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Tag: 2014

  • Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what prosecutions there have been for (a) sheep rustling and (b) other crimes on farms in each of the last three years.

    Damian Green

    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 the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information offences of sheep rustling from other offences of theft. Nor is it possible to separately identify which offences occurred on a farm. This information may be held on the individual court files, which can only be checked at disproportionate cost.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department publishes Workforce Equality Data which consists of information about disciplinary cases combined together with grievance cases, by ethnicity. This information is presented in the attached table with the proportion of cases where ethnicity has not been declared.

    Detailed information on disciplinary cases alone is not held for this full period, as penalties which may have been imposed would have been ‘spent’.

    However, since 1 April 2013 detailed information is available and for the financial year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 54% of staff who were subject to formal disciplinary proceedings were white British and 9% were of undeclared ethnicity.

    More information for the years 2012 to 2014 is available on the .GOV website on the links below:

    2012 – www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-health-workforce-information-2012

    2013 – www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-equality-information-department-of-health

    2014 – www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-equality-information-2014

  • Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason a 60mph speed limit has been introduced on the A1 in both directions south of Offord near Southoe; and whether that limit is (a) temporary or (b) permanent.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    A permanent 60mph speed limit has now been introduced on the A1 trunk road between the B1041 at Little Paxton and the B661 at Buckden, including the bends at Southoe, for safety reasons. This new speed limit, enforced by average speed cameras, is more suited to the alignment of the A1 at this location.

    This section of the A1 has a higher than average collision severity rate, particularly those involving single vehicles. This is partially due to a high number of vehicles exceeding the current 70mph limit, especially through the sharp bends at Southoe. Problems at this location are also exacerbated by gaps in the central reserve, with vehicles turning across the dual carriageway to access Southoe.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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.

    Simon Hughes

    Staff within the Ministry of Justice (MoJ HQ), HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), National Offender Management Service (NOMS), Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and Legal Aid Agency (LAA) can, but are not compelled to, declare their ethnicity. Consequently, definitive figures for the proportion of white British staff who have been dismissed or subject to formal disciplinary proceedings over the last five financial years cannot be provided.

    The MoJ Diversity report for 2012/2013 provides an overview of information on staff grievances, investigations, conduct and discipline. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/279638/moj-diversity-data-report-2012-13.pdf

    This information has not been collated or published in respect of earlier financial years.

    “

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to penalise companies who have failed to carry out medical assessments for personal independence payments in a timely manner.

    Mike Penning

    We are committed to ensuring personal independence payment (PIP) claimants receive high quality, objective, fair and accurate assessments. Since the introduction of PIP new claims in April 2013, we have been closely monitoring all aspects of the process.

    As personal independence payment (PIP) is a new benefit, processes are currently bedding in. Our latest analysis is telling us that the end-to-end claimant journey is taking longer than expected. We are working closely with the assessment providers to ensure that they are taking all necessary steps to improve performance, speed up the process and ensure claimants receive a satisfactory experience. We are also seeking to ensure that all the steps in the process run as smoothly as possible and that there are no barriers in our processes and systems that contribute to claims taking longer than necessary to progress.

    Whilst there are no statutory (legal) requirements to complete action on a claim to PIP within a specified time, we have set both personal independence payment assessment providers a target for the length of time to complete assessments of 30 working days.

    Any delays experienced in the new claims process will not affect the date from which claimants are paid; all successful claims will be paid from the date the claim was initially made or the date the qualifying period is met, whichever is the later.

    As for the administration of all benefits, a claimant is free to complain about the service they have received from the Department for Work and Pensions. Complaints about the service received from our assessment providers should be made direct to the relevant assessment provider. A complaint may result in a special payment if the claimant has experienced unfair treatment or suffered financially.

    The Department has robust expectations for provider performance and contracts include a full set of service level agreements setting out expectations for service delivery, including quality of assessments and the number of days to provide advice to the Department. Officials meet regularly with both assessment providers to discuss performance. The contracts include a range of remedies and failure to meet contractual obligations will result in the Department applying service credits in line with the contract.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many remote sites are available and in use by child victims and witnesses in (a) each region of England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

    Damian Green

    We must do everything we can to support child witnesses and help them give their best possible evidence to bring offenders to justice.

    The department does not hold data on the number of child victim and witnesses that use video links to give evidence (either a court building, or from a remote site).

    The list below sets out the number of courthouses in each of the seven HMCTS Regions in England & Wales; criminal justice is a devolved matter for Scotland and Northern Ireland. These facilities enable any victim or witness to appear by video link from a different court location to that of the trial court; it is also possible for third party users to access the court system through a secure bridge.

    HMCTS Region

    Number of courthouses enabled for remote video link.

    Wales

    22

    London

    32

    South East

    52

    South West

    35

    Midlands

    40

    North West

    31

    North East

    37

    Total

    249
  • Lord Bradley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Bradley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradley on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been recognised as homeless in each local authority area of England and Wales as a result of mental health problems in each of the last three years.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    A table containing the requested information for England has been placed in the Library of the House; to assist public scrutiny, I have included data from 2003 to 2013. The table shows there were 4,480 homeless people due to a mental illness/disability in England in 2013, compared to 12,040 in 2003; it also shows the average level in England under this Government is far less than the average rate under the last Administration.

    This Government has invested £470 million in England to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness over the spending review period. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world. The law ensures that people who are vulnerable as a result of old age, mental illness or handicap or physical disability will have priority need for accommodation if they become homeless through no fault of their own.

    Data on homelessness outside England are a matter for the devolved Administrations

  • Baroness Royall of Blaisdon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Royall of Blaisdon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender asylum seekers have been deported from the United Kingdom over the last five years.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    It is not possible to provide information on the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender asylum seekers who have been deported from the UK, as sexual identity is not information that the Home Office centrally records.

  • Lord Lea of Crondall – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Lea of Crondall – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lea of Crondall on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average number of annuities purchased in each of the last five years for which data are available.

    Lord Newby

    There is no requirement for individuals to report the purchase of an annuity and the Government does not collect data on the number or purchase value of annuities. Industry data is collected and published by the Association of British Insurers and may be found on their website https://www.abi.org.uk/Insurance-and-savings/Industry-data/

    “

  • Lord Laird – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review electoral law in Northern Ireland in relation to postal voting; what are the major differences from the law in England; and whether they have any plans to enable those over 80 years of age, on application and verification, to have automatic permanent postal votes.

    Baroness Randerson

    The system of postal voting in Northern Ireland is kept under regular review, both by the Government and the Chief Electoral Officer and Electoral Commission. Legislative amendments will be brought forward shortly with the introduction of anonymous registration which will permit electors with an anonymous entry on the electoral register to vote by post. These provisions will come into force on 15 September 2014.

    Postal votes are issued to electors in Northern Ireland who are unable to vote in person at their polling station on Election Day as a result of certain specified conditions. These conditions relate to disability, work or study circumstances. This is different to Great Britain where postal voting is offered on demand and electors are not required to provide a reason for why they are unable to vote in person.

    There are no plans to enable those over 80 years of age to have automatic permanent postal votes. However, permanent postal votes are available to all electors who are unable to attend their polling station on a permanent or long-term basis on the grounds of disability; their (or their husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s) work; or their (or their husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s) studies.