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Tag: 2015

  • Diane Abbott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on (a) temporary agency staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising in real terms in each year since 2010-11.

    Justine Greening

    See the table below, which reflects categorised spend. Note that total administration spend will also include temporary staff, consultants, on-payroll staff and marketing and advertising spend.

    Year

    (a&c) Temporary agency staff & non payroll staff (£m)

    (b) consultants (£m)

    (d) Spend against Administration control total (£m)

    (e) Spend on marketing and Advertising (£000s)

    2005/06

    3.9

    Unavailable*

    162.2

    Unavailable*

    2006/07

    2.0

    Unavailable*

    190.5

    Unavailable*

    2007/08

    1.3

    Unavailable*

    150.7

    Unavailable*

    2008/09

    2.6

    Unavailable*

    162.7

    30

    2009/10

    3.9

    19.1

    157.0

    43

    2010/11

    1.4

    1.4

    148.2

    45

    2011/12

    1.2

    0.7

    123.3

    4

    2012/13

    1.2

    0.2

    127.8

    7

    2013/14

    2.1

    0.2

    116.0

    5

    2014/15

    1.2

    0.1

    110.0

    14

    *Disaggregated data not available due to expenditure categories on previous management system.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of the total (a) number and (b) payments made from feed-in tariff schemes in each year since 2010; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below shows (a) the number of commissioned installations under the feed – in tariff scheme, and (b) generation payments made under the scheme:

    Generation payments (£)*

    Cumulative installations (at end March)**

    2010-11

    12,487,029

    47,746

    2011-12

    135,937,392

    319,057

    2012-13

    504,272,611

    430,445

    2013-14

    685,973,264

    545,245

    2014-15

    850,823,544

    683,462

    *Source; feed-in tariff annual report 2014-15

    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/feed-in_tariff_annual_report_year_five_2014-15.pdf

    ** Source; DECC feed-in tariff statistics

    Monthly feed-in tariff commissioned installations by month – Publications – GOV.UK

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 16052, if he will estimate the number of vehicles likely to be tested; and what criteria is being used to decide which models will be tested.

    Andrew Jones

    The two Skoda cars tested are part of the Vehicle Certification Agency fleet. Their engines are of the type that VW has confirmed as being equipped with software that recognises test conditions. Our testing has confirmed differences in exhaust emissions when measured using the type approval tests and with an alternative procedure. However, it cannot be guaranteed that a single alternative procedure would identify defeat strategies on other vehicles and therefore our planned programme of work will involve a number of alternative tests, including real driving, to interrogate their emission behaviour.

    Our programme will consider, without bias, approximately 40 vehicles that are representative of some 70 different models in the UK market. These have been selected based both upon the volume of sales over each of the last 5-years and the overall number of each model currently licensed for use on the roads of Great Britain.

    We have agreed with ministers in France and in Germany to exchange knowledge and understanding as our respective programmes develop. This collaboration may allow our programmes to be rationalised to avoid duplication of testing and secure best value for the taxpayer.

    An update on progress will be prepared early in the New Year and a full report will be issued at the conclusion of the work.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statement of 1 December 2014, HC Deb, 46W, what assessment he has made of the performance of the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than arrests being made at night.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    On 2 June, the Minister of State, my noble Friend, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE met the Israeli Military Advocate General and discussed the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than be arrested at night. We understand that the scheme has functioned well and has been used in a significant proportion of arrests. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv continue to push for further progress on the issue of children held in military detention with Israeli officials. On 23 November, an official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met Israel’s Chief Prosecutor and discussed the issue of child detention and on 27 August, our Ambassador to Tel Aviv lobbied the Israeli Military Advocate General on Children in Detention where the issue of child detention was also discussed.

