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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Grocott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Grocott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 12 November (HL3121), how many members there were in the House of Lords of (1) the government party, or parties, and (2) the official opposition party, in each year since 1997.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    For each of the sessions requested, I have set out below the number of those peers eligible to take part in the work of the House of Lords sitting on the Government benches and those of the benches of HM Official Opposition.

    Year

    Governing Party/Parties

    HM Official Opposition

    97-98

    Lab: 176

    Con: 478

    98-99

    Lab: 193

    Con: 484

    99-00

    Lab: 201

    Con: 232

    00-01

    Lab: 195

    Con: 225

    01-02

    Lab: 190

    Con: 217

    02-03

    Lab: 185

    Con: 210

    03-04

    Lab: 201

    Con: 202

    04-05

    Lab: 199

    Con: 205

    05-06

    Lab: 212

    Con: 208

    06-07

    Lab: 217

    Con: 202

    07-08

    Lab: 214

    Con: 199

    08-09

    Lab: 212

    Con: 189

    09-10

    Lab: 211

    Con: 185

    10-12

    Con: 214 Lib Dem: 90

    Lab: 235

    12-13

    Con: 212 Lib Dem: 89

    Lab: 222

    13-14

    Con: 220 Lib Dem: 99

    Lab: 218

    14-15

    Con: 226 Lib Dem: 103

    Lab: 216

    15-16 (as at 21/12/15)

    Con: 251

    Lab: 213

  • 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 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with freight and haulier representatives on ensuring better access to food, drink and sanitation facilities as part of his Department’s development of a strategy to improve the running of Operation Stack; and when he expects to announce his Department’s strategy.

    Andrew Jones

    Government continues to work closely with a wide range of key partners on a number of short to long term solutions to Operation Stack. Based on these discussions, Highways England are assessing a number of sites off the strategic road network which could offer a potential long term solution and are exploring these options with landowners and stakeholders.

    As part of this, my Department and Highways England will assess the facilities that will be made available on any such site and will liaise with the freight and haulier organisations in due course.

    At present, an agreement has been reached with the owners of Manston Airfield in Kent to enable Kent Police, Highways England and Kent County Council to use the Airfield on a temporary basis to help reduce pressure on the M20 during Operation Stack. If Manston Airfield were to be required, access to toilet and washing facilities, and access to drinking water, would be provided as a minimum for drivers of parked vehicles as soon as reasonably practicable.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 17 November (HL3625), what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding the identification of the ages of Palestinian children prior to their arrest and detention.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this issue with the Israeli Ministry of Justice (MoJ) when they met on 3 November and were informed that a small number of children under 12 had been detained. The Israeli MoJ stated that once their age was established, the minors were released. They also told officials that if identification was not available, parents of the individuals were contacted via the Palestinian District Coordination Office. Since the publication of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded independent report on Children in Military Custody in June 2012, there has been some progress on the issue of children held in military detention in Israel. This includes a pilot to use summons instead of night-time arrests, changes to standard operating procedures on methods of restraint, and steps to reduce the amount of time a child can be detained before seeing a judge. While we welcome improvements, we continue to push for the full implementation of changes and to encourage further changes in practice.

  • David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the projected transport budget per capita in Greater Manchester after the devolution agreement comes into effect.

    Andrew Jones

    Government committed to provide Greater Manchester with a devolved, multi-year transport funding settlement in their Devolution Deal which was agreed in November 2014. The transport funding to be devolved to Greater Manchester will be agreed as part of the Spending Review to be announced later this month.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe regarding the disappearance of Itai Dzamara.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government has been following this case closely since Itai Dzamara’s abduction in March 2015. Together with EU Member States, we have repeatedly called on the Government of Zimbabwe to undertake a full investigation. The EU issued a local statement on 11 September expressing deep concern about Itai Dzamara’s welfare. We continue to urge the Zimbabwean authorities to do everything they can to enable him to recover his freedom, and to respect their legal obligation to report on the progress of the investigation. The EU Delegation is in contact with Mr Dzamara’s family.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 7.4 of the Explanatory Memorandum for the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Local Housing Allowance Amendments) Order 2015 (S.I., 2015, No. 1753), how the Government plans to define higher rent increases for the purposes of determining eligibility for additional funding under the Targeted Affordability Fund.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Since 2014/15 the Government has made available £140 million in Targeted Affordability Funding (TAF). Over the next five years TAF will be drawn from recycling a percentage of the savings from the freeze of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. As a result of the level of savings produced by the freeze next year there will be no TAF available in 2016/17; however, there will be funding from 2017/18 to 2020/21.

    From 2017/18 around 30 per cent of the potential savings per year from the freeze to LHA will be used to support areas where higher rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation.

    The level of TAF in 2016/17 would have been the same if, as planned, LHA rates had been uprated by CPI inflation. This is because the CPI forecast in September was zero (0.01 per cent) and therefore LHA rates would not increase in 2016/17 but would remain at the 2015/16 levels.

    The amounts of TAF which will be available each year from 2017/18 and the plans to distribute it will be announced in due course.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 4 December (HL3456), what urgent action they are taking to remedy the shortage of male teachers and teaching assistants.

    Lord Nash

    We value diversity in the workforce but want the best people in the classroom, regardless of their gender; evidence shows that the quality of teaching is the single most important factor in determining how well pupils achieve. We are pleased that the quality of entrants to initial teacher training, as measured by degree class, remains high, with 18 per cent of postgraduate entrants, a new record, holding a first-class degree. Recent figures show that 26 per cent of teachers in publicly funded schools in England are male. The proportion of men starting initial teacher training programmes in 2015/16 is 31 per cent. The proportion of entrants to the School Direct (salaried) scheme in 2015/16 who are male is 34 per cent.

    Given this performance, the government does not feel that top-down targets for the recruitment of men into initial teacher training would be appropriate. Similarly, it is schools that employ teaching assistants and they are best placed to decide who are the most appropriate for that role regardless of gender.

  • 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 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) advisers and (b) managers were interviewed during the course of the investigation which led to the dismissal of two advisers at Plaistow Jobcentre in May 2014.

    Priti Patel

    Allegations of misuse of the Flexible Support Fund at Plaistow Jobcentre were investigated fully by the Department’s professionally trained investigators. It is not appropriate for the Secretary of State to disclose detailed information about internal investigations as providing this information would risk individuals being identified.

  • Angela Rayner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Angela Rayner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on protecting people from harassment from nuisance calls.

    Nick Boles

    My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has regular discussions with his counterpart at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on a wide variety of issues.

  • Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2015 to Question 12304, what the names are of the main stakeholders who the Government consulted on the terms of reference of the Review into Secondary Ticketing Market.

    Nick Boles

    The following stakeholders were invited to provide input:

    All England Lawn Tennis Club

    Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

    CBI

    Competition and Markets Authority

    eBay UK Ltd (StubHub)

    England and Wales Cricket Board

    England Rugby Football Union

    European Commission Representation in the UK

    Fan Freedom

    Lawn Tennis Association

    Northern Ireland Executive

    Parliament

    Royal Opera House

    Scottish Government

    Society of London Theatre

    Sport and Recreation Alliance

    STAR (Secure Tickets from Authorised Retailers)

    Ticketmaster

    UK Music

    Viagogo

    Welsh Government

    Which?