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Tag: 2014

  • Stephen Mosley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Mosley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Mosley on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 4W, on railways: Chester, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Wales on the potential implications for (a) rail services in Chester and (b) Chester railway station of the recommendation in the report on the Commission on Devolution in Wales that the Wales and Borders rail franchise should be devolved to the National Assembly for Wales.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Secretary of State would be happy to discuss these matters with the Secretary of State for Wales when they next meet.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Philip Hollobone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the approach of the new Palestinian government to the peace process with Israel.

    Hugh Robertson

    President Abbas was clear that new interim technocratic government will uphold a commitment to the principle of non-violence, a negotiated two state solution, and an acceptance of all previous agreements and obligations, including Israel’s legitimate right to exist. Reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a government committed to these principles is a necessary condition for resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. We now look to the new government to demonstrate these commitments through its actions as well as its words.

  • Mr Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mr Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Mark Williams on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for how many and what proportion of employment and support allowance claimants in the Work Related Activity Group Atos has sought further medical evidence and opinion from the person’s nominated professional.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Frank Dobson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Dobson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Dobson on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the contribution to economic growth of payment protection insurance repayments.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts. The effects of payment protection insurance repayments were taken into account in their latest forecast of the economy, published in the March 2014 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what customer, user and satisfaction surveys were conducted in the last 12 months in the Wales Office and the agencies that report to it; which of them have been reported to the management board in the last 12 months; and which were commissioned by the management board.

    Baroness Randerson

    The Wales Office has not conducted any customer or user surveys in the last 12 months.

    However, the Wales Office conducts a staff engagement survey annually, and the results are reported to the Department’s management board.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason his Department did not provide an ICT hosting environment for Capita on time for the Recruiting Partnering Project.

    Anna Soubry

    A number of factors contributed to the problems experienced with the Information Communication Technology hosting environment provided for Capita. I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Defence’s (Philip Hammond) response to an Urgent Question from the hon. Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on 14 January 2014 (Official Report, column 715).

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether migrants detained in HM Prison The Verne from 24 March will have access to (1) Rule 35 procedures to determine whether their health would be damaged by detention, for example, due to a history of torture, (2) mobile telephones and the internet, (3) the ability to receive telephone calls from solicitors, family and friends, and (4) on-site legal advice surgeries; and if not, why not.

    Lord Faulks

    HM Prison The Verne started taking immigration detainees as scheduled from 24 March 2014. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) will retain The Verne as a prison in the short term. Its designation as a prison will be reviewed later this year, with the intention of completing the re-designation to an immigration removal centre by the end of September 2014.

    While The Verne retains its designation as a prison it will be governed by Prison Rules rather than Detention Centre Rules. As The Verne is not governed by Detention Centre Rules, Rule 35 of those rules is not applicable.

    Detainees held at The Verne will be treated in the same way as other detainees held within the prison estate. As such they will not have access to mobile telephones or the internet, nor will they be able to receive telephone calls. They will, however, be able to make telephone calls and will have access to both social and legal visits.

    There is a dedicated Home Office Immigration Enforcement Team on site who will see detainees routinely on induction and upon request. In addition, independent immigration advice will be provided by Migrant Help.

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average waiting time for (a) new passport applications and (b) passport renewals in each of the last four years.

    James Brokenshire

    We are unable to break the data down into first time applications and renewals,
    although we can provide the data broken down by straightforward and
    non-straightforward.

    The table below shows the average waiting time for straightforward and
    non-straightforward applications on an annual basis since 2010.

    Average processing times in working days

    Straightforward applications

    Non-straightforward applications

    2010

    3.6

    9.7

    2011

    4.1

    9.7

    2012

    6.8

    11.6

    2013

    3.8

    7.9

  • Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to incentivise departmental officials to bring old Government data sets online in accessible formats.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The UK has been recognised as the international leader in data transparency. During our Presidency of the G8 in 2013 we led Members to commit to publishing data openly by default as a matter of principle through the Open Data Charter.

    Departments are engaging the public and special interest groups about the most important data held by Government (whether old or new); publishing open data strategies and reporting to Parliament on progress on a quarterly basis.

    Those data sets that are judged to have the most significant economic and social impact we refer to as the National Information Infrastructure, and are our priority for making available and accessible.

  • Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) children and (b) vulnerable adult witnesses gave evidence remotely in 2013.

    Damian Green

    Facilities for remote video links are now available in 84 Crown Court centres and 165 Magistrates Courts. These facilities enable the victim or witness to appear by video link from a different court location to that of the trial court.

    As part of the action plan to increase video usage across the Criminal Justice System, we intend to examine how to best extend use of remote links for vulnerable, intimidated and other priority victims, as defined by the Victims’ Code.

    The department does not hold a breakdown of child and vulnerable adult usage of remote links for giving evidence.