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

    Lord Berkeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they decided that all grey speed cameras should be painted yellow, and what safety benefits they expect to result from that change.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government has always been clear that speed cameras are for smoothing traffic flow, reducing congestion and enhancing safety rather than for revenue raising. All working grey speed cameras are being painted yellow within a year to make them more visible, so that motorists know the cameras are there.

    The purpose of this particular type of camera is to enforce variable speed limits on smart motorways which smooth traffic flow and help reduce congestion. The safety outcome of this change in colour will be monitored by Highways England.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to develop a shared strategy across the UK for tackling sexually transmitted diseases.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department set out its ambitions on sexual health, including tackling sexually transmitted diseases, in its Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (2013); a copy is attached.

    As health is a devolved matter Ministers do not regularly discuss these issues, however research and evidence of best practice is made available throughout the United Kingdom.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the finding by The Times and the British Medical Journal that the board of a Clinical Commissioning Group in Birmingham awarded a £1.7 million contract to a company in which a number of its board members were shareholders or held a senior position.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are aware of the reports in The Times and The British Medical Journal.

    Birmingham South Central CCG has provided assurances that it has robust and transparent governance arrangements in place that are in line with NHS England guidelines.

  • Norman Lamb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what account he has made of the reason for the failure to meet ambulance response time targets for Red 1 999 emergencies between June 2015 and September 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    Ambulance services are experiencing a significant increase in demand compared with previous years.

    NHS England and trusts are responding to this challenge with a number of measures including the Ambulance Response Programme which enables trusts to provide a more clinically appropriate response to patients.In 2014/15, there were 1,048,500 more ambulance journeys compared with 2009/10 (2,800 per day). There are now almost 2,000 more paramedics compared to 2010.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their plans to release files from their Special Collections archive during this Parliament.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Files outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) standard corporate file plan are now known as non-standard files.

    Estimated at around 600,000, the non-standard files are generally older than the standard departmental files.

    We have divided most of the non-standard material into four main categories in order to prioritise the preparation of these files for transfer to The National Archives (TNA): High Priority (around 60,000 files), Medium and Low priority (around 290,000 files across both categories) and a separate category for the Hong Kong government records (around 270,000 files). The Hong Kong records require further assessment before we can prioritise them for release (most are on microform).

    Our prioritisation of the non-standard files has taken into account feedback from a wide variety of sources and interested parties including Professor Tony Badger, Professor of History at Northumbria University, the Independent Reviewer of the non-standard files.

    We aim to prepare for transfer to TNA all high priority non-standard files (10% of the total) by 2019.

    The first of the high priority records have now been released at TNA. They include 445 Colonial Reports, which are bound volumes of reports submitted annually to the Colonial Office by colonial governors. In October 2015, 254 files relating to the defection of Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean were released to the public.

    Our current estimate is that we will be able to prepare the medium and low priority records for transfer to TNA by 2027.

    The FCO is committed to complying with the Public Records Act and to full transparency with respect to our record holdings.

  • Sarah Champion – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Champion – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from Albania have been returned to that country in the last year.

    James Brokenshire

    All unaccompanied asylum seeking children are referred to the Refugee Council’s panel of advisers.

    Age-assessments of unaccompanied asylum seeking children are conducted by local authorities. The guidance to local authority practitioners states that most assessments should be completed within 28 days, however the timescale for assessment should be responsive to the needs of the child or young person. The Home Office does not collect statistics on how many and what proportion are carried out within this timescale.

    Statistics on the number of age disputes raised and resolved for asylum applicants for each quarter from January 2010 to September 2015 are available on GOV.UK at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476915/asylum3-q3-2015-tabs.ods

    The Home Office does not keep a record of the number of appeals against age assessments conducted by local authorities.

    Home Office policy is not to return unaccompanied asylum seeking children whose claim has been refused unless there are safe and adequate reception arrangements in place. Statistics on the number of children removed from the UK in 2014 are available on Gov.UK at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476919/removals1-q3-2015-tabs.ods

    However, these statistics include all nationalities and non-asylum cases.