Tag: 2014

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    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 the status is of the ICT Relet Project; what costs his Department has incurred; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    As I outlined to the rt. hon. Member in my answer to him of 29 January 2014, Official Report, Column 600W, the programme replaces computers which are seven years old, and also upgrades the systems from Windows XP which is no longer being formally supported by Microsoft with security patches.

    The last Administration failed to get value for taxpayers’ money due to poor management of IT contracts. Indeed, the Department published a contract tender in December 2009 for a desktop IT programme costing up to £160 million. This was subsequently cancelled under this Government as part of our wider reduction in departmental spending and reconfiguration of IT procurement policy.

    The fact that we have delivered a 40 per cent saving on our IT costs is an example of how all parts of the public sector can deliver sensible savings through better procurement.

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings he has had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser in the last 12 months.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    As was the case under previous administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which sites used by the land-focused business of the Defence Support Group will be (a) sold, (b) leased to the buyer and (c) closed with a view to being put on the open market for development.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Other than the proposed closure of the site at Ashchurch for subsequent sale for development, it is not the intention of the Ministry of Defence to sell any of the sites used by the Defence Support Group (DSG) or to close any with a view to putting them on the market. The following facilities which the DSG occupy exclusively will be leased to the new company:

    Andover

    Bicester

    Bovington (main DSG facility)

    Lulworth

    Catterick

    Colchester

    Donnington

    Sennybridge

    Stirling

    Warminster (main DSG facility)

    The DSG will be granted a licence to occupy facilities at the following locations:

    Abingdon

    Aldershot Sites

    Ashchurch (pending closure)

    Bovington (In-Barracks Support)

    Brawdy

    Chivenor

    Edinburgh

    Kinnegar

    Longmoor

    Portsmouth

    St Athan

    Stirling (Bldg 135)

    Stranraer

    Tidworth

    Waddington

    Warminster (In-Barracks Support)

    Wattisham

    Woodbridge

    Woolwich

    Wyton

  • Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department issues on the ratio of GPs to patients; and what that ratio is in Tendring.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department does not issue guidance on the ratio of general practitioners (GPs) to patients. It is for each GP practice to ensure they are able to provide services to all their patients as set out in their contract with NHS England.

    The ratio of GPs to patients in Tendring is not collected centrally. Figures for North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, which includes the district of Tendring, are shown in the following table.

    Patients per full time equivalent GP

    All GPs full time equivalent per 100,000 population

    North East Essex

    1,715

    60.8

    Sources: The Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics; Office for National Statistics: Mid-Year Population Estimates

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent changes have been made in the issuing of visa applications at the Visa Centre in Moscow.

    James Brokenshire

    In March 2014 the management of the UK’s network of Russian visa application
    centres passed from VFS Global to Teleperformance. We are offering a full visa
    service in Russia and our global customer service standards continue to apply.

    Teleperformance opened all 5 new Visa Application Centres in Russia on time in
    March 2014. There was no break in service between the closure of the VFS
    centres and the opening of Teleperformance centres. The new Visa Application
    Centres are all fully functioning and there are appointments available at all
    of them.

  • Chris Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Williamson on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the National Farmers’ union on the details of the injunction relating to protestor activities around the badger culls scheduled to take place in Gloucestershire and Somerset in 2014.

    Damian Green

    Home Office officials have had discussions with officials from the Department
    for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Farmers’ Union
    about the use of civil injunctions, in the context of a broader engagement with
    both organisations, on the badger culling activity for 2014.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been subject to (a) restorative justice and (b) non-committal to prison in each of the last three years; and for what range of offence.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Government is committed to ensuring that restorative justice is victim-focused, of a good quality and available at all stages of the criminal justice system across England and Wales.

    Restorative justice is a process that can be used at any stage of the criminal justice system, either alongside or as part of a formal out of court disposal or sentence. Restorative justice is potentially available for any offence, provided both the victim and offender consent and have been assessed as suitable by a trained facilitator. The use of restorative justice should not lead to offenders escaping punishment and we expect crimes of a serious nature to continue to be progressed through the courts.

    Information about the numbers of victims or offenders who are invited to participate in a restorative justice programme, or take up that offer, is not collated centrally. Statistics on non-custodial and custodial sentences are published quarterly by the Ministry of Justice and are available at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/statistics.

    “

  • Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the post-2015 development framework includes a sustainable development goal on water and sanitation that includes universal access to sanitation by 2030.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The UK Government is committed to supporting 60 million people to gain access to sustainable water, sanitation and/or hygiene services in the developing world. We are on track to achieve this target.

    The UK supports the inclusion of universal access to sanitation as a target under a water related goal. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

    The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the findings of the Oxford Economics report commissioned by the University of Sheffield entitled the Economic Costs and Benefits of International Students, January 2013.

    Mr David Willetts

    The Government welcomes the benefits that international students bring to the UK as highlighted in theOxford Economics report entitled Economic Costs and Benefits of International Students, January 2013.

    In July the same year, we published our International Education Strategy which estimated that in 2011/12 international higher education students contributed £10.2bn to the UK economy through tuition fees and living expenses. The Strategy also recognised the wider benefits that students bring in boosting the local economy where they study, as well as enhancing our cultural life, and broadening the educational experience of the UK students they study alongside. It is because we value this contribution that there is no cap on the number of genuine overseas students who can come to the UK, nor do we have plans to introduce one.

    After completion of study, all students who can secure a skilled job from a licensed sponsor and are paid at least £20,300 are welcome to stay and work in the UK. Those who complete a PhD have up to a year to find a graduate level job and move on to Tier 2 or move on to the graduate entrepreneur or exceptional talent schemes in Tier 1.

  • Peter Bone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Peter Bone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what decisions he has made about the future of HMP Wellingborough.

    Jeremy Wright

    As this Government has made previously clear, we will not take any steps to dispose of the mothballed HM Prison Wellingborough because it is sensible measure to retain reserve capacity. I have no immediate plans to change that status.

    My office will be in touch to arrange a meeting to further discuss this matter further.