Tag: 2016

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the death in service benefits are for civil servants.

    Matthew Hancock

    Civil servants are eligible to be a member of either the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) or the Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pension Scheme (CSOPS) subject to when they joined the Civil Service. Depending on which scheme they are in, a lump sum death benefit of either two or three times the civil servant’s final pay is payable on their death in service, plus a pension to a surviving spouse or civil partner and any eligible children. Details of the benefits payable are in the rules of the schemes which are available at http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/about-us/scheme-rules

    The lump sum payable on death in service is payable to whoever the scheme member has nominated to receive it (this can be an individual or a corporate body such as a charity). The number of death benefit lump sums paid in each of the last 6 years is as follows:

    Scheme Year Number of death in service cases

    2010/2011 1195

    2011/2012 1119

    2012/2013 1007

    2013/2014 904

    2014/2015 664

    2015/2016 447

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to assess the potential cost of relocating the Lakeside Energy from Waste Facility in the event of a decision being made to permit the construction of the North West Runway at Heathrow Airport.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the case for airport expansion in the South-East and agreed with the Airports Commission’s shortlist of options. The Government also decided to undertake a package of further work which it anticipates will conclude over the summer. This has included further work to help develop the best possible package of measures for all the shortlisted schemes to mitigate the impacts on local people and the environment.

    The decision on a preferred scheme is of huge importance and the Government continues to consider the detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps. The costs associated with the Lakeside Energy from Waste Plant were considered in the Airports Commission’s assessment of land acquisition costs in the report “Cost and Commercial Viability: Cost and Revenue Identification Update Heathrow Airport North West Runway”.

    Decisions have not yet been taken on a preferred scheme. However, if the Government was minded to support the North-West runway at Heathrow, the planning and costs of moving the Energy from Waste Plant would be a matter for the airport to take forward with the owners of the site.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to mark Anti-Slavery Day 2016; and if she will make a statement.

    Sarah Newton

    Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October is an important opportunity to continue to raise awareness of this appalling crime. We have made good progress in tackling it, but there is more to do. A range of events will mark the day and I will announce my own plans in due course.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made in implementing (a) all the recommendations and (b) the recommendations that seek to achieve fairer energy tariffs for disabled people in the report by the Extra Costs Commission, Driving down the extra costs face disabled people.

    Jesse Norman

    We welcome the Extra Costs Commission’s report ‘Driving down the extra costs disabled people face’, and in particular the Commission’s recommendation that disability organisations should consider setting up price comparison and collective switching schemes to assist disabled consumers to compare and switch tariffs so as to achieve better energy deals.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what contingency arrangements the House of Commons Commission has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

    Tom Brake

    The House of Commons Commission has made no contingency arrangements in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are monitoring academies and free schools that seek to change their nominal catchment areas in order to ensure that local parents have the final say on such proposals.

    Lord Nash

    School admission arrangements are set and applied locally. Each school has an admission authority to set its admission arrangements. For academies and free schools, it is the academy trust. Where changes are proposed to admission arrangements, the admission authority must first publicly consult on those arrangements, including with local parents. If no changes are made to admission arrangements, they must be consulted on at least once every seven years to ensure admissions arrangements continue to meet local needs. However, we will shortly be consulting on requiring admission authorities to consult on their admission arrangements at least once every four years.

    There is no requirement within the School Admissions Code (‘the Code’) for any school to adopt a catchment area. Where they do, the Code makes it clear that the catchment must be fair and not discriminate against any social or ethnic group, or those with disabilities.

    If parents are concerned about changes to a school’s catchment area they can object to the Schools Adjudicator. The Adjudicator can require any state-funded school to amend its admission policy, if it breaches the Code.

  • Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money has been passed to the Scottish Government under the Barnett formula for NHS Services in each year since that Government was established; and what proportion of that money was actually spent on NHS services by the Scottish Parliament in each of those years.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The mechanical application of the Barnett Formula ensures that the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly receive a population share of changes in UK government funding on the services for which they have devolved responsibility. In accordance with the principles of devolution and the devolution Acts themselves, it is for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their funding (from the block grant or taxes/borrowing) to public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and it is for the devolved legislatures to hold them to account. The Scottish Government’s new fiscal framework does not alter this.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contracts (a) have been agreed and (b) are still to be awarded by Highways England for (i) routine highway services and (ii) specialist goods and services.

    Andrew Jones

    For routine highways services and specialist goods and services, Highways England has awarded several contracts that cover the whole of England. One recently awarded contract was in the Area 7, for the East Midlands and Lincolnshire:

    • Maintenance and Response Contract- this was awarded to Amey Highways Ltd on 14th March 2016 and is now in mobilisation.
    • Design Contract – this was awarded to Kier Highways on 10th March.

    Contracts still to be awarded include:

    • Construction Works Framework – Award is scheduled for early May 2016.

    • Salt Saturators – Award is programmed for 15th April 2016.
    • Salt supply – Highways England intend to use the ESPO framework which is currently being tendered for the supply of salt. ESPO is a public sector owned professional buying organisation and Highways England are scheduled to award a task order for the supply of salt in mid May 2016
    • Structural Inspections – award is scheduled for early June 2016.
    • Technical Surveys and Testing – this is the non-OJEU process and Highways England has published a Prior Information Notice (PIN) in the Official Journal for the European Union detailing how firms are to register. Responses are currently being assessed and then assessed firms will be invited to tender for specific pieces of work.
    • Weather forecasting – this is currently out to tender, with the award date scheduled for mid-June 2016

    The Asset Led Delivery Model that is being adopted in Area 7 will also be rolled out in Areas 1 and 2 covering the South West of England and in Areas 13 covering Cumbria and Lancashire. These contracts will not be awarded until 2017.

  • Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of fruit juice a drink must contain to be considered a pure fruit juice for the purposes of the sugar levy.

    Damian Hinds

    The levy will apply to soft drinks with added sugar. This will include any fruit or vegetable juice drinks that contain added sugar. Pure fruit and vegetable juices, and other juice drinks that do not have added sugar will not be liable.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been awarded the enhanced rate mobility component of personal independence payment in each month since January 2014.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The available data on the number of claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), by a range of breakdowns including award outcomes, are available from Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

    “