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Tag: 2014

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the potential contribution of solar farms to the Government’s 2020 renewable energy target; and if he will make a statement.

    Gregory Barker

    As set out in the Solar PV Strategy, published in April 2013, solar PV is an important part of the UK’s energy mix. In the EMR delivery plan we estimated a total of between 10 and 12GW of solar photovoltaic across all scales would be installed by 2020. Of this we anticipate that 2.4-4GW will be large scale solar PV installations greater than 5MW.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Highways Agency will be subject to the Government’s public sector pay policy when it is transformed into a government-owned company.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government intends to transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, as confirmed in the response to consultation published on 30th April. In accordance with TUPE principles, we expect the pay and terms of employment of all staff to remain unchanged once transferred except for the necessary technical amendments to reflect the change to company status.

    Staff management arrangements for the company following transition, including pay and reward, are still being worked through within government. We aim to establish appropriate conditions to allow the company to fulfil its functions efficiently and effectively, whilst keeping costs down for the taxpayer. This will reflect the Government’s pay policy, as well as support the delivery of a substantially increased investment programme.

    There is no intention to encourage or create opportunities for legal tax reduction schemes as part of Highways Agency transformation.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with his Australian counterpart on (a) climate change and (b) the agenda for the G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held in Brisbane in November 2014.

    Mr David Cameron

    I discussed Climate Change policy with the Australian Prime Minister (Paul Abbott) in January this year, at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. We also discussed the G20 agenda and the need to use the G20 to secure continued and sustainable growth in the global economy.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the pupil premium for service children is used for its intended purposes.

    Mr David Laws

    Headteachers are responsible for selecting the most appropriate interventions to support their service pupils, including pastoral support or interventions to improve attainment.

    They are held accountable for the use of this additional funding in two ways. Firstly, through the Ofsted inspection framework where inspectors focus on the attainment of different groups of pupils, including those who attract the service premium. Secondly, schools are required to publish online how much service pupil premium funding they receive, how it is spent and the impact it has made.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many mobile telephones have been found in prisons in England and Wales, by establishment, in each year since 2010.

    Jeremy Wright

    The National Offender Management Service takes the issues of mobile phones in prison seriously and is committed to addressing the risks that they present. Part of its response is to deploy technology in prisons that prevents mobile phones from working.

    The Government has supported the Prisons Interference with the Wireless Telegraphy Act which came into force on 21st October 2013. This Act creates clear statutory powers to enable all prisons to use signal denial technology to suppress the use of wireless telegraphy such as mobile phones by prisoners.

    A range of mobile signal denial technology was trialled in a small number of Prisons. The trials demonstrated that the equipment is capable of denying signals to illicit mobile phones within the prison perimeter as required by law and Ofcom regulations. NOMS has since distributed 300 short range portable blockers around the prison estate.

    Since April 2010, prisons have been asked to send all unauthorised phones and SIM cards found to a central unit for interrogation, or to notify the unit if an unauthorised phone or SIM card has been found but not sent for analysis. Data prior to April 2010 is not held centrally and data for 2013 and 2014 is being verified and is not yet available.

    The table below shows the number seizures of mobile phones and/or SIM cards reported by each prison between April 2010 and December 2012. One seizure may constitute a handset containing one SIM card or media card, a handset only, or a SIM card only.

    ESTABLISHMENT

    2010

    2011

    2012

    ACKLINGTON

    54

    28

    ALBANY

    3

    4

    ALTCOURSE (C)

    790

    609

    534

    ASHFIELD(C)

    1

    2

    2

    ASHWELL

    2

    7

    ASKHAM GRANGE

    2

    AYLESBURY

    278

    97

    29

    BEDFORD

    27

    55

    29

    BELMARSH

    15

    25

    9

    BIRMINGHAM

    248

    537

    302

    BLANTYRE HOUSE

    19

    12

    4

    BLUNDESTON

    27

    1

    11

    BRINSFORD

    12

    76

    45

    BRISTOL

    54

    33

    26

    BRIXTON

    46

    67

    28

    BRONZEFIELD(C)

