The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many new jobs have been created in (a) Elmbridge and (b) Esher and Walton constituency since May 2010; and what the effect of such job creation has been on the level of unemployment in each of those areas.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keir Starmer on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current budget is for bringing High Speed 2 into Euston; and what proportion of this cost is accounted for by (a) tunnelling from Old Oak Common to the Euston Portal, (b) construction works in the Camden Cutting, (c) Phases A and B1 of the new station at Euston, (d) land acquisition costs, including any land transferred between public authorities and (e) mitigation measures and compensation.
Mr Robert Goodwill
HS2 Ltd deposited an Additional Provision (AP3) to the HS2 Phase One hybrid Bill on 16 September 2015 which includes revised plans for London Euston station. The new plans focus on an incremental strategy which will deliver new high speed platforms (Stages A and B1) and do not preclude wider redevelopment of the existing station in the future (Stage B2).
The new proposals for a phased approach to Euston station will be delivered within the existing budget for Phase One of HS2 of £21.4bn. Within this overall budget the estimated construction costs of our latest plan for Euston is £2.25bn.
It is not appropriate to provide a breakdown of the construction costs below this figure as this information is commercially sensitive and would compromise the forthcoming procurement process for these works.
We will continue to work with our contractors and the rail industry to find the most cost efficient way of delivering the project.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 9725, with reference to his Department’s response to the Disability Benefits Consortium report on PIP Assessment Providers, published 4 April 2015, what steps his Department has taken to assess the usefulness of audio recordings as part of the employment and support allowance assessment process.
Priti Patel
A pilot of the audio recording of face-to-face Work Capability Assessments was undertaken in 2011 to “determine whether such an approach is helpful for claimants and improves the quality of assessments”. The pilot showed recording did not improve the quality of assessments. Less than half those taking part thought it would be helpful to them and only a handful requested a copy.
However, despite very low requests for audio recordings, we are continuing to make this service available to those Employment and Support Allowance claimants who request it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 2.115 of the Summer Budget 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of freezing local housing allowance on the availability of private rented accommodation for claimants in London.
Justin Tomlinson
No assessment has been made of the effect of freezing rates on the availability or affordability of accommodation for claimants in London. There will be measures in place to help support people who may be impacted. Each year, 30 per cent of the savings from this measure will be used to create Targeted Affordability Funding to help areas where rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation. In addition the Government has enhanced its package of Discretionary Housing Payment funding – £800 million over 5 years- which is designed to enable local authorities to protect the most vulnerable claimants and support households adjusting to Welfare Reform changes, including the freeze to LHA rates.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department will complete mandatory reconsideration of case reference number FBH 1826.
Justin Tomlinson
There is no record of a mandatory reconsideration being requested for case reference number FBH 1826.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the maximum gradients on the proposed HS2 line, and where they are located.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In general the normal limiting gradient on the proposed HS2 line is 2.5%, which occurs at various locations along the route.
However, there are a few instances of steeper gradients where there are physical constraints that do not allow gradients of 2.5% or less to be achieved, namely:
– Between Euston Station and Euston Tunnels (3.4%)
– In the Euston Tunnels before Old Oak Common (3.5%)
– The east end of the Bromford Tunnel (2.9%)
– The approach to Birmingham Curzon St (3.03%)
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when both Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority will publish the financial performance data for the first quarter of 2015–16 for NHS foundation trusts and NHS trusts.
Lord Prior of Brampton
Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority published the financial performance data for the first quarter of 2015-16 on Friday 9 October.
The information can be accessed as follows:
– Foundation Trusts, a copy of the report issued by Monitor is attached; and
– NHS Trusts, NHS Trust Development Authority has released the report on its website only which can be accessed at:
http://www.ntda.nhs.uk/blog/2015/10/09/nhs-trusts-financial-position-for-q1-of-201516/
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws on 2015-10-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people aged (1) 21 and over, and (2) under 21, are currently in prison for a terrorist offence; of those, (a) how many have been released on licence since January 2014, and (b) how many have undergone a programme of resettlement or deradicalisation; and what information they have on the effectiveness of resettlement or deradicalisation programmes.
Lord Faulks
As of Friday 23 October, there were 94 prisoners convicted of or on remand for offences under Terrorism Act legislation in prisons in England and Wales. Of these, 85 are 21 and over, and 9 are under 21. Of these 94 prisoners, 2 have been released and subsequently recalled to prison since January 2014.
Of the 94, 46 prisoners have undertaken the Extremism Risk Guidelines assessment. These assessments only occur when a prisoner has been convicted and settled in to prison. The Secretary of State has asked the department to review its approach to dealing with Islamist extremism in prisons and probation. This will be supported by external expertise and will sit alongside the cross government work currently underway on developing de-radicalisation programmes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following the stop-work order issued by the Israeli Civil Administration in relation to the construction of a football field in the Muslim village of Wadi Foquin in the Bethlehem district of the West Bank.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
While the British Government has not raised this specific case with the Israeli authorities, we frequently lobby the Israeli government on this issue more broadly: we urge them to take steps to enable Palestinian construction, most recently on 17 September with Deputy Head of Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-09-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 15 September (HL2049) which committed to helping to protect taxpayers from the rising cost of subsidising rent, what steps they are taking to achieve this commitment.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
We have included provisions in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill currently before Parliament to reduce social rents in England by one percent a year for four years from April 2016. We estimate that by 2020/21 there will be an in-year saving to the tax payer of some £1.4 billion, so helping to protect taxpayers from the rising cost of subsidising rents through housing benefit.