Tag: 2016

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average wait is for a driving test appointment (a) in England and (b) at the Hull test centre.

    Andrew Jones

    The main cause of current waiting times across the country is a significant and sustained surge in demand for driving tests, the last time we saw demand at such high levels was in 2005/6.

    The average waits for a driving test appointment in (a) England and (b) at Hull test centre are as follows:

    England

    Car – 12 weeks

    Taxi – eight weeks

    Module one motorcycle test – six weeks

    Module two motorcycle test – six weeks

    Hull driving test centre

    Car – 15 weeks

    Taxi – nine weeks

    Module one motorcycle test – 11 weeks

    Module two motorcycle test – one week

    Our 2015/16 recruitment campaigns resulted in 193 new examiners starting work at test centres across Britain. A further 48 examiners have started testing since April 2016, and we have made employment offers to an additional 110 people, who are currently either attending the new entrant training course, or waiting to attend one.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of accessibility of assessment centres for work capability assessment and personal independence payments consultations for people using larger or bariatric wheelchairs.

    Penny Mordaunt

    All assessment centres meet accessibility standards under the Equality Act 2010.

    Before attending an assessment, claimants are given the opportunity to alert the assessment provider to any additional requirements they may have and the providers will endeavour to meet any such reasonable requests.

    If a claimant is unable to travel to, or access an assessment centre as a result of their health condition or impairment, a home visit may be offered.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-10-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 13 September (HL Deb, col 1389), when a Royal Navy vessel requires repair and on-board engineers are unable to resolve the problem without the help of other, more specialist, engineers how this will be achieved without the support of RFA Diligence.

    Earl Howe

    Should on-board engineers be unable to resolve a problem with any ship or submarine, there is a range of ways in which operational maintenance and repair can be delivered. This can include the deployment of a Royal Navy repair and maintenance party, or utilising well-established commercial arrangements and international agreements, such as the use of other countries’ bases and facilities. This is particularly the case where resources and facilities are not available within the Ministry of Defence or are more effectively provided by a third party.

  • Harry Harpham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Harry Harpham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harry Harpham on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the total cost to the public purse had been of developing carbon capture and storage technology.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government continues to view CCS as having a potential role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s power and industrial sectors and has invested over £222 million since 2011 in developing carbon capture and storage technology, including approximately £130 million through our support to new technologies and research to help develop new capture technologies to reduce costs. The latest investment includes £1.7 million for three innovative CCS technologies awarded through Energy Entrepreneurs Fund and £2.5 million to identify suitable CO2 stores in the North and Irish Seas.

    Government has also supported industry to complete detailed engineering and design work on CCS project proposals to determine their cost and feasibility, ensuring that knowledge gained is made freely available to benefit future CCS projects and aid research and development in CCS technology.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time to wait is for a reconsideration of a decision by (a) his Department and (b) a tribunal hearing in (i) Brighton and Hove and (ii) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The only published statistics in relation to reconsideration clearance times in the UK are in the link below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mandatory-reconsiderations-of-dwp-benefit-decisions-data-to-october-2014

    Information is not available in relation to Brighton and Hove.

    The latest information in relation to clearance times for appeals in the UK is in the link below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2015 – see Table 4.3

    Information for Brighton and Hove is as follows:

    April- September 2015

    Brighton

    20 wks

    UK

    18 wks

    Source: SSCS Reports September 2016

    “

  • Edward Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Edward Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Leigh on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s consultation on out-of-school education settings, launched on 26 November 2015, whether proposals to register out-of-school settings will require Ofsted inspectors to travel to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland to inspect tuition, training or instruction given outside of England by English-based institutions.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government wants children to be educated in a safe environment where they are not taught hateful and extremist views that undermine British values.

    The proposal to regulate out-of-school education settings, as set out in the recently published call for evidence, applies to settings located and operating in England only. It is not proposed that Ofsted inspect settings operating in the devolved administrations.

    Officials in the Department have been in contact with their counterparts in Wales and Scotland to discuss the proposal, but oversight of out-of-school education settings operating in those countries is a matter for the devolved administrations.

  • Nick Herbert – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nick Herbert – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Herbert on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of goods exports to the EU from (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) each English region as a proportion of (i) total exports and (ii) GVA from each of those areas.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publish data on the total value of the UK’s import and export trade in goods by region:

    https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/Pages/default.aspx

    The latest data for 2015 shows that the value of goods exports to the EU as a proportion of total goods exports is as follows:

    Region

    Goods exports to the EU (£000s)

    Total goods exports (£000s)

    %

    North East

    7,001,603

    12,141,343

    57.7

    North West

    11,578,566

    24,838,093

    46.6

    Yorkshire

    7,785,133

    16,575,590

    47.0

    East Midlands

    8,684,722

    19,318,347

    45.0

    West Midlands

    12,035,888

    28,964,501

    41.6

    East of England

    11,411,149

    21,327,266

    53.5

    London

    12,727,129

    32,428,175

    39.2

    South East

    19,003,485

    40,521,161

    46.9

    South West

    9,718,023

    15,272,223

    63.6

    Wales

    5,024,163

    12,200,136

    41.2

    Scotland

    6,719,840

    17,467,865

    38.5

    Northern Ireland

    3,462,494

    6,327,320

    54.7

    The ONS publish regional GVA on an annual basis. The latest data available is for 2014: http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/bulletins/regionalgrossvalueaddedincomeapproach/december2015

    The value of goods exports to the EU in 2014 as a proportion of GVA is as follows:

    Region

    Goods exports to the EU (£m)

    Gross Value Added (£m)

    %

    North East

    6,989

    47,702

    14.7

    North West

    13,474

    149,869

    9.0

    Yorkshire

    8,456

    106,467

    7.9

    East Midlands

    8,883

    95,178

    9.3

    West Midlands

    11,529

    114,755

    10.0

    East of England

    13,958

    138,801

    10.1

    London

    12,292

    364,310

    3.4

    South East

    19,899

    239,698

    8.3

    South West

    8,180

    121,070

    6.8

    Wales

    5,761

    54,336

    10.6

    Scotland

    8,364

    123,543

    6.8

    Northern Ireland

    3,630

    34,384

    10.6
  • Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the reported rise in expenditure by NHS Ambulance Trusts, they intend to extend agency spending caps to private ambulance services.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government has already taken decisive action to support the National Health Service to be the most efficient health system in the world. That is why a series of tough financial controls were introduced last year to help the NHS tackle some of the extortionate rates charged and overspending on agency staff.

    In November 2015, hourly price caps were introduced limiting the amount the NHS can pay to an agency for temporary staff. These were reduced gradually over a number of months and will apply to all ambulance trusts and ambulance foundation trusts from 1 July 2016.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what projections have been made of the number of EU students in receipt of student loans likely to be studying in England in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040.

    Joseph Johnson

    The latest estimate of the number of EU students in England in receipt of undergraduate full and part-time fee loans is 45,000 in 2015/16.

    The Government recognises the important contribution that international students make to the UK. Their presence brings an international outlook and diversity to UK university campuses, benefiting UK students and long term UK links post-graduation.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral contribution of 20 July 2016, Official Report, column 849, when his Department will make an announcement on the exemption of specialist supported housing from changes to housing benefit.

    Caroline Nokes

    The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.