    34

    12

    3

    BUCKLEY HALL

    11

    22

    149

    BULLINGDON

    42

    16

    6

    BULLWOOD HALL

    1

    8

    15

    BURE

    5

    1

    CAMP HILL

    98

    52

    22

    CANTERBURY

    22

    10

    21

    CARDIFF

    19

    36

    7

    CASTINGTON

    10

    11

    CHANNINGS WOOD

    64

    63

    15

    CHELMSFORD

    42

    38

    11

    COLDINGLEY

    37

    52

    42

    COOKHAM WOOD

    6

    1

    1

    DARTMOOR

    27

    16

    2

    DEERBOLT

    3

    15

    2

    DONCASTER(C)

    15

    6

    24

    DORCHESTER

    20

    14

    8

    DOVEGATE (C)

    5

    24

    15

    DOVER

    14

    21

    10

    DOWNVIEW

    5

    5

    2

    DRAKE HALL

    10

    2

    3

    DURHAM

    24

    41

    23

    EAST SUTTON PARK

    1

    5

    4

    EASTWOOD PARK

    3

    9

    1

    EDMUNDS HILL

    25

    22

    ELMLEY

    45

    47

    53

    ERLESTOKE

    62

    176

    137

    EVERTHORPE

    50

    32

    26

    EXETER

    14

    21

    15

    FEATHERSTONE

    39

    29

    133

    FELTHAM

    84

    65

    45

    FORD

    61

    250

    200

    FOREST BANK (C)

    122

    37

    105

    FOSTON HALL

    1

    2

    FRANKLAND

    6

    2

    7

    FULL SUTTON

    10

    4

    9

    GARTH

    76

    32

    39

    GARTREE

    14

    22

    65

    GLEN PARVA

    2

    4

    8

    GLOUCESTER

    1

    4

    3

    GRENDON

    17

    10

    3

    GUYS MARSH

    77

    182

    175

    HASLAR

    2

    HATFIELD

    10

    58

    154

    HAVERIGG

    107

    134

    291

    HEWELL

    76

    289

    335

    HIGHDOWN

    23

    68

    49

    HIGHPOINT

    80

    55

    180

    HINDLEY

    1

    4

    6

    HOLLESLEY BAY

    193

    129

    90

    HOLLOWAY

    7

    7

    10

    HOLME HOUSE

    18

    15

    5

    HULL

    23

    25

    13

    HUNTERCOMBE

    2

    36

    9

    ISIS

    8

    52

    39

    KENNET

    4

    5

    9

    KINGSTON

    6

    KIRKHAM

    273

    390

    493

    KIRKLEVINGTON GRANGE

    13

    15

    19

    LANCASTER CASTLE

    18

    LANCASTER FARMS

    89

    79

    25

    LATCHMERE HOUSE

    69

    40

    LEEDS

    53

    59

    27

    LEICESTER

    27

    26

    15

    LEWES

    38

    46

    30

    LEYHILL

    83

    27

    30

    LINCOLN

    28

    33

    4

    LINDHOLME

    164

    96

    145

    LITTLEHEY

    13

    34

    4

    LIVERPOOL

    138

    118

    88

    LONG LARTIN

    12

    31

    77

    LOW NEWTON

    3

    LOWDHAM GRANGE (C)

    27

    10

    26

    MAIDSTONE

    6

    34

    22

    MANCHESTER

    41

    36

    23

    MOORLAND

    111

    65

    13

    MOORLAND OPEN

    10

    MORTON HALL

    4

    5

    MOUNT

    86

    78

    182

    NEW HALL

    2

    1

    NORTH SEA CAMP

    86

    63

    67

    NORTHALLERTON

    7

    3

    NORTHUMBERLAND

    9

    15

    109

    NORWICH

    30

    15

    11

    NOTTINGHAM

    11

    38

    17

    OAKWOOD

    33

    ONLEY

    53

    68

    65

    PARC(C)

