The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to introduce or increase any revenue raising streams to complement the departmental spending reductions agreed with HM Treasury.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government will provide full details of the Spending Review outcome on 25 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the negotiations on the Northern rail franchise agreement.
Andrew Jones
The costs of the project to procure the Northern rail franchise, to the end of November 2015, were £8.0M. Forecast costs to project completion, including project mobilisation, are expected to add a further £0.6M to this, making an estimated total of £8.6M by the end of the project. These figures include adviser costs (financial, technical and legal advisers), pay costs for the project team, “non-pay” costs (such as staff training, travel, bidder day seminar, publicity, etc) and VAT where applicable.
The costs of procuring this franchise however need to be set against the context of a deal whereby the amount of annual subsidy will be reduced by £140million by the end of this 9-year contract. In addition, unlike the last Northern franchise in 2004 which included limited plans to invest in services or meet demand, this new franchise will deliver more than 2,000 extra services each week, nearly a 40% increase in capacity and the complete removal of the outdated and unpopular Pacers by the end of 2019.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to housing associations on the proportion of their new build properties that must be capable of adaptation.
Brandon Lewis
The Government does not issue specific guidance to housing associations on the proportion of their new build properties that must be capable of adaption.
Local authorities are best placed to understand the housing needs in their area. National policy sets out clearly the need for local authorities to plan for the housing needs of all members of the community.
On 1 October, new optional Building Regulations came into force to make new homes more adaptable to peoples changing needs over time. Housing associations could choose to implement this, or any other adaptable housing standard, when setting standards for the new homes they build.
Separately through the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund the Government is providing up to £315 million to build over 4,000 specialised homes for older and disabled people.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will ensure that the Green Investment Bank continues to pursue its principal objectives after its privatisation.
Anna Soubry
The Government is seeking to sell the Green Investment Bank (GIB) so it can grow and increase its impact in green sectors, free of the restrictions of being in the public sector.
GIB has over £2bn in existing and successful green investments, and employs seventy green sector specialists. This unique green specialism is what will attract investment from investors
As a key part of any sale discussions, the Government will be asking potential investors to confirm their commitment to GIB’s green values and investment principles and to set out how they propose to protect them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports that Tamil political prisoners have been on hunger strike in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
We noted that on 17 November the hunger strike by Tamil detainees was temporarily suspended until 15 December. We regularly raise matters of concern with the Sri Lankan government, including the detention of prisoners without trial. Our policy is unchanged and we remain committed to working closely with the Sri Lankan government and international partners to support the implementation of the commitments made by Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in September, and in the UN Human Rights Council resolution of 1 October.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money has been spent on flood defences in each year from 2010.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The amount of capital investment on flood defences in each year from 2010 is shown below:
|
Financial year |
Capital investment on flood defence excluding the exceptional funding provided as a result of the 2013/14 floods (£m) |
Exceptional funding provided as a result of the 2013/14 floods (£m) |
|
2010/11 |
364.9 |
|
|
2011/12 |
260.7 |
|
|
2012/13 |
269.1 |
|
|
2013/14 |
295.3 |
25.0 |
|
2014/15 |
353.3 |
125.0 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to reduce Islamist culture at HM Prison Whitemoor.
Andrew Selous
Any behaviour by those convicted of extremist crimes or who subscribe to an agenda which seeks to promote extremist views will be challenged and managed accordingly.
In order to ensure our current practice is as robust and effective as possible in dealing with such beliefs, the Justice Secretary has commissioned a review, supported by external expertise, of the overall approach to dealing with Islamist extremism in prisons, probation and the youth justice system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to provide support for the Family Rights Group advice service when its current funding expires in March 2016.
Lord Nash
Following the spending review, the Department is considering future spending priorities right across the board, including those important grants we make to voluntary and community sector organisations. We will announce next steps on funding for 2016/17 and beyond in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission an independent five-year review of provision for diabetes.
Jane Ellison
There are no current plans to commission an independent five-year review of provision of diabetes. However, The management of adult diabetes services in the NHS: progress review, published by the National Audit Office on 21 October 2015, provides a review of the progress made by the National Health Service since 2012 on improving services and achieving better outcomes for people with diabetes:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will require the Parole Board to take into account all the available evidence that individual prisoners serving long sentences have changed their attitudes and lifestyles while in prison.
Lord Faulks
It is not mandatory for a prisoner to complete specific courses or programmes before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board. The Parole Board is required to assess the prisoner’s overall risk of serious harm to the public and, in doing so, will consider a range of factors, including, where available, the prisoner’s response to specific offending behaviour programmes (OBPs).
The Parole Board already takes into account other indicators of reduced risk, including where the prisoner has engaged effectively with professional staff on a one to one basis or undertaken education, work and training. In addition, the Parole Board will consider the prisoner’s behaviour in custody, together with evidence drawn from the prisoner’s attitudes – for example, how well the prisoner handles stressful situations.