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Tag: 2015

  • Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances a judge could refuse to approve an interception warrant under clause 19(2) of the draft Investigatory Powers Bill.

    Mr John Hayes

    A Judicial Commissioner may refuse to approve any warrant that they believe does not meet the test set out by Judicial Review principles. Judicial Review principles are well established, tested and have been applied by the courts for a long time. The Judicial Commissioner will consider whether the Secretary of State’s decision was reasonable, lawful, made fairly, and whether it complies with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Judicial Commissioner’s consideration will include a review of the Secretary of State’s conclusions on necessity and proportionality. The Judicial Commissioner will have final say on whether a warrant can be issued.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the annual cost is of the health needs of UK thalidomide survivors.

    George Freeman

    In addition to using NHS services, thalidomide survivors have access to health grants in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The grants are administered by the Thalidomide Trust and allocations in 2015 are set out in the following table.

    Allocations under the Thalidomide Health Grants in 2015

    Country

    Total Allocation (£000s)

    Number of beneficiaries

    England

    7,454

    325

    Scotland

    1,254

    55

    Wales

    782

    31

    Northern Ireland

    472

    19

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Prime Minister’s recent assertions at the CBI Annual Conference on 9 November that the UK’s security is provided through membership of the EU, what assessment they have made of the impact of NATO membership on the UK’s security and whether they will continue to oppose any proposals for an EU army or other EU armed forces.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the cornerstone of our national security, and the ultimate guarantor of our defence. But the EU can play a useful complementary role, for example in missions in the Western Balkans and off the coast of Somalia. We always have, and always will, resist any proposal for an EU army.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent Inspectorate report of HM Prison Maghaberry.

    Andrew Selous

    Prisons are a devolved matter and responsibility for HMP Maghaberry lies with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice.

  • Jenny Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jenny Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jenny Chapman on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon Member for Harrow East.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2015 to Question 18367, what length of sentence was handed down to each offender convicted of offences involving inciting terrorism in each of the last three years.

    Andrew Selous

    All the offenders convicted of the specified offences below involving inciting terrorism received immediate custodial sentences. The number of offenders found guilty and sentenced, with sentencing outcomes, for offences related to inciting terrorism, in all courts in England and Wales, from 2012 to 2014, can be viewed in the tables, as follows:

    • Table 1 includes data on Section 59 of the Terrorism Act 2000
    • Table 2 includes data on Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
    • Table 3 includes data on Sections 15 to 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000
    • Table 4 includes data on Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
  • Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    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.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    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.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    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.

  • Julie Elliott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Julie Elliott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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.