    32

    79

    16

    PARKHURST

    6

    8

    20

    PENTONVILLE

    207

    199

    124

    PETERBOROUGH(C)

    141

    145

    60

    PORTLAND

    24

    6

    11

    PRESCOED

    2

    4

    PRESTON

    18

    15

    9

    RANBY

    90

    124

    300

    READING

    12

    25

    7

    RISLEY

    72

    12

    37

    ROCHESTER

    6

    10

    23

    RYE HILL(C)

    42

    79

    70

    SEND

    3

    12

    11

    SHEPTON MALLET

    3

    7

    4

    SHREWSBURY

    3

    SPRING HILL

    12

    13

    34

    STAFFORD

    12

    69

    14

    STANDFORD HILL

    150

    186

    127

    STOCKEN

    26

    12

    30

    STOKE HEATH

    8

    28

    19

    STYAL

    7

    7

    9

    SUDBURY

    72

    120

    124

    SWALESIDE

    100

    58

    107

    SWANSEA

    2

    1

    SWINFEN HALL

    32

    44

    14

    THAMESIDE

    8

    THORN CROSS

    74

    79

    84

    USK

    2

    1

    1

    VERNE

    67

    144

    161

    WAKEFIELD

    1

    2

    3

    WANDSWORTH

    157

    131

    119

    WARREN HILL

    5

    10

    5

    WAYLAND

    20

    30

    17

    WEALSTUN

    57

    145

    155

    WELLINGBOROUGH

    61

    195

    181

    WERRINGTON HOUSE

    12

    4

    9

    WETHERBY

    5

    3

    5

    WHATTON

    9

    1

    WHITEMOOR

    18

    28

    17

    WINCHESTER

    39

    3

    31

    WOLDS(C)

    104

    96

    44

    WOODHILL

    4

    58

    74

    WORMWOOD SCRUBS

    141

    267

    39

    WYMOTT

    58

    50

    11

    Total

    6756

    7789

    7301

    All figures provided have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to cross-reference data on visual impairment with the electoral register for the purpose of improving election communications with the visually impaired.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it ensures that its public information campaigns are accessible to those with visual impairments, and that the voter registration and information materials it produces are available in a variety of formats including Braille and Easy Read. The Commission has written to the RNIB, following the evidence they gave to the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee on 1 May, to offer to meet to discuss what else could be done to help ensure that those with visual impairments can register and vote.

    The Commission also informs me that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for compiling and managing electoral registers and Returning Officers (ROs) are responsible for issuing election-related communications to those on the register. This includes poll cards and postal voting statements which must, by law, contain information telling the recipient what to do if they need the information provided in a different format. It is for EROs and ROs, in discharging their duties, to identify how best to meet the needs of individuals in their area who are visually impaired.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, column 488W, on Business Improvement Districts: Birmingham, for what reasons no decision has yet been taken on the Business Improvement District for Sparkbrook and Springfield.

    Brandon Lewis

    We are considering carefully all the evidence and written representations and will issue a decision in due course.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the Contact Point database was discontinued.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    ContactPoint was discontinued because it was disproportionate.

    The Government believes it is unjustifiable to hold information on every child in England and to make it accessible to hundreds of thousands of people.

  • Anne Main – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anne Main – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of current legislation against fly-grazing.

    George Eustice

    The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Science has met a number of interested bodies to discuss what action can be taken to address fly grazing in England. There is a range of legislation that can be used depending on the individual circumstances of each case. Most of the problems associated with fly grazing are linked to difficulties in tracing owners of unidentified horses. In such cases we would encourage a joined-up approach by enforcers and interested parties at a local level to help tackle the problem. It is already an offence under the Horse Passport Regulations for horses not to be identified. These regulations are enforced by local authorities. Fly grazing in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Mark Francois

    There are no current plans for the Department to relocate staff or offices to Brighton.