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Tag: 2015

  • 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 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the efficiency savings his Department has gained from the reorganisation of the Highways Agency to Highways England; and what the budget of that body was in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Jones

    It is too early to estimate the efficiency savings gained from the reorganisation of Highways England which was created on 1 April 2015. The Department for Transport published the Roads Reform Programme Evaluation Framework in March. This includes a clear expectation that the evaluation will be carried out over a number of years, given the number of the changes made. In addition the Office of Rail and Road, will continue to monitor the performance of Highways England including efficiencies. The table below shows the capital expenditure of Highways England, with resource spend and the depreciation of road asset value.

    Resource (excl.depreciation)(£m)

    Resource Depreciation (£m)

    Capital (£m)

    2014/15

    1,000

    866

    1,823

    2013/14

    1,012

    929

    1,425

    2012/13

    1,038

    914

    1,034

    2011/12

    1,145

    870

    1,288

    2010/11

    1,214

    775

    1,654

  • Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK aged 18 to 20 earning £5.30 per hour.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Matthew Pennycook – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals by claimants in the work related activity group of employment and support allowance have resulted in subsequent placement in the support group of employment and support allowance in each quarter since 2013.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information as requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure UK fishing quotas are not transferred to other EU countries; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The fishing quotas allocated to Member States by the European Union each year are protected by the priniciple of relative stabillity. This means that for each of our quotas the UK receives the same percentage of that stock every year. We defend this principle robustly, and ensure that our quotas are not allocated to other Member States.

    The UK may choose to swap some of its quotas, in exchange for other quotas, in a given year with another Member State, if that would be beneficial to the UK.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to eliminate UK Export Finance investments in coal plants and coal mining overseas.

    Anna Soubry

    There are no plans to ban support for exports of goods and services to coal plants and coal mining overseas. However, applications to UK Export Finance (UKEF) which fall within the ambit of the OECD Common Approaches for Officially Supported Export Credits and Environmental and Social Due Diligence will require that coal projects meet international, environmental, social, and human rights standards to qualify for support.

    UKEF is participating in discussions in the OECD with the aim of achieving a multilateral agreement on limiting the provision of export credits for coal-fired power projects and an agreement is expected to be reached later in November.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust is taking to ensure that registered nurses in its employment are able to comply fully with the requirements of revalidation with the Nursing and Midwifery Council; and what training is being provided to such nurses for that purpose.

    Ben Gummer

    Information on support provided by individual National Health Service providers is not collected centrally and may be obtained from the organisations themselves.

    All nurses and midwives practising in England are required by law to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. From April 2016, nurses and midwives will have to revalidate every three years, when they renew their registration.

    It is the responsibility of nurses and midwives to register and undertake revalidation.There is no specific requirement for employers to help nurses and midwives through revalidation but it is in their interests and a matter of good practice, to support nurses and midwives to provide safe and effective care.

    As part of its inspection process, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) considers staff access to training and related support. Where nurses are employed, the CQC makes enquiries about the maintenance of continual professional development and the levels of support offered by the provider.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of paying to foreign nationals (a) child and (b) other tax credits in 2015-16.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not available.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has for the funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

    Mike Penning

    The Spending Review announcement set the overall budget for the Home Office. Officials are now going through the detail and will provide advice to the Home Secretary on individual allocations and spending commitments.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    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, how many people have accessed the Pension Wise service through the (a) face-to-face service provided by the Citizens Advice Bureau and (b) telephone service provided by the Pensions Advisory Service to date.

    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.

  • David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of court closures between 2010 and 2015 on access to justice.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Effective access to justice has been maintained between 2010 and 2015. Access to justice is not just about proximity to a court.

    We have secured over £700m of funding to invest in our courts and tribunals. We have worked closely with the senior judiciary to develop a plan for investing this in reforming the courts and tribunals so they can deliver swifter, fairer justice at a lower cost. This will include digitisation and modernisation of our IT infrastructure. This will mean court users can attend hearings remotely, and not be inconvenienced by having to take a day off work to come to court. It will also mean victims of crime can give evidence from somewhere they feel safe.

    We are committed to providing alternative ways for users to access our services, including the use of other civic buildings and extending video conferencing facilities.