UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2014

  • Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many times the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service has made payments of protective awards due to failures on the part of the company or administrator to conduct a proper collective consultation in each of the last five years; to which companies such awards were made; and how much was paid out in (a) statutory entitlements and (b) protective awards in each such case.

    Jenny Willott

    The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) only makes protective award payments to employees if their employer is insolvent and an employment tribunal has determined that there was insufficient consultation, by the company, administrator or liquidator, regarding redundancies and makes a protective award.

    In the last five financial years, the RPS has paid out the following in statutory payments for cases where a protective award was awarded:

    · 2009-2010 £87,209,871.62

    · 2010-2011 £82,604,201.50

    · 2011-2012 £68,181,382.07

    · 2012-2013 £57,267,407.27

    · 2013-2014 £7,937,522.34

    The protective award payments made on these cases (in addition to the statutory payments) were as following:

    • 2009-2010 £28,808,241.65
    • 2010-2011 £30,997,901.63
    • 2011-2012 £23,437,557.92
    • 2012-2013 £29,290,224.74
    • 2013-2014 £16,581,330.05

    These figures include cases in administration and those in liquidation

    A breakdown of the individual cases is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Henry Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Henry Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a suitable commemoration of the First World War; and if he will support the Royal Sussex Regiment Association’s efforts for a memorial to be erected in Priez, France.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    The Government will mark the centenary of the First World War with an appropriate programme of national events, cultural activities, educational initiatives and community projects across 2014-18. It is fitting that organisations such as the Royal Sussex Regiment Association are seeking to commemorate the centenary in ways which are meaningful for them.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities have been sent letters indicating that they may have to pay part or all of the fines arising from infraction proceedings following the European Court of Justice’s finding against the UK for breach of nitrogen dioxide limit values under the EU Air Quality Directive.

    Dan Rogerson

    In March this year, Defra sent letters to all local authorities in England to inform them of the Commission’s decision to commence infraction procedures against the UK for non-compliance with NO2 limit values, what it means and the next steps that should be taken by the Government in response. As part of this, local authorities were reminded of the discretionary power in Part 2 of the Localism Act under which the Government could require responsible authorities to pay all or part of an infraction fine.

  • John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Denham on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long drivers who have produced the necessary medical evidence have waitied before their licence is restored following suspension for medical reasons.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not temporarily suspend driving licences. Drivers may have their licence revoked or choose to surrender their licence voluntarily if their medical condition affects their fitness to drive.

    On average, drivers who have produced the necessary medical evidence following revocation wait eight weeks before their licence is restored.

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2013-14.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Performance ratings have not been finalised for Cabinet Office staff for 2013-14.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether levels of poverty and deprivation in coastal towns are considered by his Department when making grants from the Coastal Communities Fund.

    Brandon Lewis

    Grant applicants submitting bids to the Coastal Communities Fund are expected to demonstrate the need for their project, which can include levels of poverty and deprivation in their area. This information is one of a range of factors that are taken into account in the assessment of grant applications. However, the Fund is not specifically targeted on deprived coastal towns. Its aim is to support jobs and growth in coastal communities across the United Kingdom where projects can best exploit local assets and opportunities to unlock their growth potential. In addition to demonstrating need, applications to the Fund must be clearly linked to an economic opportunity to create and safeguard jobs within the coastal community. Coastal flooding and erosion risk management and repair are also priorities for grant aid where proposed works support economic development.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide funding to refurbish war graves and war memorials (a) in the UK and (b) overseas as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    Following the very successful commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day we will now be focusing in more detail across Government on how the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2015 might be marked in an appropriate manner. I expect an announcement to be made later in the year.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to the Answer of 1 April 2014, Official Report, columns 555-6W, on electoral register, Northern Ireland, what actions resulted from his discussions with the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office concerning the schools programme for electoral registration.

    Greg Clark

    The Government has made the Rock Enrol learning resource freely available on the Gov.UK and Times Education Supplement website amongst others.

    Additionally, the recent introduction of online registration in England and Wales will make it more convenient for young people to register to vote.

  • 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 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2013-14, published on 23 June 2014, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on the evaluation of proposals for funded radioactive waste and decommissioning plans presented to him by private nuclear operators of the recent increase in the cost of dealing with legacy radioactive waste and decommissioning announced in that report.

    Michael Fallon

    Recent changes in the estimated costs of dealing with legacy radioactive waste and decommissioning announced in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2013/14 are due in their entirety to the decommissioning programme at Sellafield. These costs should not be used as a guide to costs of decommissioning modern nuclear reactor sites. The vast majority of the liability at Sellafield is a result of the Cold War military programme on that site, dating back to the 1940s, and the very early days of the civil nuclear industry, dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. These historic facilities were built extremely rapidly to very different quality and safety standards compared with nuclear plants constructed today and without plans for how they would be ultimately decommissioned, These facilities present a unique decommissioning challenge requiring a complex suite of engineering projects in order to first gain access to their waste inventory before retrieving and then treating this material ready for long-term disposal. The activity required to decommission these facilities at Sellafield bears no relation to the work required to decommission modern nuclear facilities. Operators of nuclear power stations being constructed under the Government’s new build programme are required to publish plans detailing how these facilities will be decommissioned and the operators themselves are liable for the costs associated with this decommissioning work.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Stewart Jackson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to issue further guidance on ecological focus areas; and if he will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Owen Paterson, made a Statement to the House on 10 June covering a range of Common Agricultural Policy Reform implementation decisions. A number of subsequent decisions have to be made in relation to the greening Ecological Focus Area requirements, and we plan to issue further guidance to claimants within the next two months.