maintains regular contact with all of the main lenders participating in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. Quarterly meetings are held at a senior level and the allegations of mis-selling have been on the agenda of those meetings since early in 2014. In addition, operational meetings take place on a regular basis. From August 2014 onwards more frequent senior level meetings have taken place with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). At a meeting in August 2014 RBS agreed to our request that they should undertake to conduct an internal review. The findings of that review and a proposed course of action were presented at a meeting with the British Business Bank in December 2014, and senior executives from RBS met the Secretary of State on 14 January 2015. The British Business Bank has also discussed the ‘mis-selling’ allegations with the British Bankers’ Association and the Lending Standards Board, each on one occasion.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Damian Collins on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects his Department to respond to the recommendations of the 2014 report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gurkha Welfare.
Anna Soubry
The Government is very grateful to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gurkha Welfare for their comprehensive report into historic Gurkha grievances. This report raised a number of issues, which the Government has been examining closely. Our response will be published shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Huppert on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consult representatives from the compostable plastic bags industry as part of her Department’s review of industry standards for the biodegradability of plastic material; and on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials have met representatives of (i) oxo-biodegradable and (ii) compostable plastic bag companies in the last 12 months.
Dan Rogerson
Neither I nor any of my Defra Ministerial colleagues have met representatives of either the oxo-biodegradable or compostable bag industries in the last 12 months.
At the official level, I set up a Stakeholder Advisory Group in September last year, which will be consulted as part of the review of industry standards for the biodegradability of plastic material. The Stakeholder Advisory Group met twice last year and includes Government officials as well as representatives of the Renewable Energy Association (who represent the compostable bag companies), the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association, academics and a number of other industry stakeholders such as the British Plastics Federation and the Plastics and Films Association. We expect that this group will meet on three further occasions this year.
In addition, officials have met representatives of oxo-biodegradable firms on two occasions in the last 12 months to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications for funding under the Small Business Research Initiative. Officials have also met representatives of companies manufacturing compostable bags on three occasions in the last 12 months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what examples his Department holds of best practice in respect of work carried out to reduce traffic noise for residents living alongside main roads.
Mr John Hayes
Best practice measures that can be used to reduce road noise for residents living alongside the strategic road network are set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges HD213/11. Low noise surfacing can be installed on new roads or when replacing existing worn out surfaces. Noise mitigation can be incorporated into the design of new roads by routeing away from properties where practicable and using cuttings and other land forms to act as noise barriers. Noise barriers, made from a wide variety of materials are also used to reduce road noise.