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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 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department plans will be made of the crashworthiness of any D78 London Underground train that is converted to mainline use.

    Claire Perry

    The assessment of the “crashworthiness” of a train is a matter for the prospective operator of that train.

    The “Crashworthiness” of rail vehicles is regulated and assessed by standards, laid down in the TSIs (Technical Specifications for Interoperability) and supported by ENs (Euro Norms, or standards). A vehicle’s compliance with these requirements is verified by an independent body, suitably appointed for the task.

    There is no government proposal to convert D78 London Underground stock to mainline use.

  • Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to increase the Pension Protection Fund payment cap.

    Steve Webb

    The Pensions Act 2014 provides for an increase to the Pension Protection Fund compensation cap of 3 per cent for each year of pensionable service above 20 years, to a maximum of double the standard cap. Changes are needed to secondary legislation before the primary legislation comes into force and we are currently aiming for this work to be completed by Autumn this year.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-02-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of people currently paying income tax who would not pay that tax if the threshold at which it begins to be payable were to be raised to £15,000 per annum.

    Mr David Gauke

    It is estimated that raising the personal tax allowance to £15,000 in the year 2015-16 would take 6.2 million individuals out of income tax liability at a cost of £26 billion to the Exchequer.

    These estimates are based on the 2011-12 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s December 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are in receipt of a war disablement pension in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

    Anna Soubry

    The number of recipients of war disablement pensions in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, can be found below:

    Country

    Number

    England

    89,450

    Wales

    6,925

    Scotland

    11,890

    Northern Ireland

    3,680

    Other UK

    340

    UK Unknown

    345

    Not Known

    135

    Total

    112,765

    Notes:

    1. Other UK includes Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

    2. In line with Defence Statistics’ Rounding Policy, all figures of five or more have been rounded to the nearest 5. Due to rounding, the figures provided may not sum to totals.

  • Dan Byles – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dan Byles – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Byles on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when his Department first became aware of wind turbines being excessively de-rated in order for generators to benefit from higher than intended feed-in tariffs; and if he will make a statement.

    Amber Rudd

    We are actively monitoring the extent of de-rating and will consider whether action is necessary to prevent wind developers from unfairly exploiting the FITs scheme.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Pakistan in support of resuming the moratorium on the death penalty in that country; and what assessment he has made of the prospects for a lasting moratorium on the death penalty in Pakistan.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We regularly raise the issue of the death penalty in Pakistan at the highest levels and have consistently pressed the Government of Pakistan to commit to a moratorium on the death penalty. It is our longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We fully understand Pakistan’s resolve to protect society from terrorism but there is no evidence that capital punishment is an effective deterrent.

  • David Ward – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Ward – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Ward on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that local authorities commission adult social care services at an hourly rate which provides for staff to receive the national minimum wage and includes travel time between clients.

    Norman Lamb

    High quality, compassionate care for the most vulnerable in society can only be delivered by a well-trained, motivated and appropriately remunerated workforce. The Government recognises that pay can be a particular concern for those with the responsibility for delivering those services.

    Care providers are legally obliged to pay their workers at least the national minimum wage – relevant time spent travelling between care appointments should be treated as working time for national minimum wage purposes in accordance with HM Revenue and Custom (HMRC) guidance. This is the least that care workers deserve and should expect.

    Responsibility for enforcement of the national minimum wage rests with HMRC rather than local authorities. However, the Care Act places duties on local authorities to have regard to fostering an effective workforce able to deliver high quality services.

    The Government has recently published statutory guidance to support the implementation of the Care Act that describes how local authorities must meet these new duties when commissioning, which directs that local authorities should have evidence that care providers they contract with are paying at least the national minimum wage, including factoring into those calculations any time spent travelling between care appointments and that those providers found to be recently in breach of the law, should be excluded from the contract tendering process.

    The Government has also worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association to co-produce a set of commissioning standards that were launched in October 2014. These standards amplify the good practice set out in the statutory guidance in regards to fostering an effective workforce.

  • Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK National Screening Committee’s policy on screening people over 65 for atrial fibrillation.

    Jane Ellison

    In 2014 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommended that screening people aged 65 and over for atrial fibrillation should not be offered. This is because the evidence did not show that those identified by screening would benefit from early diagnosis. Ministers have accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation.

    As part of its three yearly recommendation review process, the UK NSC will review this recommendation in 2017/18.

  • Liz Kendall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liz Kendall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2014 to Question 218419 on radiotherapy, how many individual funding requests were (a) received and (b) declined for stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England has only commissioned stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy since it was formally established on 1 April 2013. Information relating to 2013-14 was provided in the response to Question 218419.

    “

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many newly qualified police officers have been employed in (a) Preston and (b) each constabulary in the North West of England in each year since 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The table provided shows the number of new police officers who joined each police force in the North West of England from 2009/10 to 2013/14. These figures include police officer standard direct recruits and police officers who were previously special constables. They exclude transfers and re-joiners.

    The Home Offices does not collect these statistics below police force area level.