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Tag: 2015

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to revise the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) memorandum of understanding to permit the Government to request changes to OBR publications over and above factual comments on the presentation of analysis and forecasts; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    There are currently no plans to revise the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to permit the Government to request changes over and above factual comments on the presentation of analysis and forecasts. Were there to be any changes to the MoU these must be approved by all its signatories – HM Treasury, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and the OBR.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of spousal visa postal applications were determined within eight weeks in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    The proportion of postal spousal visa applications that received a grant or refusal outcome and were determined within eight weeks during 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were (data from 2009 has been included for context):

    • In 2009, of 19436 applications, 11% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2010, of 17455 applications, 51% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2011, of 11570 applications, 73% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2012, of 9580 applications, 12% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2013, of 20440 applications, 31% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2014, of 13020 applications, 65% were determined within eight weeks

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    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, how many statutory Fire Safety Inspections were carried out by English fire and rescue services in 2013-14.

    Mike Penning

    I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Office.

    Fire and rescue services carried out almost 67,300 Fire Safety Audits / Inspections in 2013/14.

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many transgender prisoners received into prison in the last 12 months were placed on the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork system.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This information is not held centrally. 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.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will hold discussions with each of the devolved administrations on ensuring that the roll-out of superfast broadband benefits people across the UK uniformly.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government’s superfast broadband programme is aimed at achieving availability of superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises by December 2017. The funding allocations to the English local authorities and the devolved administrations have been made on the basis of maximising overall UK coverage,and the Phase 2 allocations that were made in February 2014 also had a minimum allocation for each devolved administration based on the Barnett formula.

  • Liz Kendall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Liz Kendall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many people of each gender work in the Government Equalities Office.

    Caroline Dinenage

    There are currently 35 female and 20 male members of staff in the Government Equalities Office.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which of the items of equipment referred to in UK Defence in Numbers, published by his Department in August 2015, are (a) not capable of use on the front line and (b) have been retired.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable. We will continue to review the Defence in Numbers booklet to ensure that it best reflects the breadth of defence equipment.

    The pieces of equipment listed in the Defence in Numbers booklet that are not capable for use on the front-line are: Jet provost aircraft, BAE-125 aircraft, Wessex helicopters, Challenger 1 battle tanks, FH70 Towed Howitzers and Chieftain Armoured Vehicles. These platforms are used in either a training or ceremonial capacity.

    Currently 90 Tornado aircraft remain in the operational fleet and are, or could be, returned to combat ready status; this number includes aircraft undergoing periodic deep maintenance and modification which are not immediately available for operational use.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to update the Pension Service leaflet entitled, A detailed guide to State Pensions to include the introduction of the new State Pension from 6 April 2016.

    Justin Tomlinson

    “A detailed guide to State Pensions” (publication NP46) was a technical guide aimed primarily at third party advisers and stakeholders, not general members of the public. This guide has not been available since 2010.

    We continue to work with stakeholders to supply detailed information on the new State Pension before April 2016.

  • Lucy Powell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lucy Powell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what grounds she decided that the recently approved annexe to the Weald of Kent grammar school is in an area that is easily accessible to the community that the school serves.

    Edward Timpson

    The Weald of Kent School has set out its plans in expansion proposals. Pupils at the Sevenoaks annexe will attend the Tonbridge site at least once a week to attend a whole school assembly and additional lessons. The school will also operate a house system across the expanded school, regularly bringing students together on a range of curriculum projects. The length of the school day is a matter for the academy trust.

    The newly expanded school will better meet the needs of parents in the community that the school currently serves. Over 41% of pupils at the Tonbridge site already travel from the Sevenoaks area. The travel arrangements between the sites will use existing bus companies to transport pupils who live in Sevenoaks to the Tonbridge site. The proposal indicates that the journey time is approximately 17 minutes and no additional funding is being provided to the academy to cover the costs.

    The decision issued on 15 October 2015 was in respect of a proposal received on 14 September 2015. The Department can comment on the costs of external legal advice once we have the final costs bill.

    The school would not have the required capital funding to expand on this scale at the existing site.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 November (HL3374), what assessment they have made of the mechanisms that are available to passengers in order to bring pressure on franchised train operators to ensure that appropriate toilet facilities are provided.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government is continually trying to improve passenger experience both on train and at station. Train operators have commitments in their franchise agreements for achieving improved levels of customer experience standards and accessibility, including appropriate toilet facilities.

    During the consultation phase of the franchise competition passengers and other stakeholder groups have the opportunity to contribute towards these specifications.

    During the life of the franchise, operators are measured against the national rail passenger survey scores which measures against the cleanliness of toilet facilities on trains and at stations.

    Above this during the life of the franchise, operators are encouraged to seek continuous improvement to their service offering which government supports through various funding opportunities.