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Tag: 2014

  • Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Halfon on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the benefits to children’s safety of road crossing patrollers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government firmly believes in localism and providing local authorities with powers to introduce measures to deal with local needs and conditions. Local authorities will invariably have a strategy to improve road safety and will prioritise their road network based on the need to reduce casualties.

    The provision of the school crossing patrol service is a matter for the local authority. Legislation gives them the power to make arrangements for the patrolling of places where children cross roads on their way to or from school, but does not impose a duty on them to do so. Funding decisions are also a matter for the local authority based on their local needs and priorities.

    It is for the Council to assess the crossing situation and determine a course of action as it is in this situation. In some cases, if the authority agrees that children from a particular school need help in crossing a busy road but have not recruited anyone, they have to think about finding other ways of making the crossing safer – for example, by putting in a pedestrian crossing.

  • Lord Palmer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Palmer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 6 May (WA 444), whether they will place in the Library of the House correspondence between the Intellectual Property Office and the Department of Health regarding the proposed introduction of standardised tobacco packaging.

    Earl Howe

    The Department has no current plans to publish information on the development and formulation of Government policy on standardised packaging of tobacco products

  • 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 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people paying the under-occupancy penalty who have fallen into rent arrears.

    Esther McVey

    In order to monitor the long term effects of the policy the Department has commissioned an independent, two year evaluation. The research will cover the full range of responses by claimants including the the issue of rent arrears. The final report will be published in 2015

  • The Countess of Mar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The Countess of Mar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is responsible for signing off Department for Work and Pensions training guidelines and manuals used by Atos and Capita.

    Lord Freud

    In the contract with Atos to deliver the Work Capability Assessment, Health and Wellbeing Directorate (HWD) within DWP sign off all training and guidance material. For Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Atos and Capita develop training and guidance based on policy documentation provided by DWP. The PIP contract requires Atos and Capita to involve DWP in the quality assurance process for their training and guidance but DWP does not sign off this material.

  • Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Luff on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the corporate plan of the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation relating to its new bespoke trading fund status.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Copies of the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Corporate Plan and the Framework Document will be placed in the Library of the House in due course, and published on the gov.uk website and the Defence Intranet. The Corporate Plan sets out the DE&S strategic objectives and timelines for the next three years. The Framework Document includes the function and governance arrangements for the new DE&S, including the freedoms and benefits.

  • Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Leader of the House what steps he will take to facilitate the passage of Private Members’ Bills through the House of Lords.

    Lord Hill of Oareford

    Practice in recent years is well-established: Private Members’ Bills introduced in the House of Lords are offered Second Reading slots in the order in which they receive their First Reading. Second Readings for Private Members’ Bills introduced this session have been scheduled on Friday 27 June and Friday 18 July; further Second Readings will be arranged in due course. A ballot to determine the order in which Private Members’ Bills receive their First Reading will be introduced from the start of the new Parliament (3rd Report of the Procedure Committee, Session 2013-14).

    For Bills that receive a Second Reading, formal consideration of their remaining stages will be arranged where no amendments are tabled and where the Member in charge so requests. Where Bills receive a Second Reading but require further substantive consideration of amendments, they will be competing for time with Private Members’ Bills that are received from the House of Commons and Private Members’ Bills introduced in this House that are still awaiting a Second Reading.

    My noble friend the Government Chief Whip will endeavour to facilitate the progress of bills in each of those categories.

  • Nick Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Nick Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the fire services was of dealing with fires at local authority-owned waste management sites in the last two years.

    Brandon Lewis

    This information is not held centrally. The cost to fire and rescue authorities in England of dealing with specific fires is a matter for each fire and rescue authorityThe cost to fire and rescue authorities in Wales of dealing with specific fires is a devolved matter.

    Fire and rescue authorities must produce regularly, and consult on, an integrated risk management plan. The plan must identify the risks facing local communities and detail how the fire and rescue authority will allocate its resources to mitigate them effectively. People have opportunities to make their voices heard on such issues.

    There is still scope for fire and rescue authorities to make sensible savings, such as through reforms to flexible staffing and crewing arrangements, better procurement; shared services, collaboration with emergency services and other organisations on service delivery and estates, sickness management; sharing of senior staff, locally led mergers and operational collaborations, new fire-fighting technology, preventative approaches and working with local businesses.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of those (a) starting and (b) completing an apprenticeship in England since May 2010 were (i) female, (ii) registered disabled and (iii) from an ethnic minority background.

    Matthew Hancock

    Information on apprenticeship starts and achievements by gender, ethnicity and learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD) is published by academic year in supplementary tables to a Statistical First Release (SFR).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships–2

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/298401/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296345/apprenticeship-achievements-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xlsm

    “

  • 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 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons she will no longer fund the detention element of the Choices service from 1 April 2014; whether an alternative assisted voluntary returns programme will be made available to immigration detainees; and what assessment she has made of the potential effects of this decision on the number of (a) assisted voluntary returns and (b) enforced removals.

    James Brokenshire

    An assessment of the impact of this change is in train and the range of
    possible alternatives is complex. A full written response on the issue will be
    provided to the Member in due course, and the letter placed in the House
    Library.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Brandon Lewis

    It is not possible to provide definitive or meaningful percentages, as (a) not all staff declare their ethnicity, (b) due to the manner in which white ethnicity data is self-reported by staff , and (c) the sample sizes are so small as to be statistically misleading when comparing years.