Tag: 2015

Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff have been employed to cover HM Revenue and Customs’ tax credit telephone lines in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold this information.

HMRC has a number of significant peaks of customer contact every year, and since 2005 it has moved its resources around to meet those seasonal priorities.

01/01/2023
Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the educational needs of young people in mental health facilities are assessed; and what system is in place to ensure that the needs of those patients are monitored and provided for as they change.

Mr Sam Gyimah

Local authorities have a duty to ensure suitable education is in place for children of compulsory school age who would not otherwise receive it. This includes pupils with medical conditions that prevent them from attending a mainstream school. Where pupils are in-patients in medical facilities, this education would in many cases be provided by the facility itself via an on-site hospital school.

In all cases, decisions on the education required should be based on an assessment of the pupil’s needs and in consultation with the pupil, parents, medical practitioners and other relevant professionals. Providers and the local authority must ensure that the education a pupil receives is of good quality, allows them to take appropriate qualifications, prevents them from slipping behind their peers in school and allows them to reintegrate successfully back into school as soon as possible. Monitoring and assurance processes should be established to ensure this quality education is in place and in all cases, effective collaboration between all relevant services is essential to delivering effective education for children with additional health needs.

The Department for Education’s guidance ‘Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs’ sets out the legal duties and responsibilities of the local authority with regards education for such pupils. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/269469/health_needs_guidance__-_revised_may_2013_final.pdf

“

01/01/2023
Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to gather data on people accessing the Pension Wise service.

Harriett Baldwin

The government committed to providing free, impartial guidance through Pension Wise, to help people make informed and confident decisions about how they use their defined contribution pension savings in retirement. It is available online, via the telephone and face to face. As of 29 October 2015, there were over 20,000 completed appointments for face to face guidance and 9,000 completed appointments for telephone guidance as well as over 1.7 million visits to the website.

Pension Wise runs exit surveys of those who have completed an appointment It is not mandatory for a user to complete an exit survey. The government is committed to being open and transparent with Pension Wise data and will be making core data readily available by placing it on the government performance platform this autumn. The data will be in the public domain and updated regularly. HM Treasury is working with Pension Wise delivery partners to provide the level of detail that we require for reporting purposes.

The Financial Conduct Authority, in line with its remit to protect consumers and ensure markets function in consumers’ interests, is monitoring developments in the retirement income market closely and has committed to take action where consumers are coming to harm or where the market is not operating competitively.

The government recognises that people may wish to consult different sources of information before reaching a decision about their retirement income. In addition to Pension Wise, The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) provides independent, impartial information and guidance about pensions, free of charge, to members of the public. The Money Advice Service also provides free and unbiased information and guidance on all money matters.

A number of pension providers offer financial guidance. Individuals can also access regulated advice from an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority are jointly considering how financial advice could be made more accessible and affordable for consumers through the Financial Advice Market Review.

01/01/2023
Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults in which the victims was transgender were recorded in prisons in the last 12 months.

Caroline Dinenage

This information is not held centrally and as my Honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation, committed to the House on 20 November, my Department will publish data on the number of trans people in prison in due course.

01/01/2023
Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

Greg Clark

Information on the number of full time equivalent firefighter posts for each fire and rescue service and for each year, together with greater detail, is available in the Department’s Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics publication (Table 2 for full time equivalent posts) at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-and-rescue-authorities-operational-statistics

“

01/01/2023
Alistair Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidelines his Department has on the maximum travel time for people who need to undergo a medical driving assessment to a centre where they can undergo that assessment; and if he will estimate the proportion of such people in Scotland who live outside that maximum travel time.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport does not issue guidelines on the maximum travel time a person would be expected to spend travelling to a driving assessment.

Depending on the medical condition being investigated, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will either utilise an assessment performed by the applicant’s nearest Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency test centre or a disability assessment centre. The disability assessment centres are independent and provide a service to the DVLA. While the DVLA sets the standards required for the assessments, it is unable to influence the location of the centres.

01/01/2023

Steven Paterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of maintenance of facilities at (a) Prestwick, (b) RAF Benbecula, (c) RAF Buchan, (d) RAF Lossiemouth, (e) RAF Tain, (f) RRH Saxa Vord, (g) HMNB Clyde, (h) Redford Barracks, (i) Dreghorn Barracks, (j) Glencorse Barracks, (k) Fort George (l) Kinloss and (m) Leuchars in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster

Reliable information on maintenance costs is only held since financial year (FY) 2012-13 as shown in the following table:

Financial Year	2012-13 Total	2013-14 Total	2014-15 Total	2015-16 Total to 31/10/2015
HMS Gannet (Prestwick)	Information not held	£117,000	£118,690	£70,616
RAF Benbecula	£56,000	£74,000	£86,981	£61,339
RAF Buchan	£81,000	£106,000	£116,784	£76,931
RAF Lossiemouth	£1,683,000	£1,731,000	£1,618,861	£1,288,955
RAF Tain	£11,000	£20,000	£11,667	£0
RRH Saxa Vord	£43,000	£51,000	£86,445	£79,373
HMNB Clyde	£122,000	£132,000	£77,000	£14,000
Redford Bks	£694,000	£724,000	£585,831	£279,097
Dreghorn Bks	£526,000	£633,000	£487,636	£166,740
Glencorse Bks	£491,000	£547,000	£433,281	£159,876
Fort George	£246,000	£319,000	£331,140	£254,079
Kinloss	£1,050,000	£1,118,000	£1,254,464	£936,217
Leuchars	Information not held	Information not held	£530,590	£1,220,826

01/01/2023

Karen Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Deduction from Earnings Orders (a) have been issued and (b) are in place in respect of cases using the 2012 statutory maintenance scheme.

Priti Patel

This information is not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

01/01/2023
Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many civil servants in her Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to her Department.

Nick Gibb

The Department for Education does not hold records on how many civil servants are members of a trade union.

The Cabinet Office publishes data relating to civil service facility time on a quarterly basis. The latest data is Quarter 4, 2014 and is available online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-union-facility-time

“

01/01/2023
Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the decision was taken to lay the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2015 on 2 November, and which Ministers were involved in taking the decision.

Lord Dunlop

Northern Ireland Office Ministers took the decision to lay the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2015 on 30 October 2015, following discussions with Ministerial colleagues at the Cabinet Office. Northern Ireland Office officials began work on the Order in May 2015, although work was delayed by the department’s focus on the Northern Ireland Talks process. The Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland was advised of the impact of the proposed changes relating to procedural error by letter on 31 July 2015. The Chief Electoral Officer expressed support for the proposed content of the Order in meetings in June 2015. The Electoral Commission was consulted on the Order on 1 October 2015. As the Explanatory Memorandum to the Order sets out, there are significant differences in the systems operating in Northern Ireland and Great Britain and a one size fits all approach is not justified.

01/01/2023