The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2015 to Question 11221, how many prosecutions or fixed penalty notifications have occurred for non emergency vehicles displaying static blue lighting in the last three years for which figures are available.
Mike Penning
This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police authorities on the use of CCTV cameras with facial recognition and biometric tracking capabilities.
Mike Penning
I have received no representations about the use of CCTV cameras with facial recognition and biometric tracking capabilities.
The use of any CCTV system operating in a public place in England and Wales (whether or not any facial recognition or biometric tracking technology is being used) is subject to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, issued as guidance under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. The police, as a relevant authority, are duty bound to have regard to the Code when performing their functions. Any use of such technology for covert investigative purposes by a public authority would be subject to the requirements of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and its related Code of Practice. Further, the use and disclosure of personal data, such as CCTV images, is generally governed by the Data Protection Act 1998.
Information on the fields of data which any CCTV system operator may use to identify individuals of interest is not held centrally. Further, any person (including those not suspected of an offence) may make a subject access request to a police force in respect of personal information which is held about them (including CCTV images). In broad terms, pursuant to the Code of Practice on the Management of Police Information (MOPI) and accompanying guidance published by the College of Policing, this should trigger a review of whether or not to delete such material based on an assessment of danger to the public and its value for policing purposes.
It is the longstanding policy of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the implementation of the proposed General Data Protection Regulation; which non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and agencies overseen by his Department will be affected by that Regulation; and what estimate he has made of the potential liability of his Department, its agencies and NDPBs in connection with that proposed Regulation.
Dominic Raab
Negotiations on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation are still continuing and our negotiating position has taken into account the likely impact on Government Departments, NDPBs and agencies. Once the outcome of trilogue negotiations between the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the Commission are complete, and the Regulation has been adopted, the liabilities will be further assessed. There will then follow a maximum implementation period of two years. Between now and then, Government departments who will be affected by the Regulation are closely involved in work led by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport to consider the implications of the text as it develops through the negotiating process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps her Department has taken to prepare for the implementation of the proposed General Data Protection Regulation; which non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) overseen by her Department will be affected by that Regulation; and what estimate she has made of the potential liability of her Department and its NDPBs in connection with that proposed Regulation.
Mr Ben Wallace
Negotiations on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation are still continuing and our negotiating position has taken into account the likely impact on Government Departments, NDPBs and agencies. Once the outcome of trilogue negotiations between the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the Commission are complete, and the Regulation has been adopted, the liabilities will be further assessed. There will then follow a maximum implementation period of two years. Between now and then, Government departments who will be affected by the Regulation are closely involved in work led by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport to consider the implications of the text as it develops through the negotiating process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the public inquiry into the New Generation Transport trolleybus scheme to report.
Claire Perry
We are considering the Inspector’s Report following the public inquiry, and will announce our decision shortly. My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State has delegated responsibility for this decision to my Noble Friend Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints his Department has received about the assessment assistance offered by CAPITA.
Justin Tomlinson
Complaints about the assessment service offered by Capita are processed by Capita and not the Department for Work and Pensions.
Capita has received a total of 1,288 complaints for 2015 in relation to their contractual delivery of the Personal Independence Payment Assessment process. This represents 1% of their total assessment referral volume.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Department has responsibility for policy on supporting the children of people with alcoholism.
Mr Oliver Letwin
Department for Education have the overarching responsibility for children in terms of support, including children’s social care and schools.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Griffiths on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Groceries Code Adjudicator in assisting farmers who have been unfairly treated by large retailers.
Anna Soubry
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) regulates the relationships between the ten largest supermarkets and their direct suppliers only. The Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013 requires the Secretary of State to conduct and consult on a review every three years into the operational effectiveness of the GCA. The first of these reviews will cover the period from the establishment of the GCA in June 2013 to March 2016.
The Act requires that the review must, in particular:
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to address the reported shortfall of £107 million in the Department’s 2015 budget and the consequent imbalance in funding for mental health services.
Alistair Burt
With the financial controls package and help from system leads, we are working towards delivering a balanced position against the overall spending controls in this financial year, despite an unprecedented level of deficit in the National Health Service provider sector.
The NHS must now put in place cost-control measures we have introduced, like clamping down on agency spend, limiting the use of management consultants and making sure trusts have to justify the pay package of any manager who is paid more than the Prime Minister, while we continue to work with hospitals on ways to improve productivity and reduce waste.
This year, we are investing £173 million of additional money in mental health, including £30 million for services for young people with eating disorders. We are taking a targeted and phased approach to the additional investment, to enable local areas to develop additional capacity and a collaborative approach across health, education and children’s services. This is what is needed to make a real difference.
We remain committed to providing the additional £1.25 billion investment in mental health services over the next five years, as announced in the Budget 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to work with her French counterpart to allow increased access by humanitarian organisations to the refugee camp at Calais.
James Brokenshire
The management of the migrant camps in Calais, including the involvement of any particular organisation, is the responsibility of the French Government. The UK has, however, provided specific financial assistance to fund a project aimed at protecting the most vulnerable people in the camps. This project was agreed by the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister in the UK-France Joint Declaration of August 2015. The project aims to increase observation in the camps to identify vulnerable migrants including those who may be victims of human trafficking; to provide medical help and protection where required; to put in place a system to transfer them briskly to places of safety; and to ensure they are offered the appropriate advice and support from the French system.