Tag: 2016

  • Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will take steps to ensure that the Union flag is regularly flown from the existing flag pole on the premises at 14 Tothill Street.

    Tom Brake

    Parliament flies three union flags on a permanent basis, on the Victoria Tower, and at 1 Parliament Street and Portcullis House. There are currently no plans to fly a flag at 14 Tothill Street.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations the Minister of State for Universities and Science has made to his European counterparts since the EU referendum on access to EU research grants for UK researchers.

    Joseph Johnson

    As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear, while the UK remains a member of the EU, current EU funding and collaboration arrangements continue unchanged, including those that apply to students, researchers, and businesses. I am in close contact with Commissioner Moedas on the topic of Horizon 2020 funding, and I met with the Italian Minister for Education, Universities and Research on 11 July.

    The UK is world-class in research and innovation and we play a leading role in major European and international collaboration, including ESA and CERN.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Amnesty International report on the use of chemical weapons in Darfur; whether they intend to ask the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to open an investigation; and what representations they have made, or plan to make, to the Sudanese Ambassador to London in the light of that report.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are concerned by the allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Sudan and we are aware that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is looking into these. The use of chemical weapons under any circumstances is contrary to international law and we wholly condemned it. We were also concerned to read the other allegations made in the Amnesty International report, which highlight the need for access to conflict-affected areas. We see ensuring access for the UN/AU Peacekeeping Mission throughout Darfur as the most important next step and have raised this in the context of the report with the Sudanese in London, Khartoum and New York.

  • Barbara Keeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barbara Keeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 25215, if he will estimate the difference between the additional cost to social care providers of paying the new national living wage and the amount available to local authorities through the social care precept and the Better Care Fund in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

    Alistair Burt

    It is the decision of local councils whether to raise the adult social care precept in order to pay for adult social care in their local area. The precept gives local areas who are best placed to respond to local needs and pressures the flexibility to be able to do so.

    The additional amount available to local authorities for adult social care through the social care precept and the Better Care Fund are as follows:

    2016/17

    2017/18

    2018/19

    Additional Better Care Fund

    0

    105

    825

    Adult Social Care precept

    393

    821

    1,290
  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the benefits to passengers with sight problems of requiring all new buses to have audio-visual next stop and final destination announcements.

    Andrew Jones

    Accessible on-board information has the potential to give a range of passengers, including those who are visually impaired, greater confidence in using bus services. Traditionally audio/visual systems have been expensive to fit and maintain, however innovative and low cost solutions are making the technology more affordable. I encourage bus operators to consider the benefits to all of their customers of providing it on their vehicles and progress continues to be made. For example recently several operators across the country have invested in new buses with audio-visual announcements on their major bus routes. The Department is also aware that at least five local authorities are increasing the number of buses with audio-visual announcements funded through the Department’s £70 million ‘Better Bus Area’ fund.

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many child victims of modern slavery referred to the National Referral Mechanism have passed through Calais.

    Lord Bates

    National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data on the number of child victims of modern slavery who have passed through Calais is not specifically recorded. NRM data includes the location of exploitation and the location of where the potential victim was first encountered. Border Force will refuse entry to the UK for any child presenting at Calais where they have concerns about their welfare. Such children are referred to and placed in the care of the French authorities. These children are not referred into the NRM as they are not present in the UK. Care and support for children who are suspected of having been trafficked or enslaved, under these circumstances, would fall to the French Authorities.

    The UK has funded a project run by a French non-governmental organisation, France Terre D’Asile, to identify potential victims of trafficking and exploitation (including children) in the camps in Calais and to direct them to appropriate support services in France. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland, has been fully involved in the project by Terre D’Asile.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to paragraph 1.302 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what progress his Department has made on consulting on options to move operations of the Land Registry to the private sector from 2017.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills launched a public consultation – Moving Land Registry operations into the private sector, on 24 March 2016. This public consultation will remain open for nine weeks until 26 May to allow public and stakeholders to respond to it.

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish the report evaluating the pilots of section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

    Mike Penning

    Pre-trial cross-examination under Section 28 of the YJCEA 1999 was piloted in three Crown Court centres. A report will be published in due course.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost has been to date of each decommissioning exercise undertaken by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Net funding for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has been maintained at around £3 billion a year. This will allow it to continue to deliver its vital mission of decommissioning and clean-up of the UK’s nuclear legacy, with particular focus on tackling the highest hazards at Sellafield. The NDA provides information on the cost for decommissioning each of its sites in its Business Plan and Report and Accounts. Both are published on an annual basis and are available at www.nda.gov.uk.

    “

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact on the bus industry of increased traffic congestion, in particular in respect of (1) bus speeds, (2) the deployment of additional vehicles to maintain service intervals, and (3) the attractiveness of the bus as a means of travel; and whether they have discussed this subject with the bus industry and local highway authorities.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Managing traffic congestion on the local road network, over which most buses operate, is the responsibility of local highway authorities.

    The Government recognises that traffic congestion impacts on the punctuality and reliability of bus services and continues to work collaboratively with the bus industry, local authorities and other stakeholders to promote effective strategies to tackle this issue, such as operator/authority partnership working and the introduction of bus priority measures.

    The average traffic speed on locally managed ‘A’ roads in England is estimated to have decreased by 3.3% since 2014, when the Department started measuring speeds over the full 24 hours of the day.

    Bus punctuality data is collected and managed by local authorities, and published by the Department for Transport in online statistical tables.

    The Department publishes two measures of bus punctuality for frequent and non-frequent bus services. A frequent service is one that has six or more buses per hour.

    For frequent services, statistics by local authority are available in table BUS0903. This measure represents the excess waiting time arising from irregular gaps between services.

    The proportion of non-frequent bus services in England running on-time is published in table BUS0902. Both tables are attached to this response.

    The latest statistics show that in 2014/15, 83% of non-frequent services ran on-time compared with 80% in 2009/10. ‘On-time’ is defined as one between 1 minute early and 5 minutes 59 seconds late.

    Ministers and officials have discussed the issue of congestion with Greener Journeys and representatives of the bus industry and local authorities, including at an event in the House of Commons on 14 September.