Tag: 2016

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department takes to ensure that government projects are delivered on time and within budget.

    Ben Gummer

    All projects are ultimately the responsibility of individual government departments. However, with £400 billion in the Infrastructure Pipeline and £400 billion in the Major Projects Portfolio, the Cabinet Office has a central team, the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA), to support departments to deliver on time and within budget. The IPA provides expertise and practical help, a supportive environment to enable major projects to succeed, and manages an independent assurance process to ensure projects are delivered to time and within budget.

    • IPA deploys expert commercial, financial and delivery support
    • IPA delivers independent high quality assurance and oversight
    • IPA develops standards, insights and tools, developing the project leadership and project finance professions
    • IPA delivers key finance schemes (PF2 & guarantees) to enable key projects to proceed

    The IPA works with all partners in infrastructure and major projects – government departments, project teams, HMT, Cabinet Office, and the private sector – to do this. The IPA reports jointly to HMT and Cabinet Office Ministers.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions in each of the last two calendar years his Department has been notified by outside consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials.

    Brandon Lewis

    There is no record of any occasion during 2014 or 2015 where the Department has been notified centrally by outside consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials.

  • Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Nokes on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all victims of domestic abuse attending the family courts have access to special measures similar to those available in the criminal courts.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government is committed to supporting victims of domestic violence and abuse.

    The Ministry of Justice is undertaking research to explore how the family judiciary are currently managing cases where unrepresented alleged perpetrators of abuse can cross-examine vulnerable witnesses in the family court, and to establish what, if any, additional provisions could be considered to support them in doing so. A report will be published in due course.

    The research did not aim to assess the psychological impact of any cross-examination on victims of domestic abuse. However, some of the findings relate to the considerations the judiciary make in managing such cases appropriately, and the report will outline options to further protect vulnerable witnesses in the family court. It was out of scope of this research to explore cases where an unrepresented litigant who is a victim of domestic abuse may have to cross-examine their alleged abuser.

    Family judges have a range of powers and training to manage difficult court room situations and to ensure they are handled sensitively for victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses. Judges can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate. It is for the judge involved, on the basis of the evidence, to determine how the framework will be applied in a particular case.

    The family courts take the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. The Child Arrangement Programme and Practice Direction 12J set out a strong and clear framework where domestic violence is alleged and all judges receive specific training on this framework.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department received from the European Social Fund between (a) 2007 and 2014 and (b) 2014 and the last month for which data is available.

    Priti Patel

    DWP, as a European Social Fund co-financing organisation, received £303,861,761 between January 2007 and December 2013; and £96,331,501 between January 2014 and March 2016 from the 2007-13 European Social Fund programme. The money was used to fund providers to deliver support to help unemployed people improve their employability and move into work.

    Please note that these figures represent England only as responsibility for ESF is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on Scotland of the planned implementation of the Polar Code.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters as adopted by the International Maritime Organization addresses the standards and operation of ships in the Polar Regions. It is intended to provide an appropriate level of safety and environmental protection for vessels operating in these regions.

    No specific assessment has been made of the Code’s impact on Scotland. However, there was wide consultation with British stakeholders during the negotiation of the Code ahead of it being adopted in the IMO’s safety committee in 2014 and environment committee in 2015. The Government believes that UK ports and shipping industry are well placed to meet their obligations under the Polar Code when it comes into force in 2017, and to ensure that British activities in the Polar Regions continue to be undertaken in a safe and environmentally responsible way.

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of Egypt’s compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law in its counter-terrorism operations in Sinai.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made a formal assessment. In 2015 we shared NATO counterinsurgency doctrine with the Egyptian Government and we hope to discuss this further with them, through a planned upcoming Egyptian visit to the UK Centre for counterinsurgency doctrine.

  • Roger Mullin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Mullin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants were sanctioned more than once in (a) Fife and (b) Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14, (iv) 2014-15 and (v) 2015-16.

    Damian Hinds

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

    Information on Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanction decisions, by cumulative frequency and geography, is available here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started—SuperWEB2.html

    “

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total value of the contract between his Department and Concentrix; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has, to date, spent circa £30 million with Concentrix for service delivery under the contract. HMRC, under appropriate procurement transparency mandates, published anticipated spend details on Contracts Finder of between £55-75 million pounds at the start of the contract.

    Final spend with the supplier will be dictated by contractual considerations around delivery of specific service campaigns. Such considerations are commercially sensitive at this time and cannot, in this instance, be disclosed.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any person or body has sought disclosure of documents relevant to the decision to target Reyaad Khan by drone strike in Syria on 21 August 2015 for purposes related to the Inquiry by the Intelligence and Security Committee into that matter.

    Michael Fallon

    The Prime Minister discussed the scope of the Intelligence and Security Committee’s (ISC) Inquiry with its Chairman. They reached agreement on the disclosure of material to the ISC that will enable the Committee to conduct a review of the threat posed by Reyaad Khan. The ISC have received contemporaneous intelligence assessments of Khan and will take further evidence in the coming weeks.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many British Transport Police officers will be deployed in 2016-17.

    Claire Perry

    3,064 British Transport Police officers will be deployed in 2016-17, an increase of 6.5% from the 2,878 officers who were deployed in 2009-10.