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Tag: 2014

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff at the Environment Agency are working on the regulation of fracking in England and Wales; and what reductions in the budget of the Environment Agency have affected people working on that regulation.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency has set up a team of ten national officers working full time to develop the regulatory regime for oil and gas activities. This work covers conventional and unconventional oil and gas activities.

    This team is supported by additional technical resource from elsewhere in the organisation. The workload fluctuates and these specialists are not solely dedicated to regulating and permitting unconventional activities. It is therefore not possible to give an exact answer, but the Agency estimates that approximately 40 further members of staff are currently involved in this work across England.

    UK Government policy is to ensure the shale industry is able to develop in a safe, sustainable and environmentally responsible way within a well-regulated environment. Regulating the industry will remain a priority for the Environment Agency. Funding for setting up the regulatory regime comes from Defra grant-in-aid. Work to regulate individual sites is financed through the charges the Environment Agency raises for environmental permits and licences, supported where necessary by the grant-in-aid.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for personal independence payments were made by individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness in each of the three months to June 2014.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave him on 18 June, Official Report, column 629W. Information on clearance times is not currently available. Statistics on clearance times are intended for future publication.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total number of projects involved was in Lot 2, Phase 1 of his Department’s Biodegradable Plastic Carrier Bags Solutions through Innovation Research Call; and how many of those projects addressed the technical and economic issues outlined in the research call.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra received two bids for Lot 2, Phase 1 of this research call.

    Both bids addressed the technical and economic issues outlined in the research call and are being funded by Defra.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government will receive from deductions of charges and from charges for enforcement action in child maintenance cases under the Child Maintenance Options contract; and what profit will be made by G4S in running this contract.

    Steve Webb

    The Child Maintenance Options service offers information and support to help separating and separated parents make an informed choice about their child maintenance arrangement. The service has operated under contract to the Department since 2008, most recently by G4S.

    Once client charges are introduced they will be applied by the Department only once a client is within, or applies to, the 2012 Scheme run by the Child Maintenance Service, which is part of the Department for Work and Pensions. Charging does not in any way form part of the Child Maintenance Options contract.

    Details of the Child Maintenance Options contract can be viewed at: https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&noticeid=1072427&fs=true

    The level of profit that a supplier makes through a commercial contract cannot be disclosed as this action would be prejudicial to the supplier’s commercial interests.

    “

  • Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what proportion of cases where (a) an allegation of stalking was made or (b) a criminal conviction was obtained for stalking the victim was a man and the perpetrator a man in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Norman Baker

    The requested information is not available centrally.

    Home Office police recorded crime only covers offences recorded by the police
    and not allegations. Furthermore, it is not possible to identify domestic
    violence cases from the recorded crime figures returned to the Home Office by
    police forces as these figures are based on counts of crime under the
    appropriate offence classification (e.g. GBH, ABH).

    With regard to stalking, the police started recording offences on April 1st
    2014. Stalking offences recorded by the police will be included as part of the
    regular crime statistics publications in due course.

    The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on
    defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences
    in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by
    the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not all the specific
    circumstances of each case. This centrally held information does not
    specifically identify whether the crime was committed against males or females
    for the offences of stalking and domestic violence. This detailed information
    may be held on individual court files but is not reported to Justice Statistics
    Analytical Services due to its size and complexity. As such this information
    can only be obtained by the Ministry of Justice at disproportionate cost.

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to help its employees who use on-site nurseries to find alternative childcare when these close from September 2014.

    Mike Penning

    The following steps have been taken to support DWP employees affected by the on site nursery closures:

    – At least six months notice of the closures given to users of the nurseries, in order to give them sufficient time to find a suitable alternative place. All contract expiry dates coincide with the beginning of the new school year to minimise disruption for parents and children as much as possible.

    – Employees have been provided with information regarding the DWP salary sacrifice scheme, where employees can give up part of their salary in return for childcare vouchers. This allows for savings through tax relief and gives parents support in order to make their own choices for childcare.

    – Information, on other nurseries in their local areas, has been provided to parents

    – DWP has awarded one day’s paid special leave to give parents paid time off work to find an alternative place.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gavin Shuker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on aid to the desert region of Thar in Sindh Province, Pakistan in each year since 2010.

    Justine Greening

    It is not possible to disaggregate costs specifically for the Thar region without incurring disproportionate cost, but DFID supports a number of national programmes and international agencies which work across Sindh Province.

  • John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Denham on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of former BAE staff at the Portsmouth shipyard who have been recruited by overseas ship-builders.

    Michael Fallon

    The local taskforce is working to secure positive outcomes for all staff leaving BAE in Portsmouth. It is too early to draw conclusions.

    We recognise the importance of manufacturing and engineering skills to the economy: these will be vital to building the Solent area’s strengths in marine and maritime. BIS is working closely with industry, Job Centre Plus, and Portsmouth Council to support those employees impacted by BAE’s decision to close its shipyard in Portsmouth.

    The Southampton & Portsmouth City Deal announced a £1 million DWP Rapid Response Service that will support those recently made redundant. Government and local industry will invest £3m in a Marine and Maritime Employer Ownership for skills Programme, responding to the immediate skills needs in small and medium sized enterprises in the advanced manufacturing sector.

    Additionally the existing UK wide Talent Retention Solution is available to help match skilled workers to engineering jobs in the UK and is currently advertising 693vacancies in the south of England on its website[1].

    [1] Active TRS vacancies listed on 18 June 2014.

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

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to update the current Air Navigation Order to define and categorise unmanned aircraft systems.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The safe operation of civil Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in the UK is governed by the requirements of the Air Navigation Order 2009 (ANO). RPA with an operating mass of more than 20kg are subject to regulation as though they are manned aircraft.

    RPA with an operating mass of 20kg or less are referred to as ‘small unmanned aircraft’. Small unmanned aircraft are exempt from the majority of the regulations that normally apply to manned aircraft, however their use is specifically covered by two articles within the ANO, which legislate for the ‘general’ flying aspects and the flight of those equipped for surveillance. As well as these specific articles however, a more general article which prevents a person ‘causing or permitting an aircraft to endanger the safety of any person or property’ also remains applicable. There are no current plans to further categorise RPA.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the last assessment was carried out of the perceived community background of HM Revenue and Customs staff recruited in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years.

    Mr David Gauke

    HMRC assesses annually the community background information relating to its Northern Ireland staff. This is done as part of the annual reporting arrangements to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and helps inform HMRC’s Equality Analysis work and Northern Ireland Equality Scheme.