Tag: 2015

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent decisions she has had with (a) representatives of the EU and (b) her counterparts in other member states on EU timber regulations.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra officials regularly discuss the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation with both the European Commission and other EU Member States.

    Most recently (September 2015) Defra officials participated in a FLEGT/EUTR Expert Group meeting in Brussels, covering a range of related issues including implementation of the two regulations across the EU.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the NHS budget was spent on people with long-term health conditions in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The most recent estimate on overall costs of long term conditions is set out in the Long Term Conditions Compendium of Information: Third Edition, which was published in 2012. The Compendium estimates that, in total, around 70% of the total health and care spend in England is attributed to caring for people with long term conditions.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the effect on demand on policing services of budgetary reductions in other government departments.

    Mike Penning

    Home Office officials are working with the police and other government departments as part of the Spending Review preparations. This work includes understanding of the interface between the police and other agencies. We encourage greater joint working to continue to reduce crime and manage demand. The Department also welcomed the College of Policing report “Estimating demand on the police service", published in January, which included analysis of non crime demand. The report is available on the College of Policing website www.college.police.uk

    “

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans his Department has for implementation of the ruling of the European Court of Justice in case C-266/14 of 10 September 2015, on justice and citizens’ rights.

    Nick Boles

    This judgment of the European Court of Justice automatically became part of UK law on the date of its publication. It is not necessary to amend UK domestic legislation to implement the judgment.

  • Gary Streeter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gary Streeter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what infrastructure upgrades, other than the Reading rebuilding project, are being undertaken or planned to gain journey time benefit for the South West Peninsula from the new high-speed AT300 trains when they are introduced in December 2018.

    Claire Perry

    As part of the long-term economic plan to increase growth and create jobs in the South West, this Government has a commitment to £7.2 billion investment in transport infrastructure in the South West over this Parliament.

    As the Secretary of State for Transport set out in his oral statement to the House on 25 June, he has asked the new Chair of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy, to re-plan the enhancements programme. A full assessment of the delivery of the enhancements programme will be a specific task of the re-plan, which is due to report back in the autumn.

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

    Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 10 February (HL4677), in the light of the change in franchisee and the expectation of more changes, what steps they are taking to ensure that there are sufficient luggage space and catering facilities for the anticipated use of those trains.

    Baroness Kramer

    The interior of the Intercity Express Programme is designed flexibly so that it can be adapted to meet different traffic conditions in the future. Operators have been fully engaged in this process. We continue to work very closely with them on the train, including catering provision.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in relation to the arrest and reported incommunicado detention of Christopher Ngoyi and other activists in the wake of protests in January against the amendment of electoral law in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    During the recent period of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa were in regular contact with the DRC authorities, and urged all parties to exercise calm and restraint. Officials also highlighted the importance of allowing those who wished to protest peacefully against the proposed electoral reform bill to be allowed to do so. This was echoed in a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) press statement issued on 19 January. On 25 January a revised electoral law was passed, and on 26 January a FCO press statement welcomed the revised electoral law, which sought to address some of the protestors’ concerns. We are pleased that calls for an end to violence were heeded but are concerned that – according to UN reports – as many as 300 people remain in detention following the demonstrations, including some who have not had access to a lawyer. Of those currently being held, the UN estimates that at least 11 are believed to be in ‘incommunicado’ detention, including Christopher Ngoyi. Officials continue to raise the ongoing detention of protestors at the highest level. On 11 February, EU Heads of Mission in Kinshasa issued a joint statement expressing concern at arrests and arbitrary detention of political activists by the security services. Those imprisoned for peacefully exercising their right to free speech must be released without delay.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new HIV diagnoses were made among prisoners in 2014 in England and Wales.

    Earl Howe

    Data for 2014 is not available until October 2015.

    Latest data from the national human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) surveillance system shows that in 2013, of 5,594 adults (aged 15 years old or above) newly diagnosed with HIV in England and Wales, nine were newly diagnosed with HIV at a prison service. An additional 210 patients living with a diagnosed HIV infection (diagnosed before 2013) were resident in prison.

    Notes:

    The numbers are likely to be under-reported because prison status is not routinely collected. Prisoners were identified if the residential information provided related to a prison setting. Therefore the completeness and accuracy of the numbers depends on the clinicians’ reports. Furthermore, most prisoners have short custodial sentences and consequently may not be included in the national HIV surveillance system which collects information relating to a patients’ most recent attendance at an HIV service.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2014 to Question 215333, what the estimated cost to the Exchequer in the calendar year 2015 will be of raising Transport for London bus fares in line with the retail price index.

    Danny Alexander

    The estimated cost to the taxpayer in 2015 of raising Transport for London (TFL) bus fares is 1% of TFL’s bus fare income for 2015.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much Bradford Metropolitan District Council received from central government in grants in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

    Kris Hopkins

    In 2014-15, Bradford Metropolitan District Council is forecast to receive £655 million in government grants, excluding mandatory housing benefits, equivalent to £3,112 per dwelling. Per dwelling, this is in the top 20 highest in England. Including mandatory housing benefits, the forecast is £838 million (source: Revenue Account budget returns).

    In addition to this, Bradford Metropolitan District residents will also benefit from government grant funding to the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, to the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority and to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

    We do not hold detailed information on all the individual grants paid out across government departments over the time period.

    However, leaving aside schools spending which has changed due to the funding shift from local authorities to academies, in 2014-15, Bradford Metropoliton District Council’s net current expenditure excluding education is forecast to be £596 million (source: Revenue Account budget returns). This compares with £548 million in 2009-10 (source: Revenue Outturn returns), and is thus an increase in cash terms.

    Of course, every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to pay off the deficit left by the last Administration, including local government which accounts for a quarter of all public spending. Yet these figures illustrate how claims in some parts of the local government sector about “cuts” are over-stated and mislead the public.