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Tag: 2014

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many indeterminate sentence prisoners have been considered and (a) approved and (b) rejected for release on temporary licence; and how many of these had received approval from him for transfer to open conditions.

    Jeremy Wright

    Data on temporary release applications and the outcomes of such applications is not collected centrally and could not be provided except at disproportionate cost. Data on releases on temporary licence are published at the following links:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-october-december-2013-and-annual

    and

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statistical-notice-releases-on-temporary-licence-2012

    “

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the statement of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee on 26 June 2014, that ‘I want an analysis of the use of foodbanks that everybody can subscribe to’, whether his Department (a) is producing, (b) has commissioned or (c) plans to produce or commission any new research into the use of foodbanks in Scotland.

    David Mundell

    My evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee on the 26 June highlighted the underlying complexity to the use of foodbanks and my desire to ensure that any further analysis be done in a way that would ensure widespread support.

    The Government has already commissioned a report on food security by Warwick University, which was published in February 2014.

    The Government has no immediate plans to produce or commission further research, but will keep this under review.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of his Department’s consumption in kWh of (a) gas and (b) electricity in each month since June 2010; and what the cost of such consumption has been in each such month.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department for Transport monthly gas and electricity consumption and costs since June 2010 are shown in the tables below.

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

    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 cold weather payments to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

    Steve Webb

    Under existing Universal Credit eligibility criteria, it is estimated that Cold Weather Payments will cost an additional £8 million per annum once Universal Credit has been fully rolled out.

    Were entitlement to Cold Weather Payments extended to all claimants of Universal Credit once Universal Credit has been fully rolled out the additional cost would be around £320 million per annum. It is not our intention to provide this level of support to everyone on Universal Credit. This would not be affordable and would divert resources from areas that most need it.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working (a) at No. 10 Downing Street and (b) on the Prime Minister’s staff since May 2010 have not been required to undergo security vetting; how many such staff have undergone security vetting; and what the job titles and responsibilities are of all such staff.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Attendance at internal meetings is not normally disclosed.

    It has been the policy of successive governments not to comment about staff subject to national security vetting.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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 the operational responsibilities of lenders under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme are; and what steps his Department has taken to ensure these are upheld.

    Matthew Hancock

    We require all lenders participating in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme to give clear and accurate information to borrowers and to ensure that their customer-facing staff understand the way in which the scheme operates. Lenders are provided with a comprehensive EFG scheme manual and are subject to a continuous cycle of independent external audit to monitor their compliance with the scheme terms. Following evidence of concerns of lending by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in August 2014, my officials asked RBS to instigate an internal review into this issue, and the Secretary of State has subsequently met with RBS to discuss these findings.

    EFG lenders follow their normal procedures according to internal policies throughout the administrative lifecycle of an EFG-backed loan. Lenders confirm eligibility of applicants and provide a transactional record to the British Business Bank – which now administers the programme on behalf of the Department – through an on-line tool. Regular dialogue is maintained between the British Business Bank and the lenders.

  • 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 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has a mechanism in place to be notified of instances when a local authority does not issue a final statement of special educational needs within the statutory time limit of 26 weeks.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Data is collected annually from all local authorities on the numbers of final statements issued for children with special educational needs (SEN).

    Guidance to local authorities on the process and timescales for carrying out statutory SEN assessments and issuing final statements of SEN is provided in the 2001 ‘Special Educational Needs Code of Practice’ and the statutory timescales are also set out in ‘The Education (Special Educational Needs) (England) (Consolidation) Regulations 2001’.

  • Julian Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julian Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason her Department’s internal report on the impact of fracking on rural communities has been made public only in redacted form; what the criteria are for imposing such redactions; and if she will make it her policy to publish the report in full.

    Dan Rogerson

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw, John Mann, on 11 September 2014, Official Report, column 723W.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will (a) make an assessment of and (b) discuss with the Office of Rail Regulation the punctuality record of the (i) 07:14, 07:29 and 07:44 Brighton to London Victoria and (ii) 17:32, 17:44 and 18:02 London Victoria to Brighton rail services in 2014.

    Claire Perry

    The performance of a franchise is measured across its entirety; we do not measure individual lines, routes or journey. Therefore, any penalties imposed are in respect of the performance of the entire franchise.

    Any penalty on Network Rail’s performance is a matter for the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), which is an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in their board.

    As an independent regulator, the ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts.

    Performance across parts of the Southern and Thameslink franchises has not been up to the standards that passengers rightly expect.

    Department officials and the ORR recently chaired a performance meeting with regard to the Brighton Main Line. The industry is working together to develop an action plan to improve train performance and this will be presented to the Rail Minister and local MPs on 2nd February in the House.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    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 requests under the Community Right to Reclaim Land he has received.

    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.