Tag: 2014

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps the Government plans to take to deliver the commitments on nuclear security contained in paragraph 27 of the Hague Nuclear Security Summit Communiqué held in the Hague on 24 and 25 March 2014.

    Michael Fallon

    Safety and security are top priorities for the Government and there is a robust security framework in place for the civil nuclear industry. We seek continuous improvement in line with internationally established principles. The UK has a strong and effective independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which ensures compliance with the requirements placed on duty holders by the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (as amended) and the performance-based National Objectives, Requirements and Model Standards (NORMS). There is extensive engagement between the Government, ONR and duty holders. The full set of UK commitments made at the Nuclear Security Summit which go towards meeting paragraph 27 of the Summit’s Communiquécan be found at the following link:

    https://www.nss2014.com/sites/default/files/documents/140321_uk_national_statement_on_commitments.pdf

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  • Russell Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Russell Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Russell Brown on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what response he has given to the recommendation of the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament that (a) those living with long-term progressive conditions should not be subject to reassessments and (b) changes should be made to the work capability assessment criteria to better recognise the impact of hidden symptoms and fluctuating conditions including multiple sclerosis.

    Mike Penning

    As Minister of State with the responsibility for this policy area I responded to the letter dated 21 March 2014 from the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 26 April. In this letter I:

    a) responded by explaining the importance of claimants having contact with the Department; the need to move away from the old style Incapacity Benefit; and that Employment and Support Allowance claimants, including those claimants with progressive illnesses, will be placed in the Support Group if they meet the criteria.

    b) responded that through the Evidence Based Review of the Work Capability Assessment the current descriptors were tested against an alternative assessment and what the findings indicated

  • Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Julian Huppert on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in England are trained to use water cannon.

    Damian Green

    The Home Secretary has now received the request to authorise water cannon for
    use by the police in England and Wales. She is considering this request and
    will announce her decision in due course and lay the relevant information in
    the House Library.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of children were in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty in each region and constituent part of the UK in each of the last 20 years.

    Esther McVey

    Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living. This information is captured using the Family Resources Survey (FRS).

    Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported using the FRS since 1998/99; these estimates are available for each financial year up to 2011/12, the latest period for which estimates are available.

    All of these estimates can be found in the latest HBAI publication, available at the link below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/households-below-average-income-hbai-199495-to-201112 (ISBN 978-1-78153-531-8).

    Relevant estimates can be found in Tables 4.16ts-4.17ts for relative low income (pages 135-136) and Tables 4.22ts-4.23ts for absolute low income (pages 141-142).

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  • Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applicants receiving support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 have been receiving support for more than (a) two years, (b) four years and (c) six years; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    Data specific to your request can be found in the table below.

    Band Cases

    Up to two years 2008

    More than two years 822

    More than four years 473

    More than six years 212

    Total 3515

  • Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cats have been used in experiments in Britain in each of the last five years.

    Norman Baker

    The following table contains information on the number of cats used in procedures undertaken between 2008 and 2012.

    Table 1 Number of cats used in scientific procedures in Great Britain between 2008 and 2012
    Year Procedures
    2008 176
    2009 172
    2010 152
    2011 153
    2012 202
    Source: Home Office

    “

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic benefits to (a) the North-West and (b) Warrington of further upgrading the West-East line as proposed in the HS2 Plus Report.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    No specific assessment has yet been made. In response to the HS2 Plus report, we have commissioned HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to undertake work to allow proposals to accelerate construction of the Crewe section of HS2 Phase Two and to build a new integrated hub station at Crewe to be looked at in detail as part of the consideration of the public consultation responses to Phase Two. We have also commissioned HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to make recommendations on enhancing connectivity in the midlands and the north before our response to the Phase Two consultation.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the HS4A abortion notification form to require registered medical practitioners to indicate whether they have examined the presenting patient and/or discussed with her the grounds for abortion prior to forming their opinion in good faith that the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 were met.

    Jane Ellison

    It is estimated that between 2009 and 2013 approximately 49,000 forms were returned to registered medical practitioners (RMPs) for further information and clarification.

    Form HSA4 already requires information to be provided as to whether the two certifying RMPs saw and/or examined the pregnant woman.

  • Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what change there has been in his Department’s data entry spending in the last year; and what the reasons are for any such change.

    Mike Penning

    There are no dedicated data entry roles and accordingly no cost to the department can be reliably estimated.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial risk assessment he has carried out in respect of offering guarantees for the proposed Thames Tideway Tunnel.

    Danny Alexander

    The Government has not proposed a guarantee for the Thames Tideway Tunnel. It has instead put in place a package of contingent financial support designed to cover low probability but high impact risks, prioritising the delivery of value for money for both taxpayers and customers. Further details are provided by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in a Written Ministerial Statement on 5 June.

    This statement is published in Hansard at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm140605/wmstext/140605m0001.htm#14060532000008

    “