The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of threat in the Maghreb region posed by extremist, terrorist and criminal factions.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
In the case of all of the countries that make up the Maghreb region, the threat of a terrorist attack is judged to be high.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-06-09.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will request that the Electoral Commission investigate the extent to which the electoral roll prepared for the EU referendum on 23 June 2016 contains citizens of EU countries who are not eligible to vote.
John Penrose
The EU referendum will be overseen by the Chief Counting Officer, chair of the Electoral Commission, who is responsible for making sure the referendum is held in accordance with the legislation governing the conduct of the poll. The Electoral Commission has issued a statement setting out the actions that have been taken to address an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales that meant that some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received poll cards and, in some instances, postal votes. The Commission explains that the software provider has resolved the issue and none of the affected electors will be shown as eligible on the electoral registers to be used at polling stations on the 23 June. Any incorrectly issued postal votes will be cancelled.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will provide compensation to non-season ticket holders on Southern Rail for the result of strike action in 2016 and for the effect on such ticket holders of the reduced timetable in operation since 11 July 2016.
Paul Maynard
Govia Thameslink Railway already offers passengers Delay Repay, one of the most generous compensation schemes in Europe. Non-season ticket holders can claim as usual for disruption on strike days. In addition, season ticket holders are eligible for strike compensation on the days when the RMT’s industrial action makes travel challenging. Details of how to apply are available on Southern’s website.
Looking forward, we have just confirmed that the provisions of the Consumer Rights Act will apply to the rail industry in full from October 2016.
We will set out further plans shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will undertake an Equality Impact Assessment of Driver Only Operation.
Paul Maynard
We are not planning to undertake an assessment, as it is for the individual operator to decide what level of assessment to carry out, in relation to their Legal obligations under the Equality Act and their Disabled Peoples Protection Policy which is a Passenger Operator License Condition.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the final version of the Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy was agreed within his Department.
Justin Tomlinson
The contractors who were commissioned to undertake the report into the evaluation of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy provided the Department with the final version of the report on 8 December 2015.
It was agreed within the Department on 11 December 2015 and publication details were announced on the same day.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what land and property in Oldham his Department has identified for disposal over the next five years as part of the One Public Estate programme; and if he will estimate (a) the number of jobs that will be created, (b) housing that will be built and (c) capital receipts that will be accrued as a result of the sale of those sites.
Matthew Hancock
The Government Property Unit is working closely with Oldham Council and others across Greater Manchester on future plans across the public sector estate. Oldham Council is part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Partnership in the One Public Estate Programme delivered by Cabinet Office and the Local Government Association. The GMCA’s plans on what land and property will be disposed are still being developed and have not yet been identified. The partnership was awarded £250,000 in December 2015 on joining Phase 3 of the programme. Overall it expects to generate £172 million capital receipts, and create 30,000 new homes and 43,000 new jobs over the next 5 years. GMCA’s programme also includes the establishment of a Land Commission, which will help to deliver 10,000 new homes per year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the relative costs of tidal lagoon projects compared to other forms of tidal power technology.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government’s extensive Severn Tidal Power feasibility study and the recent work as part of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon Contract for Difference negotiations show that costs for tidal lagoons may be broadly comparable to other tidal range technologies. However, the detailed relative costs of projects will be dependent on their geographical location, individual design and financing models.
We have not made any comparative assessment of costs with tidal stream technologies, which are at a very early stage of development and have a highly different asset-life to tidal range.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2016 to Question 25292, to which countries RAF Reaper or Watchkeeper drones have been deployed on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sorties since 5 February 2016.
Penny Mordaunt
From 5 February until 4 April 2016, UK Reapers have been deployed on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in Iraq and Syria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the establishment of a national emergency operations centre within Public Health England; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison
The Department and Public Health England (PHE) have specific responsibilities for planning and managing the response to emergencies and health protection incidents and outbreaks in an extended team that works across government. The Department commissions PHE to exercise specific functions on behalf of the Secretary of State under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, including a duty to ensure effective plans are in place, take part in national exercises, and co-ordinate responses. The Secretary of State has cross-government responsibility to provide assurance on the health system’s emergency preparedness. Thus PHE is required to complete an annual assurance exercise for the Department to ensure arrangements are in place for a sustainable and interoperable response in the event of an incident, emergency or business continuity event.
The PHE National Emergency Operations Centre operates when the response requires national leadership and co-ordination. It coordinates PHE’s activities and as one of its functions produces briefings and situation reports for Ministers, the Cabinet Office briefing room system and officials.
PHE was established in 2013. The National Emergency Operations function was previously carried out by the former Health Protection Agency. Therefore the Department has not been able to specifically identify the historical costs of creating the National Incident Coordination Centre in 2011.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applications there were by developers for housebuilding on brownfield sites in each of the last five years.
Brandon Lewis
The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the numbers of planning applications made on previously developed (brownfield) land.