Tag: 2016

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the correlation between the reduction in the rate of unemployment in the West Midlands between 2010 and 2016 and any trend in the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts in that region.

    Priti Patel

    Figures published by ONS show that rising employment in the West Midlands since 2010 – reflected in falling unemployment – has been dominated by more people in full-time and permanent jobs.

    Information on trends in zero-hours contracts over this period is not available on a consistent basis. This reflects the view of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that responses to questions about zero-hours contracts in the Labour Force Survey are likely to have been affected by greater awareness of the term itself.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will investigate whether the reported comments of 22 February 2016 by Peter Wilkinson, director of Rail Passenger Services at the Department for Transport, are in breach of the Civil Service code.

    Matthew Hancock

    This has been dealt with by the Department for Transport who have issued a statement in respect of this matter.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the economy.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

    The Chancellor, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Tatton, has announced that the Treasury will publish a comprehensive analysis of the long-term economic costs and benefits of EU membership and the risks associated with an exit.

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

    Lord Marlesford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Highways Agency has made of the standard of cleanliness of the junction between the M25 motorway and the A12 trunk road.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA), Highways England is responsible for litter clearance on all England’s motorways and a few selected A roads for specific operational reasons. Local authorities are responsible for litter on all local roads, including the vast majority A roads on the strategic road network.

    The M25 junction with the A12 trunk road (junction 28), is maintained by both Highways England and Transport for London. Transport for London is responsible for litter clearance of the A12 from junction 28 towards London and Brentwood Borough Council is responsible for Junction 28 towards Brentwood.

    A litter inspection of junction 28 was completed by Highways England on 21 April 2016 which identified ‘widespread distributions of litter with minor accumulations’ (Grade C under the EPA Code of Practice). This location was then cleared of litter on 26 April. The junction will continue to be regularly monitored and re-picked as the need arises.

  • Lord Birt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Birt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2016-06-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 11 May (HL8238) and the response deposited by Peterborough and Stamford Hospital NHS Trust on 18 May which showed that Peterborough’s City Hospital maternity unit has been closed to women about to give birth 41 times in the past three years, whether they will review the adequacy of the arrangements within the NHS for forecasting and meeting national and local demand for maternity services.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Maternity Transformation Programme (MTP) has been established to drive the implementation of the recommendations of Better Births, the report of the National Maternity Review. A copy of the report is attached. The MTP is overseen by the Maternity Transformation Board which met for the first time on 8 June and is chaired by Sarah-Jane Marsh, Chief Executive of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Women’s Hospital.

    The safety of mother and baby is paramount. We want to ensure that women have as many choices as possible, while minimising any known risk to either themselves or their baby.

    Maternity services are unable to plan the exact time and place of birth and there are occasions when a unit cannot safely accept more women into their care. In such cases, the only safe alternative is to close the unit temporarily. It is important of course, that where a unit closes, there are systems and guidelines in place to ensure pregnant women have access to the next closest maternity unit and the type of care they have chosen, including midwifery-led care.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the North West Coast Connections Project if cables through the Lake District National Park are (a) routed underground and (b) not routed underground.

    Jesse Norman

    Under the current energy market framework, the development of the transmission network in England and Wales is a matter for National Grid, and this includes assessment of the costs of any particular route or approach on specific projects, such as for the proposed North West Coast Connections. National Grid’s costs are regulated by Ofgem to ensure they are justified and efficient.

    The grant of planning consent for any energy project, including new transmission assets, would be considered by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy under the Planning Act 2008, but the proposed project has not reached that stage.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times and on what dates the Business Rates Review Steering Group has met; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Local Government Association and Department for Communities and Local Government jointly chair the Business Rates Retention Steering Group which was established to consider the mechanisms needed to set up and run the new business rates system, as well as the timetable and implementation of the reforms. It oversees the work of a set of technical working groups, each looking at particular aspects of the reforms. The Group usually meets on a monthly basis and has done so on 6 occasions since April 2016. All papers for meetings are published here: http://www.local.gov.uk/business-rates

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  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what dates ministers or officials had discussions with officials at (1) the Bank of England, (2) the Prudential Regulation Authority, and (3) the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), about not publishing the FCA’s report on banking culture outlined in its Business Plan 2015–16; and which ministers and officials were involved in each of those discussions.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    No Treasury Minister or official had any discussions with the FCA before the FCA took its decision to discontinue the review of banking culture included in its 2015-16 Business Plan.

    The FCA has published (in response to the Noble Lord’s Freedom of Information request) the dates when it communicated its decision to discontinue this review to other organisations. This response is available on the FCA website.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information will report its findings.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West on 3 February 2016 to UIN: 24662.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, how many people involved in investigating allegations of child abuse made against George Bell consulted his papers and diaries in Lambeth Palace Library in the last three years.

    Mrs Caroline Spelman

    In 2013 and 2015 three staff members viewed various sections of the bishop’s personal papers held at Lambeth Palace Library on two separate occasions. has no record in the last three years of any of the individuals involved in these investigations making an application to view the papers and diaries of George Bell that are held in the Library.

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