The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2014-03-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to reduce the number of cyclist deaths on United Kingdom roads.
Baroness Kramer
I refer the Noble Lord to my answer of 24 Feb 2014, Official Report, column WA170 (HL5360). Since my answer we have launched the THINK! campaign on 24 March 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate his Department has made of the RAB charge for student loans issued after 2012.
Mr David Willetts
We estimate the RAB charge on these loans to be around 45%.
The actual cost of issuing student loans will be dependent on future macro-economic circumstances, in particular earnings and we will continue to update our forecasts on a regular basis to take account of changes to short term and long term macro-economic assumptions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will update the Defence Strategic Guidance to reflect the Russian annexation of the Crimea.
Mr Philip Hammond
The 2010 National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) set the top level political direction and guidance for UK Defence. Defence Strategic Direction (DSD) translates this top level direction into broad priorities for Defence but it does not set specific goals, or relate to specific missions, activities or threats, and it would not be appropriate or practical to update DSD in the face of each individual crisis or threat.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils in Peterborough constituency achieved (a) Level 1 and (b) Level 2 skills in English in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Laws
A table showing the number of pupils in Peterborough constituency that achieved a Level 1 or a Level 2 in English (key stage 4) since 2005/06 has been placed in the House Library.
Information on pupils for 2004/05 is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the value of UK imports of (a) coal, (b) gas and (c) oil from Russia was in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Michael Fallon
The value of UK imports of coal, primary oil and petroleum products from Russia between 2008 and 2012 are shown in the following table:
£ Million
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
|
Coal |
1,570 |
1,130 |
533 |
945 |
1,092 |
|
Primary oil |
2,184 |
1,156 |
1,278 |
2,316 |
3,321 |
|
Petroleum products |
1,091 |
770 |
1,186 |
1,805 |
1,819 |
There was no gas imported directly from Russia by the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers or officials of his Department have (a) met the Attorney General of Nigeria since January 2012 and (b) had any conversations about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI with (i) the Attorney General of Nigeria and (ii) any other senior official of the Nigerian government.
Mr Francis Maude
Details of meetings held by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at Gov.uk.
Information on meetings by other officials is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Frank Field on 2014-03-24.
To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, how many fire alarms have sounded in Portcullis House in the last 12 months; on how many of these occasions the London Fire Brigade arrived to attend a fire; and on how many of these occasions the London Fire Brigade discovered a fire.
John Thurso
There have been three fire alarms resulting in evacuations from Portcullis House in the last 12 months. One of these alarms, on 24th March 2014, led to the attendance of the London Fire Brigade. On this occasion the alarm was triggered by a heat detector following the overheating of a grill in the Lower Ground Kitchens as well as the triggering of a manual call point. No fire was discovered.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on which occasions Ministers in his Department have taken decisions on (a) moving prisoners into open conditions and (b) releasing prisoners on temporary licence since May 2010.
Jeremy Wright
An indeterminate sentence prisoner is transferred to open conditions only after a robust risk assessment and, in most cases, upon the recommendation of the independent Parole Board. In making its risk assessment, the Parole Board is provided with reports from a range of professional staff from within the National Offender Management Service, all of whom can be required to attend the Parole Board hearing and give evidence directly to the Board if required to do so. In making its recommendation, the Board’s overriding priority at all times is the safety of the public.
Decisions as to whether to accept a Parole Board recommendation to transfer an indeterminate sentence prisoner to open conditions or to direct the transfer of such a prisoner without a Parole Board recommendation are taken by officials within the National Offender Management Service on behalf of Ministers, in accordance with the Carltona principle. Such decisions are not referred to Ministers.
Decisions to transfer determinate sentence prisoners to open conditions are taken by population managers within the National Offender Management Service. Only prisoners who have been thoroughly risk assessed and categorised as suitable for open conditions will be considered for transfer to open prisons. Decisions on re-categorising prisoners as suitable for open conditions are taken by experienced prison staff with input from offender managers, healthcare and other professional staff using recent information about the prisoner including behaviour whilst in closed conditions, security and intelligence information and any other risk information that might demonstrate the prisoner’s proven trustworthiness. Decisions are not taken by ministers.
Decisions to release prisoners on temporary licence (ROTL) are taken by prison governors and directors, or their delegates, on behalf of the Secretary of State and in line with national guidance issued by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Decisions are taken on the basis of recommendations from a risk assessment board that has taken account of the nature of the offence and any indentified risk factors, the position of known victims, the offender’s record on previous ROTL; their behaviour in prison and progress in tackling their offending behaviour, and any other specific areas of concern relevant to that case. Decisions are not taken by Ministers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-24.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 655W, on electoral register, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the reasons for the increase between December 2000 and April 2011 in the proportion of eligible people not registered at their current address.
Mr Gary Streeter
The Electoral Commission informs me that it has set out its analysis of the key reasons for the decline in levels of registration in this period in two reports – ‘The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain’ and ‘Great Britain’s electoral registers’.
Both reports can be found here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-registration-research
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their stated intention of building more houses, what is their assessment of the ability of the United Kingdom building supplies industry to provide bricks, timber and other materials; and what measures they are taking to encourage growth in the building supplies industry to provide sufficient materials to ensure the success of the house building programme.
Viscount Younger of Leckie
The Government has noted advice from the Construction Products Association that there is no general lack of capacity in UK products manufacturers. The Association advises that only 19 per cent of companies producing heavy building materials are currently operating at near capacity. As the products sector adjusts to the return to growth it expects that capacity will increase further in response to demand.