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 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) monitoring framework; and what guidance he has provided to the ORR as it develops its enforcement plan.

    Claire Perry

    In terms of rail, Ministers and Department for Transport officials regularly discuss the regulation of Network Rail and the railways with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

    In 2015 ORR has carried out consultations on both its railways and Highways Monitoring enforcement policies. DfT responded to both consultations. I understand ORR will publish revised policies in due course.

    In relation to monitoring Highways England, the Infrastructure Act 2015 conferred the monitoring function on ORR and Highways England was appointed as a Strategic Highways Company on 1 April 2015.

    The ORR Highways Monitor has been provided with statutory guidance to develop its enforcement plan. This statutory guidance was jointly issued with HM Treasury on 20 March 2015 and can be found on the gov.uk website.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of payments of (a) income tax and (b) National Insurance by employees (i) within and (ii) outside the UK were made correctly in each of the last three years.

    Mr David Gauke

    Estimates of the proportion of payments of (a) income tax and (b) National Insurance by employees (i) within and (ii) outside the UK that were correctly made are not available.

    Estimates of the value of under-declared income tax and national insurance liabilities resulting from incorrect returns are published in chapter 6 of ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2015.’ These are produced for both small and medium enterprise (SME) employers (table 6.7) and large employers (table 6.9).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps

  • Richard Graham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Richard Graham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many delays to benefit payments there were in (a) Gloucester, (b) the South West and (c) England in each of the last five years.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available.

  • Clive Betts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Clive Betts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of social rented homes that will be completed in (a) 2015-16 and (b) each of the succeeding four years.

    Brandon Lewis

    Through the Spending Review the Government has committed to investing £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable housing starts, doubling our investment in affordable housing from 2018-19.

    This includes £1.7 billion to deliver around 100,000 homes for affordable or intermediate rent. Already through the 2015-18 Affordable Homes programme we have allocated over £1 billion to deliver affordable housing, with the majority being for rented housing.

    Since April 2010 we have delivered over 260,000 affordable homes. Under Labour the stock of affordable homes fell by 420,000, with 1.8 million families on social housing waiting lists. More council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years of a Labour Government.

    The funding allocated to housing associations and local authorities will depend on the bids submitted to the Affordable Homes programme.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in what circumstances major Government programmes are subjected to Project Assessment Reviews instead of Gateway Reviews; and if he will make a statement.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Major Project Portfolio for each Department is agreed by the Department, the Major Projects Authority and the relevant HM Treasury spending team. Each programme on the portfolio is subject to an agreed schedule of approvals and assurance, which will normally include Gateway Reviews. There is no provision for formal exemption.

    A Project Assessment Review is conducted either instead of or in addition to Gateway Reviews, and allows for specific terms of reference to be tailored to meet the assurance needs of the particular Government Major Project.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to answer the letters from the hon. Member for Tewkesbury dated 20 July and 21 October 2015.

    Michael Fallon

    I apologise for the time taken to respond to the hon. Member’s letters. I will write to the hon. Member shortly on this issue.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of his Department’s likely civilian personnel strength on 1 April (a) 2016 and (b) 2020 for each top level budget.

    Michael Fallon

    Projected estimated civilian personnel strengths prior to any decisions in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, at 1 April 2016 and 1 April 2020 for each top level budget are as follows:

    1 April 2016

    1 April 2020

    Navy Command

    4,773

    4,748

    Army Command

    14,154

    12,445

    Air Command

    4,140

    4,049

    Joint Forces Command

    8,039

    7,649

    Head Office & Corporate Services

    8,355

    8,192

    Defence Infrastructure Organisation

    5,385

    5,155

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 33 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, how much his Department plans to save by reducing the civil service headcount in his Department to 41,000.

    Mark Lancaster

    Spending Review 15 and the Strategic Defence and Security Review confirmed that the number of Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilians would reduce by almost 30% to 41,000 by the end of this Parliament. The majority of these reductions will be generated from pre-existing and emerging change programmes. The remaining reductions are estimated to produce a saving of £300million over the next five years which will be used to reinvest within the Defence Programme. The MOD will undertake a number of studies to determine how best to generate this saving without impacting front-line outputs.

  • Chris Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chris Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Evans on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, at what intervals her Department receives accident and injury data on (a) racing and (b) retired greyhounds from (i) the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and (ii) individual greyhound tracks.

    George Eustice

    Under the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, there is no statutory requirement on any greyhound organisation or individual track to report any figures to Defra. The Regulations have now been in force for five years and Defra is currently undertaking a review of their effectiveness. The review is looking at the requirement on tracks to collect injury statistics and how they are then used; and the traceability of greyhounds after they have left the sport. Defra intends to consult on the initial findings of the review.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, whether he plans for the off-shore patrol vessels being procured by his Department to be manufactured using the same supply chain as the off-shore patrol vessels under construction.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As with the three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) currently under construction, the two additional OPVs referred to in the White Paper National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence And Security Review 2015 (Cmd 9161) will be built at BAE Systems’ (BAES) shipyards on the Clyde. Decisions about the appointment of sub-contractors to the supply chain will be a matter for BAES.