Tag: 2014

Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to take mortgage payments into account when calculating pension credit.

Steve Webb

Pensioners who are entitled to State Pension Credit may receive an additional element called Support for Mortgage Interest. This makes a contribution towards the interest on eligible loans taken out to purchase the property, and specific loans for repairs and improvements which are necessary to maintain the home’s fitness for habitation

November 1, 2022
Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of local authorities which have adopted powers under the London Local Authorities Act 2007 to re-use graves where burial rights have been extinguished since that Act came into force.

Simon Hughes

The Ministry of Justice has not made an estimate of the number of grave spaces created since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007 or the number of local authorities who have used powers under the Act to re-use graves. However, as the Ministry of Justice has responsibility for burial law and policy, I am keeping the issue of burial space under active review including considering what legislative changes might be necessary to address a shortage of graves.

November 1, 2022
Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-04-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for a decision for a reconsideration of an employment and support allowance decision has been since 28 October 2013.

Mike Penning

While mandatory reconsideration data is being collected, it is not sufficiently robust and reliable to make available.

The Department is looking into what can be published. The data will need to be validated in order to ensure that it satisfies the relevant standards.

November 1, 2022
Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are by which Arqiva assesses notspot data.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Notspot data is compiled and held by Ofcom, with information provided by the Mobile Network Operators. In areas where coverage is thought to be marginal, or there is uncertainty over coverage, DCMS officials have commissioned drive testing to check the level of coverage.

November 1, 2022
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-04-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the safety of pedestrians.

Baroness Kramer

The Government has already taken a range of steps to improve and promote pedestrian safety, including making it easier for local authorities to implement 20 mile per hour zones and launching a new THINK! resource centre to help teachers educate children and teens on road safety.

We will continue to work with delivery partners, including local authorities, to identify further opportunities for improving pedestrian safety.

We welcome vehicle manufacturers developing autonomous emergency braking systems which can automatically detect pedestrians and, where necessary, apply the brakes.

November 1, 2022
Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will restrict the use of fused multi-disciplinary intelligence at the forthcoming Joint and Combined Geo-INT event held by the Defence Geospacial Intelligence and Fusion Centre at RAF Wyton.

Mr Mark Francois

Sharing and fusing intelligence in an increasingly complex world is essential if we are to understand threats to UK interests. The Ministry of Defence intelligence community works closely with international partners in the fulfilment of this aim. Any intelligence sharing is conducted in accordance with UK law.

November 1, 2022
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2014-04-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each of the last four academic years, what percentage of pupils have attended a live arts performance as part of their school activities in that year; and what funding is available to facilitate such trips.

Lord Nash

We do not collect data on how many pupils have attended a live arts performance as part of their school activities.

Schools are free to use their funding for such activities, as well as seek voluntary contributions from parents. They may additionally use pupil premium funding for activities that help raise their disadvantaged pupils’ attainment and close the attainment gap between these pupils and their peers.

November 1, 2022

Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of mango lots or number of shipments infested by tephriditae were rejected by Fera in each of the last five years; and from which source country each infected shipment was exported.

Dan Rogerson

The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.

Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.

The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.

Year	Country of origin	No. of consignments imported into the UK	No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae
2010	Dominican Republic	351	1
	India	1977	1
	Jamaica	228	3
	Pakistan	3302	6

2011	Dominican Republic	417	2
	India	1836	11
	Jamaica	262	3
	Pakistan	3690	19
	Puerto Rico	1	1
	Sri Lanka	144	1
	Uganda	138	1

2012	Bangladesh	146	1
	Brazil	445	1
	Costa Rica	70	2
	Dominican Republic	606	18
	Ghana	628	15
	India	3448	23
	Jamaica	332	24
	Kenya	2044	4
	Pakistan	5128	81
	Philippines	12	2
	Sri Lanka	189	10
	St Lucia	50	1
	Thailand	1050	3
	Uganda	104	2

2013	Brazil	316	3
	Dominican Republic	756	16
	Ghana	357	4
	Guinea	7	1
	India	3563	13
	Jamaica	516	17
	Kenya	1654	17
	Pakistan	5910	47
	Puerto Rico	104	1
	Sri Lanka	111	3
	U A E	1	1
	Vietnam	77	1

2014 (to 18/06/14)
	Brazil	106	1
	Dominican Republic	420	3
	Ghana	271	1
	India	401	1
	Jamaica	464	9
	Kenya	698	7
	Mexico	61	1
	Senegal	4	1
	Sri Lanka	69	3

Source: Fera and Europhyt

November 1, 2022

Andrew Bridgen – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many referrals have been made to him where a local planning authority is minded to approve an application for planning permission against the advice of HS2 Ltd; and what his decision has been on each such referral.

Mr Robert Goodwill

There have been no referrals made to the Secretary of State for Transport where a local planning authority is minded to approve an application for planning permission against the advice of HS2 Ltd.

November 1, 2022
Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his priorities are for renegotiating UK membership of the EU.

Mr David Lidington

The Government’s priorities are to reform the EU so that it is more flexible, competitive and democratically accountable. We want to see further deepening of the Single European Market, especially in services; an ambitious and sustained drive to cut red tape, and successful free trade negotiations with the United States, Japan and other countries. We are also seeking greater powers for groups of national parliaments to block or review EU legislation; an end to benefit tourism, and the development of Economic and Monetary Union in a way that safeguards the interests of countries which have chosen not to join the Euro. The Government has already made progress in delivering reform, including cutting the EU budget for the first time and securing reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy that include a ban on discards and a shift to the regional and local management of fisheries.

November 1, 2022