Tag: 2015

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2015 to Question 9671, what estimate the Government has made of the proportion of UK companies which have joined the 2013 Accord on Fire and Safety in Bangladesh.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    30 UK companies have signed the 2013 Accord on Fire and Safety in Bangladesh. We do not have comprehensive information on the total number of UK brands purchasing Garments from Bangladesh.

  • Jess Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jess Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the expected staffing rate at Foston Hall Prison, Derbyshire, is; and how often his Department assesses compliance with that rate.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The target staffing figure for Prison Officers at Foston Hall is 90.50. The actual Staff in Post as at 30 September 2015 is 85.03. There are currently six prison officers going through the vetting process and one with a start date to add to this figure so this will provide a total of 92.03 against a target of 90.50. The excess number of staff will cover any staff who are leaving due to internal promotions that are currently in process.

    In order to monitor compliance with the staffing rate, the data is captured locally and fed in to a national planning tool that provides information to a regional workforce planning meeting where the situation is assessed monthly. This then feeds into the central National Offender Management Service planning figures.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received from local authorities, charities and disability groups on pavement parking.

    Andrew Jones

    Local authorities are best placed to assess the need for pavement parking controls in their area and the effectiveness of any restrictions in place. It would be for the relevant traffic authorities to conduct an assessment of legislation specific to London.

    Last year this Department received around a thousand communications from Guide Dogs campaigners in support of two Private Members’ Bills on pavement parking. Departmental officials met with Guide Dogs officials as recently as 13 October this year.

    Local authorities already have the powers to introduce enforceable pavement parking restrictions where they consider it appropriate. My Department’s guidance to local authorities makes clear that, during the appraisal of their parking policies, an authority should consider whether pavement parking is problematic in any part of its area. If it is, and is not covered by an existing Traffic Regulation Order, the authority should consider amending the existing Order or making a new one. We have issued councils with authorisation to place specifically designed traffic signs without the need for Whitehall approval.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants who are in the support group were previously in the work-related activity group.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2015 to Question 10532, when he plans for the further 57 local authorities referred to in that Answer to find out about funding for the transition to individual electoral registration.

    John Penrose

    In total, 116 local authorities are receiving additional funding to help target their remaining carry forward entries. They have all now been informed. Almost £700k was allocated to 60 authorities where carry forwards made up over 5% of their register in May. Furthermore, 70 local authorities successfully submitted bids for additional funding and will share £500,000. Of the 70, 14 authorities that are receiving direct funding successfully bid for more. In addition to the 70 successful bids, 2 further bids were received but were later withdrawn by both authorities.

    The table sets out all 116 authorities who are receiving additional funding directly and those who submitted a successful bid along with the total amount they are receiving.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of re-introducing compulsory work experience for under 16 year olds.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We are making the whole education system much more closely linked to the world of work. We have put more emphasis on mastering vital skills, more respected qualifications, and given employers greater influence over the content of courses, so young people have the skills that universities and employers value.

    We want more young people to have the opportunity to take part in high quality work experience that helps to prepare them for the workplace and develop the employability skills that employers require. Work experience is an important element of post-16 provision – new personalised study programmes include some form of work experience or work-related learning that is relevant to the career aspirations of students.

    We recognise that younger children benefit from contact with employers but we trust head teachers to decide what is best for their pupils, including when and how to take part in work experience. We are providing valuable support through a new employer-led Careers & Enterprise Company has been tasked with increasing the level of employer input into schools and colleges.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2015 to Question 9845, what steps have been taken with Breast Cancer Now since the roundtable event.

    George Freeman

    Since the Roundtable Event, the Department has engaged with a number of key stakeholders to progress various outputs. I met Breast Cancer Now and the hon. Member for Torfaen (Nick Thomas-Symonds) who is sponsoring the Off Patent Drugs Bill recently where we discussed their views. The Government’s position on the Bill will be shared in full at its second reading on 6 November 2015.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Bernard Jenkin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2015 to Question 9820, what information her Department holds on the bail conditions (a) sought and (b) applied in relation to the lorry drivers referred to in that Answer; and what information her Department holds on the whereabouts of those drivers.

    James Brokenshire

    The four drivers remain on bail. They have provided the Home Office with up to date contact information, and we remain in contact with their legal representatives.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average sentence was for people convicted under Article (i) 137, (ii) 139, (iii) 140, (iv) 141 and (v) 142 of the Air Navigation Order 2009 in each of the last six years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Although DfT has responsibility for this policy area, sentencing statistics are recorded by the Ministry of Justice.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11472, what (a) his Department’s expenditure per head and (b) total expenditure from the public purse on cycling in each English region was in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what expenditure per head on cycling (i) by his Department and (ii) from the public purse is projected to be in each English region in 2015-16.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In the five years 2011/12 to 2015/16, the Department for Transport (DfT) has increased its spend on cycling in England from £1 per head to £3 per head. Local authorities also spend significant amounts on cycling and over the same period, total spend on cycling in England has increased from £2 per head to £6 per head. Spend is over £10 per head in the eight Cycle Ambition Cities and London.

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    DfT spend per head

    £1

    £2

    £2

    £2

    £3

    Total spend per head

    £2

    £4

    £5

    £5

    £6

    The DfT budgets are:

    DfT budgets:

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    Projected spend 2015-16

    Cycle-Rail

    £7.0

    £7.5

    £14.0

    Bikeability

    £11.7

    £11.7

    £11.7

    £11.7

    £11.7

    Junction safety

    £30.0

    £5.0

    Linking Communities

    £13.0

    £8.0

    £7.5

    Cycling Ambition – Cities/National Parks

    £46.6

    £46.6

    £15.0

    Highways Agency

    £4.8

    £16.7

    LSTF- Cycling

    £37.8

    £37.8

    £37.8

    £37.8

    £64.5

    LGF

    £20.2

    Total DfT

    £62.5

    £94.5

    £120.9

    £96.1

    £142.1

    In 2014-15, the Department’s dedicated cycling programmes were Bikeability, Cycle Ambition Cities, Cycling in National Parks and the Highways Agency’s cycling programme. The Department also funds cycling programmes through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, with 28% of the LSTF being spent on cycling. The Department secures a range of match funding contributions from local authorities for these programmes: the LSTF secured 99% match funding.

    Lists of projects and locations are available for the following programmes:

    Cycle-rail:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycle-rail-fund-schemes-2015-to-2016

    Linking Communities:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/linking-places-fund

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/linking-places-fund-tranche-2

    Local Sustainable Transport Fund:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-sustainable-transport-fund

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224172/project-summaries-consolidated.pdf

    Cycle Ambition Cities and Cycling in National Parks:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycle-city-ambition-grants

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycling-in-national-parks-grants

    Bikeability:

    http://bikeability.org.uk/publications/

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