UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2015

  • Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there has been a review of the transport provision on the A5225 in Bolton West constituency since the proposals for the Westhoughton bypass were cancelled.

    Andrew Jones

    The revised version of the A5225 Wigan to Westhoughton Bypass scheme was considered by the Labour government in 1997-98 which concluded that this proposed M6 to M61 link was not of strategic national importance to merit inclusion in the core national trunk road network. The relevant local highway authorities – Bolton MBC and Wigan MBC – were therefore invited to consider the best way forward.

    Transport provision in the A5225 area is now a matter for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and its constituent local highway authorities. The Combined Authority has well established mechanisms for identifying and promoting local transport investment priorities to support its strategies. These resulted, initially, in the Greater Manchester Transport Fund programme and have subsequently informed City Deal, Growth Deal and Devolution Deal agreements since 2010. This scheme has not formed part of any priority programme put forward by Greater Manchester. The Combined Authority is currently undertaking a review of the local highway network as part of its proposals for establishing a Key Route Network and this will look at current performance to inform possible future investment priorities. This assessment will include primary routes between Wigan and Bolton.

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-12-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in the review of countries designated under section 94(5) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 following the Supreme Court judgment in R (JB (Jamaica)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] UKSC 8.

    Lord Bates

    The process of reviewing all the designated countries is nearing completion. Any proposals for changes to the designation of countries must be made by order and so will be put to Parliament.

  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his contribution of 28 October 2015, Official Report, column 429, on junior doctors hours, if he will publish the evidential basis for the proposition that hospitals are not rostering enough junior doctors at weekends.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS Employers’ evidence to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration – “Reform of national contracts for consultant doctors and doctors and dentists in training” [1]– published in December 2014, included a profile of how the hours worked by doctors in training were spread across the week.

    We have evidence that hospital leaders consider the junior doctors’ contract to be a significant barrier to delivering more seven-day services. NHS Providers’ written evidence to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) on contract reform for consultants and doctors and dentists in training[2] stated that the junior doctor contract is still a significant source of barriers to seven day working and reform of the junior doctor contract is also required to support trusts to deliver more seven-day services. In particular, the pay banding system for junior doctors needs to be reviewed. There were concerns from employers that the banding system is too complicated, can create “perverse incentives” for junior doctors, and means that providing more seven-day services is unaffordable, since more junior doctors would be working outside core hours and receive premiums under the current banding system. NHS Providers also believe that more hours in a day and more days of the week need to be defined as core hours, as the current arrangement does not support the delivery of more seven-day services or reflect the needs and expectations of today’s patients. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh has also said that premium pay rates are hindering efforts to put services on a seven-day footing.

    [1] http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/pay-and-reward/pay/medical-pay/ddrb-evidence—in-detail/consultants-and-junior-doctors-contract-reform-submission-of-evidence-to-the-ddrb

    [2] http://www.nhsproviders.org/resource-library/written-evidence-ddrb-special-remit/

    “

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the statement by the EU Commission of 18 June 2015 on the termination of intra-EU bilateral investment treaties, to which such treaties the UK is a party; what steps the UK is taking to terminate such treaties to which it is a party; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The UK has bilateral investment treaties in force with twelve EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The UK is participating in discussions with the Commission and other Member States on possible options and approaches towards handling the Commission’s request, regarding the termination of these treaties. These discussions are at an early stage and no consensus has been reached among Member States.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complainants have agreed to special measures applied in court in cases of (a) childhood and (b) domestic abuse in the last five years.

    Mike Penning

    Please refer to previous PQ 13673. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service does not collect this data.

  • Chris Law – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Law – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2015-12-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce compensation for couples who both work in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in Dundee in the event that they are transferred to a HMRC regional office in another location.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.

    HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.‎

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what average time her Department took to respond to freedom of information requests in each year since 2005.

    Nick Gibb

    The government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including statistics on timeliness. These can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

    “

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many civil servants in his Department are in the redeployment pool.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    None.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what average time his Department took to respond to freedom of information requests in each year since 2005.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including on timeliness. These can be found at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

    “

  • Heidi Allen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Heidi Allen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Allen on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children who are refused admission to a state funded faith school on the grounds of differing faith or belief; and if she will work with schools and faith groups to facilitate inclusive admission policies in all state funded schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The department does not collect data on the reasons why individual applicants are refused a place to particular schools.

    It is for the relevant admission authority of a school designated with a religious character to decide whether or not to adopt faith-based oversubscription criteria. Not all schools with a faith designation choose to allocate places by faith. Some choose to allocate only a proportion of their places on the basis of faith. Where they have places available, schools with a faith designation must admit all children who apply, without reference to faith.

    The government is committed to ensuring that new faith-designated academies and free schools provide additional places not just for pupils of their own faith, but also for other local children regardless of their faith. New provision academies and free schools with a faith designation must give priority to at least 50 per cent of their intake without reference to faith, where they are oversubscribed.