Tag: 2014

Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

November 2, 2022
Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

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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November 2, 2022
Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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.

November 2, 2022
Damian Collins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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.

November 2, 2022
Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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.

November 2, 2022
Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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.

November 2, 2022
Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many sites have been disposed of as a result of disposal notices issued by his Department under the Community Right to Reclaim Land.

Brandon Lewis

I have attached a table which outlines the actions we have taken in response to each substantive request under the Right to Reclaim since its introduction in 2011. Each case is considered on its individual merits. Even where a direction to dispose is not issued, the whole process of challenging the local authority can help fast-track their own disposal plans. We do not hold information on the status of the applicant.

The act of Whitehall forcing councils to dispose of land is controversial, there is a high threshold for deciding whether a disposal can be ordered..

There is a strong commitment from the Government to making the best use of its land and disposing of land that is no longer needed. As such in addition to the Right to Reclaim Land powers which relate primarily to local government or other public bodies, a new Right to Contest was created in January 2014. This gives individuals, communities and businesses the ability to challenge Government on land and property owned by Whitehall departments and their agencies which is being used, but where, if sold, a better economic use could be made of it. Whilst theoretically people can still use the Community Right to Reclaim Land for Government land, in practice, most will now be dealt with under Right to Contest.

November 2, 2022
Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of sites where planning permission for housing development has been granted but construction has not yet started.

Brandon Lewis

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 October 2014, to Question, UIN 207630.

We do not hold the requested figures on planning permission and the length of time.

November 2, 2022

Angela Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recorded number of sea bass were discarded in the (a) Irish and (b) Celtic Sea by Irish vessels in each of the last five years.

George Eustice

Under long standing Irish national measures to protect bass stocks their commercial fishing vessels are not permitted to land bass for sale, which means a degree of discarding of bass by-catch from mixed fishing activity will occur. We have no data available to us, however, on the level of such discards by Irish vessels.

For UK vessels we have discard estimates for the last five years combined for the Irish and Celtic Seas. These relate to otter trawlers, netters and beam trawlers, based on the numbers of sampled trips (see table (b)). We do not sample hook and line boats although these report a sizeable fraction of bass landings in these areas, as survival rates for discarded bass from commercial rod-and line or hand-line boats (under 10 metre inshore vessels) are considered potentially relatively high.

(a) Numbers (thousands) and weight (tonnes) landed and discarded for sampled fleets (otter, nets, beam) in Irish and Celtic Seas, raised to fleet landings for each gear, based on at-sea observer sampling by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

Number ‘000s	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Mean
Landed	48	36	29	39	30	36
Discarded	8	9	10	10	4	8
% discarded	14	20	25	21	11	18

Tonnes	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Mean
Landed	107	58	71	94	80	82
Discarded	3	3	4	6	2	3
% discarded	3	5	5	6	2	4

(b) Number of trips sampled, Irish and Celtic Seas

No. trips sampled	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Total
Beam trawls	1		1			2
Netters	4	4	16	12	10	46
Otter trawls	23	20	21	21	12	97
Grand Total	28	24	38	33	22	145

November 2, 2022

Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next plans to meet the Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs.

Mr Hugo Swire

I hope to engage with the Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs, and other representatives of the newly appointed Sri Lankan government, at the earliest opportunity. The UK looks forward to working with the new government and reinvigorating the long standing partnership between the UK and Sri Lanka.

November 2, 2022