Tag: 2016

  • Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to decide fee waiver applications in the last 12 months.

    James Brokenshire

    The average time taken between January 2015 and December 2015 to consider whether an application meets the fee waiver requirements is 95 calendar days. These results represent the time taken with both asylum and non asylum based fee waiver considerations.

    January 2015 – December 2015 was taken as the 12 month time frame to fall in line with data that is published.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many extended Ministerial offices have been shut down since 13 July 2016.

    Ben Gummer

    There have been a number of Ministerial and government appointments announced recently. Administrative support for those appointments has yet to be concluded.

  • Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote investment in former coalfield communities.

    Andrew Percy

    In England, local investment is mainly determined by Local Enterprise Partnerships based on their local economic growth priorities and funded through programmes such as City Deals, Devolution Deals, the Local Growth Fund and Enterprise Zones.

    My officials continue to work with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to support former coalfields communities.

    Local growth is a devolved issue in the rest of the UK.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many press and public relations staff are employed by (a) his Department, (b) the Defence Electronics and Components Agency, (c) the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, (d) the UK Hydrographic Office, (e) the National Army Museum, (f) the National Museum of the Royal Navy, (g) the Royal Air Force Museum, (h) the Single Source Regulations Office and (i) the Oil and Pipelines Agency; how many of these employees earn more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by each of those organisations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Mark Lancaster

    The following table outlines the number of civilian and military press and public relations staff posts in Defence (including vacant posts) and press and public relations expenditure in the financial year 2014-15. This expenditure includes £30 million for Armed Forces advertising and marketing – the vast majority of which is advertising and marketing in direct support of Armed Forces recruitment campaigns. It also includes £12 million for staff costs.

    Annual salaries are dependent upon grade/rank. Of those in press and public relations staff posts, there are:

    No civil servants or military personnel with salaries of more than £100,000.

    10 civil servants with salaries of more than £50,000.

    24 military personnel with salaries of more than £50,000.

    Department/Agency

    Press and Public Relations Staff Posts

    Salary £50,000 and above

    Salary £100,000 and above

    Press and Public Relations Expenditure Financial Year (FY)2014-15 (£000)[1]

    Ministry of Defence[2]

    49

    9 Civilian 3 Military

    0

    5,772

    Armed Forces (Royal Navy, Army, RAF and Joint Forces Command)

    122

    0 Civilian 21 Military

    0

    41,437 (Including advertising and marketing for Armed Forces recruitment campaigns)

    Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA)

    0

    0

    0

    N/A[3]

    Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)

    2

    1 Civilian

    0

    76

    United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO)

    3

    0

    0

    1,436

    National Army Museum

    4

    0

    0

    550

    National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN)

    1

    0

    0

    339

    Royal Air Force Museum (RAF Museum)

    2

    0

    0

    429

    Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO)

    0

    0

    0

    0

    The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA)

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Total

    183

    34

    0

    50,038[4]

    [1] All figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000, therefore the total may not be equal to the sum of rounded values.

    [2] Including Directorate of Defence Communications, Defence Business Services, Ministry of Defence Police, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, and Defence Equipment and Support.

    [3] DECA was formed on 1 April 2015 as a Trading Agency following the Sale of the Defence Support Group therefore separate communications outturn for FY2014-15 is not available.

    [4] This figure includes £30million for Armed Forces advertising and marketing – the vast majority of which is advertising and marketing in direct support of Armed Forces recruitment campaigns. It also includes £12million for staff costs.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to support the UN Secretary-General’s first high-level panel on women’s economic empowerment.

    Baroness Verma

    The High Level Panel on women’s economic empowerment, convened by the UN Secretary General, will bring together leading politicians, expert economists, leaders from business and civil society to lead a step change in improving economic opportunities and choices for women and girls globally.

    The Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, is a founding member of the Panel. In addition to our policy and technical inputs, DFID will also provide support for the Panel’s independent Secretariat to conduct a global consultation process, produce a research synthesis, and build momentum around tangible actions to unleash the full global potential of women’s economic power.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received on faulty tumble dryers causing fires; and when his Department was first made aware of safety concerns related to such tumble dryers.

    Anna Soubry

    Manufacturers, distributors and retailers are legally required to inform their Local Authority Trading Standards Department if they have placed unsafe products on the market under the General Product Safety Regulations 1995. Trading Standards work with the businesses concerned to manage any corrective actions accordingly.

    In December 2015, Trading Standards made my Department aware of the safety concerns relating to particular brands of tumble dryer, as part of the formal notification procedure of the EU Rapid Alert system for unsafe products. In addition, my Department has received correspondence from consumers of these products, who have been directed to Trading Standards.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia in the case of the death sentence by crucifixion of Ali al-Numr.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government is very concerned about the case of Ali al-Nimr, and has raised this case with the Saudi Arabian authorities, most recently on 12 March, at a very senior level. Our expectation remains that he will not be executed.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who the members are of (a) Rail North and (b) the Rail North Board; and how those members are appointed.

    Andrew Jones

    Members of Rail North:

    • Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
    • Blackpool Borough Council
    • Cheshire East Council
    • Cheshire West & Chester Council
    • City of York Council
    • Cumbria County Council
    • Darlington Borough Council
    • Derbyshire County Council
    • East Riding of Yorkshire Council
    • Greater Manchester Combined Authority
    • Hartlepool Borough Council
    • Hull City Council
    • Lancashire County Council
    • Lincolnshire County Council
    • Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral)
    • Middlesbrough Council
    • North East Combined Authority (Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland)
    • North East Lincolnshire Council
    • North Lincolnshire Council
    • North Yorkshire County Council
    • Nottingham City Council
    • Nottinghamshire County Council
    • Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
    • Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield)
    • Staffordshire County Council
    • Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
    • Stoke-on-Trent City Council
    • Warrington Borough Council
    • West Yorkshire Combined Authority

    Rail North Ltd Board Directors are:

    • Bill Dixon (Tees Valley)
    • Chris Metcalf (North Yorkshire)
    • David Brown (Cheshire and the Potteries)
    • Dean Collins (East Midlands)
    • John Fillis (Lancashire and Cumbria)
    • Julie Dore (Sheffield City Region Combined Authority)
    • Keith Wakefield (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
    • Liam Robinson (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority)
    • Liz Redfern (Humber Authorities)
    • Nick Forbes (North East Combined Authority)
    • Richard Leese (Greater Manchester Combined Authority)

    Any Local transport Authority in the North of England area covered by Northern and TransPennine franchises is entitled to be a member of Rail North.

    Rail North Board Directors are appointed by the constituent authorities of the sub-areas they represent.

    Note that Tees Valley Authorities have recently formed a Combined Authority and will, on formal notification, be represented through that single body in the future.

  • Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of fireworks on animal welfare.

    George Eustice

    The Government accepts that fireworks can have a detrimental effect on some animals. However, we consider that if users follow the correct and sensible use of fireworks combined with owners of animals taking certain precautions, these can help to avoid or reduce any detrimental effects.

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans for local authorities to have access to (a) tenancy deposit protection scheme data and (b) the database of rogue landlords and property agents as provided for in the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

    Gavin Barwell

    Following the positive measures to tackle rogue landlords that we have delivered in the Housing and Planning Act 2016, we are working with the Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) Schemes on providing local authorities with access to the relevant data by the end of this year.

    Work is also underway to prepare the database of rogue landlords and property agents which will require affirmative regulations to be considered by Parliament.