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Tag: 2015

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many domestic violence courts sat at each magistrates’ court in Lancashire in 2014.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The table below sets out the number of domestic violence courts scheduled to be sat in each magistrates’ court in Lancashire in 2014:

    Magistrates Courts in Lancashire

    Number of half day sessions scheduled to sit on domestic violence during 2014

    Blackpool Magistrates’ Court

    100

    Lancaster Magistrates’ Court

    50

    Preston Magistrates’ Court

    100

    Chorley Magistrates’ Court

    50

    Ormskirk Magistrates’ Court

    50

    Blackburn Magistrates’ Court

    100

    Burnley Magistrates’ Court

    100
  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of whether the Coastguard Service’s VHF radio systems are fit for purpose (a) generally and (b) in relation to the work of the Maritime Operations Centre at Fareham.

    Mr John Hayes

    There were no issues experienced with the VHF radio network on 2 February 2015.

    However, on 8 February 2015 there was a temporary reduction in HM Coastguard’s ability to broadcast on VHF Channel 16 from Marsland Mouth, Cornwall to Beachy Head, East Sussex and River Towey, Carmarthen to Mull of Galloway. This lasted for 1 hour 47 minutes.

    During this time the 999 service and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Distress alert systems were unaffected. There was no reduction in HM Coastguard’s ability to task rescue resources, such as lifeboats, volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams or SAR Helicopters, to any incident around the coast.

    HM Coastguard’s well established Business Continuity Plans allowed remedial action to be promptly undertaken and enabled vessels on the waters affected during the period of the breakdown to make contact with the Coastguard Service. The specific issue that caused the reduced ability to broadcast on VHF Channel 16 has now been resolved.

    The Coastguard services (VHF systems) are currently fit for purpose both (a) generally and (b) specifically for the new national network.

  • Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which staff of Rail North will be involved in formulating the response to the consultation for the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises.

    Claire Perry

    We have been working closely with Rail North on the response to the Northern and TransPennine Express consultation, which has been developed jointly and will be published as a joint document. Rail North officers and senior managers have been involved in the formulation of the response to the consultation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Universal Credit IT system in Leigh, Greater Manchester, was out of action for three consecutive days in the first week of February 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Mark Harper

    The Universal Credit IT core system was fully operational throughout February. In Leigh, however, there was a problem in non-UC IT which was remedied promptly.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

    Jo Swinson

    The training budget for 2012/13 was £2,992,186

    The training budget for 2013/14 was £2,735,104

    The training budget for 2014/15 was £2,277,029

  • Austin Mitchell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Austin Mitchell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Austin Mitchell on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value of tax reductions for companies under the patent box legislation has been since April 2013.

    Mr David Gauke

    The patent box was introduced in April 2013 and companies have up to two years from the end of their accounting period to elect into the regime. The first complete set of data will therefore not be available before end April 2016.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria he is using to decide the future location of the Household Cavalry Regiment.

    Anna Soubry

    There are no plans to move the Household Cavalry Regiment from their current location in Combermere Barracks, Windsor.

    A study is being conducted into the future use of the Department’s central London estate, including the current location of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in Hyde Park Barracks. Any decision to relocate the Regiment will be based on the ability to deliver alternative facilities which meet the Regiment’s operational and infrastructure requirements, and the demonstration of value for money for the Defence budget.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what background checks are carried out when a qualified teacher from (a) outside and (b) inside the EU applies to teach in England.

    Mr David Laws

    The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2014 and the Non-maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2011 require schools to carry out specific checks before they may appoint an individual, including from abroad, to work at the school.

    The regulations require schools to check: the identity of the individual; that the person meets any relevant staff qualification requirements; and that the person has a right to work in the UK. In addition, the school must obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Certificate and where relevant a check of the children’s barred list. For those appointed into a teaching position, schools must ensure that the individual is not prohibited by the Secretary of State for Education from carrying out teaching work in England.

    Where the person to be appointed has lived outside of the United Kingdom the regulations require further checks to be made and that the school must have regard to statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State when deciding what those additional checks should be.

    The Department’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE) statutory guidance makes clear that all schools and colleges have a duty to carry out mandatory safer recruitment checks that help to identify individuals who are not suitable to work with pupils. This guidance also signposts Home Office advice about obtaining criminal record information from overseas police forces and certificates of good conduct.

  • Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2015 to Question 222829, how much of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s expenditure on support costs was for (a) research and technology, (b) IT, (c) security, (d) facilities, (e) programme management, (f) procurement, (g) human resources, (h) finance, (i) head-office costs, (j) environment, health safety and quality, (k) regulatory engagement and (l) communications in each of the last five years.

    Matthew Hancock

    The information requested is in the table below:

    £m

    13-14

    12-13

    11-12

    10-11

    09-10

    [A] Research & technology

    5.0

    5.0

    4.9

    4.7

    5.9

    [B] IT

    2.4

    2.2

    3.9

    3.6

    3.7

    [D] Facilities

    1.9

    1.6

    3.2

    2.5

    2.8

    [E] Programme Management

    12.5

    11.0

    11.4

    13.7

    18.0

    [G] HR

    2.1

    2.1

    1.8

    1.9

    2.5

    [H] Finance

    4.3

    4.4

    3.7

    3.6

    6.5

    [L] Communications

    1.8

    1.6

    1.4

    1.6

    1.5

    Support costs for security, procurement, head office costs, environment health safety and quality, regulatory engagement cannot be accurately disaggregated from wider NDA expenditure.

    Due to internal reporting changes and/or organisational structure changes, certain headings may not be consistent across the five years.

    Finance costs include internal audit costs and NAO audit fees, in each year.

  • 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 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Malaysian government regarding (a) the imprisonment of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, (b) Malaysia’s sodomy laws and (c) sedition laws.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The hon. Member will be aware of my statement of 10 February, the day the judgement was announced. In this I expressed deep concern at the Malaysian Federal Court’s decision to uphold Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction for sodomy. I had previously raised concerns about the case on 4 December when I met the Malaysian High Commissioner. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), also raised this issue when he met Malaysia’s Foreign Minister on 9 December.

    Our High Commission in Malaysia has discussed the matter with Malaysian ministers and officials on several occasions, and officials from the High Commission in Kuala Lumpur observed the trial alongside other local diplomatic missions.

    Wider representations on Malaysia’s sodomy laws have been confined to Anwar Ibrahim’s case as charges have been extremely rare.

    We have lobbied for the repeal of the Sedition Act over many years. We are aware of the recent comments by Prime Minister Najib concerning plans to strengthen the Act rather than repeal it. We await more information about the scope of the proposed amendments. Until we know what these entail, it would be inappropriate to comment further.