Tag: 2015

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is to (a) his Department and (b) Network Rail of unpausing electrification of the Midland Main Line and the North TransPennine route.

    Claire Perry

    Unpausing electrification of the Midland Mainline and the North TransPennine route has not caused the Department to incur any immediate additional costs.

    With regard to Network Rail’s costs, Midland Mainline electrification was in the delivery phase at the time of pause and Network Rail are still working to understand the costs associated with the decision to unpause. The North TransPennine route is still in development and costs were not affected by the decision to recommence electrification.

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost was of his Department’s Maritime Growth Study, published in September 2015; how many hours staff in his Department worked on that study; and when he plans to respond to its recommendations.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime Growth Study was commissioned by Government, but led on an entirely voluntary basis by an industry chair, Lord Mountevans, who was supported by a secretariat of five full-time officials from my Department. The Study was officially launched in November 2014 and published in September 2015. The total cost of the Study was approximately £390K, the majority of these costs being internal staffing costs for the secretariat. Other officials and analysts contributed their expertise as and when required on a business as usual basis.

    The Government will respond formally to the report by the end of 2015, but is taking immediate action in response to specific recommendations. This includes the establishment of a Ministerial Working Group for Maritime Growth and taking steps to support the improved operation of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) such as appointing a commercial director to lead the UK Ship Register separately from the Agency’s regulatory functions and a business case exploring the costs and benefits of options for more significant reform of the MCA.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what effect the introduction of universal credit will have on the income of those working in a job from which they derive net earnings of less than £110 per week and who are the principal carers for elderly relatives with a disability.

    Priti Patel

    Carer’s Allowance ceases when the claimant earns more than £110 a week. There is not a similar cliff-edge effect in Universal Credit. Carers who combine caring with paid work will continue to have the Carer Element included in the calculation of their overall award for as long as they provide care for at least 35 hours per week for a severely disabled person.

    In Universal Credit, earned income by members of the household is subjected to a work allowance. Different amounts are disregarded from earnings in order to reflect the needs of different types of household and to support the aim that work pays. Carers are entitled to one of these work allowances depending on their family type, although there is not a work allowance specifically for carers.

    Carers who combine work with caring will be able to earn up to their work allowance without their Universal Credit entitlement being affected. If earnings exceed that allowance then the Universal Credit award will reduce gradually as earnings increase.

  • Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many officials work in each section of the Northern Ireland Office.

    Baroness Randerson

    The number of staff working in each business group of the Northern Ireland Office in January 2015, the latest period for which figures are available, is shown below:

    Business Group

    Number of Staff

    Senior Management

    6

    Business Delivery

    40

    Security and Protection

    31

    Legacy

    23

    Community Engagement

    15

    Economic Constitutional and Political

    19

  • Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the proposed acquisition of Aer Lingus by International Consolidated Airlines, whether they have made representations to safeguard the slots at Heathrow airport for flights by British Airways and Aer Lingus to Belfast City; and whether they have made representations to safeguard the slots at Gatwick airport for flights to Belfast City.

    Baroness Kramer

    The Government does not currently consider that there is a risk of air services between Belfast and London being lost. The routes remain commercially viable, with nearly two million passengers carried on almost 19,000 flights between the two Belfast airports and the five main London airports in 2013.

    EU Regulations govern the allocation, transfer and exchange of slots at Heathrow, Gatwick and other slot co-ordinated airports in the UK. The purpose of the EU Slot Regulations is to support the operation of a single market for aviation by seeking to ensure airlines have fair and equal access to airports across the EU through the application of independent, non-discriminatory and transparent slot allocation procedures. The Regulations stipulate that the actual process of slot allocation is undertaken entirely independently of the Government, the UK Civil Aviation Authority or other parties. The Government has therefore made no representations to safeguard Heathrow or Gatwick slots for air services from Belfast.

    In circumstances where vital air connectivity would be lost, EU law does provide some limited scope to protect regional air services by allowing Member States to establish public service obligations (PSOs) to protect air services to airports serving a peripheral or development region, or on thin routes considered vital for a region’s economic and social development. Where a PSO has been approved, this would permit slots to be ring-fenced at a London airport. There is no other mechanism for the Government to intervene in the allocation of slots at London airports.

    As part of the 2013 Spending Round the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced that £20million would be made available over the two years 2014-15 and 2015-16 through a Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain regional air access to London through the establishment of PSOs where there was the probability that an existing air service would be lost. The 2014 Budget announced a doubling of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain existing connectivity to London.

  • Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which European Union legislation they have considered in framing the proposed draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015; what view they have taken on the applicability of the European Union legislation; and what is the basis for their view.

    Earl Howe

    As I said in the debate on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 on 24 February 2015 (columns 1570 and 1617-8) the Government is satisfied that the Regulations do not contravene any aspect of European Union law. It has carefully considered recent arguments relating to the Clinical Trials Directive (Directive 2001/20/EC) but is satisfied that the Directive is not relevant in this context as it relates to clinical trials of medicines.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what incentives he is providing to encourage investment from Commonwealth countries in the UK.

    Matthew Hancock

    UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the Government department that works to encourage foreign direct investment into the UK.

    UKTI’s has teams focussed on attracting inward investment in Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand and all UKTI teams in Commonwealth countries together with UK based UKTI staff provide support for companies or funds considering inward investment into the UK.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to publish the Government’s response to the review of gambling advertising before the General Election.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    Yes.

  • Steve Baker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Steve Baker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Baker on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Germany on financial contributions for British victims of thalidomide.

    Mr David Lidington

    The British Ambassador to Berlin has recently raised the issue of compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide with the German Families Minister Manuela Schwesig. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently working with the Thalidomide Trust to secure a meeting between the Trust and the relevant German authorities in support of their campaign to seek compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide.

  • Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2013-14.

    Jane Ellison

    Figures for the number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2013-14 are not yet available. The National Diabetes Audit for 2013-14, which will contain the information requested, is due to be published in late 2015.