The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of jobseekers excluded from the claimant count because their benefit has been sanctioned; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
No-one is excluded from the claimant count simply due to their benefit being sanctioned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what increase in staffing levels at HM Prison Oakwood his Department has agreed with G4S.
Jeremy Wright
Staffing levels at HMP Oakwood are regularly reviewed by both the Ministry of Justice and G4S. There are currently no plans to increase staffing levels at HMP Oakwood.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-06-16.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department will give childcare provides on the introduction of tax-free childcare.
Nicky Morgan
The Government’s response to the consultation on design and operation of Tax-Free Childcare, published on 18th March 2014, sets out that the Government will work with stakeholders to develop guidance and communications to support childcare providers to understand the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-31.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, columns 611-2W, on electoral registration officers, which local authorities failed to meet performance standard 1 on using local government databases, in each year for which information is available.
Mr Gary Streeter
The Electoral Commission informs me that the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) who did not meet performance standard 1 in each year from 2008 to 2010 are shown in the table below. No EROs have been assessed as not meeting this standard in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Table: EROs not meeting Performance Standard 1
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
|
Barnsley |
Bradford |
Barnsley |
|
Berwick-upon-Tweed |
Nottingham |
Nottingham |
|
Blaby |
Sefton |
|
|
Blackburn with Darwen |
||
|
Brentwood |
||
|
Chester-le-street* |
||
|
Durham* |
||
|
Harborough |
||
|
Ipswich |
||
|
North East Derbyshire |
||
|
North Lanarkshire** |
||
|
Nottingham |
||
|
Sutton |
||
|
South Lanarkshire** |
||
|
Three Rivers |
||
|
Windsor and Maidenhead |
||
|
Weymouth and Portland |
||
|
Walsall |
*Chester-le Street and Durham are now part of County Durham unitary authority.
**North and South Lanarkshire are covered by one ERO
The Electoral Commission also informs me that it published its report, titled ‘Readiness for the transition to Individual Electoral Registration’, which included its assessment of ERO performance in 2013, on 31 March, and wrote to the honourable member with a copy of the report. The report explains that all EROs reported that they were meeting or exceeding standard 1 in 2013, and that the Commission is in the process of conducting a detailed analysis of EROs’ electoral registration data from the 2013 canvass, following which it will publish its final assessment of EROs’ performance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of public libraries with a catchment area of more than 40,000 resident population were open at least 45 hours per week in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The detail requested is not held centrally by this Department. However the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) collect, annually, from the individual library authorities comprehensive information relating to library service provision in the United Kingdom, which includes data relating to the questions raised. Copies of CIPFA statistics are available in the House Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-03-31.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the announcement that Atos Healthcare is exiting its contract in respect of fit-for-work tests, whether they plan to initiate an investigation with published terms of reference into that company’s performance, including complaints made directly to Atos Healthcare and through any other agency including the Department for Work and Pensions.
Lord Freud
The Department has closely monitored the performance of Atos Healthcare and will continue to do so until Atos exits the contract as described in the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 March 2014. There are no plans to carry out any investigations into performance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the loudest decibel levels are that are produced by JSF 35B during operations aboard an aircraft carrier.
Mr Philip Dunne
The loudest operation to be conducted by the F-35B onboard an aircraft carrier is a Military Power take-off. The measured aircraft sound level of a Military Power take-off is approximately 145 dB at 135 degrees from the aircraft nose centre line, at a distance of 50 feet from the rear of the aircraft. The Military Power take-off is a standard operating procedure and managing exposure to noise is an integral part of normal embarked operations. This level of noise is similar to that of the Harrier, F18’s, F15’s and the same level as produced by an F-16.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2014-03-31.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whatchanges to the existing arrangements for the periodic roadworthiness testing of motor vehicles and their trailers are envisaged following the repeal of European Union Directive 2009/40/EC and the agreement of a new directive at Strasbourg on 11 March.
Baroness Kramer
The negotiations on the new Directive have been very successful, in terms of avoiding substantive, potentially inappropriate, changes to the MOT system while enhancing road safety in several areas. There will be changes regarding testing pre 1960 vehicles, and we will discuss options with interested parties in coming months. There will also be minor changes in how test results are provided.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Buckland on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department’s review of arrangements for complaints and redress for people with education, health and care needs under the Children and Families Act 2014 will commence.
Mr Edward Timpson
The Department for Education, in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and others, is in the process of developing proposals for the review of redress and complaint arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The review will consider:
Running parallel to the review will be pilots to test an expansion of the powers of the first tier tribunal to make recommendations about the health and social care elements of EHC Plans. We estimate that the pilots will begin in the spring of 2015 as the first appeals about the new Education, Health and Care Plans begin to be heard and that the pilots will last for two years as they build up the evidence on which to base any recommendations.
The Secretary of State for Education and the Lord Chancellor must lay a report on the outcome of the review before Parliament within three years of any of the provisions of Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 coming into force in September 2014. Interim findings from the pilots could be published before the final report on the review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department’s (a) catering and (b) hospitality budget was in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.
Brandon Lewis
My Department has no separate budget for catering and hospitality in 2012 and 2013.
To assist the rt. hon. Member, I would note that this Government has dramatically cut spending compared to the last Labour Government and put in place far tighter rules and restrictions on spending.
· The Department spent £553,230 on catering and hospitality in 2008-09, and £456,142 in 2009-10.
· By 2012-13, spending had been reduced to £58,882 (plus £16,727 of delayed billing from the year before).
· We anticipate spending in the region of £36,000 in the year 2013-14 (the precise figure will be audited at financial year end).
The expenditure undertaken is essentially for light refreshments for a large number of small official events such as:
· European Regional Development Fund events (meetings with external visitors and Local Management Committee meetings);
· Conferences and workshops with representatives of local government, housing, planning and local communities;
· Public roadshows and Portas Pilot events;
· All-day recruitment assessment centres, training and induction courses.
We do not routinely incur any expenditure on refreshments for Ministers other than de minimis expenditure on tea and coffee for Ministers’ meetings with external visitors, or on the rare occasion when Ministers undertake overnight stays on official business outside London.
Our Departmental savings has also been assisted by terminating Ministerial group spending on Government Procurement Cards, as practiced by the Labour Government at taxpayers’ expense at the likes of Sky City Casino, the Cinnamon Club, the Wolseley, Brasserie 44, Boisdales, Inn the Park, Mango Tree, Shepherds, Incognico, Buffalo Bar, Mr Chu’s China Palace, Tantric Jazz and Fat Tuesdays.
We have showed that there is considerable scope for the public sector to generate significant savings in this area, as evident from the ongoing saving of up to half a million pounds a year.
To place our savings in context, as noted in the answer of 8 April 2014, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 270WA, when the rt. hon. Member was Secretary of State, he spent £444,891 on catering, hospitality and refreshments in 2008-09 and £552,367 in 2009-10.
I know that the rt. hon. Member has a particular interest in biscuits, so to help quantify this amount, his spending in his last year in office is equivalent today to buying 720,479 packets of Jamie Dodgers from Waitrose (albeit, with a free cup of coffee thrown in).