The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to notify universal credit claimants of the changes to their entitlement taking effect from April 2016.
Priti Patel
We will notify all claimants who we expect to be directly affected by the change, offering tailored support depending on the claimant’s circumstances.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of eyewitness accounts of starvation from across Syria; what action they have taken following that assessment; and in particular whether they will discuss with the government of Russia the provision of supplies by land and by air.
Baroness Verma
No one who has seen the images coming out of Madaya and other besieged towns can say this situation is anything other than utterly appalling. Across Syria, Assad and other parties to the conflict are wilfully impeding humanitarian access on a day-by-day basis. It is unacceptable and illegal to use starvation as a weapon of war. We are deeply concerned about the 4.6 million people who live in hard to reach areas, including almost 486,700 who live under siege conditions.
We have given support to the UN and international NGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid to besieged and hard to reach areas. On 11 January, the UN, Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent confirmed aid convoys had arrived in the hard to reach towns of Madaya, Foah and Kefraya. Further convoys have since arrived. These convoys are expected to enable 40,000 people inside Madaya, and 20,000 people inside Foah and Kefraya, to survive. UK funding to UN agencies directly supported these convoys with food parcels and medicine.
However, humanitarian access to those in need continues to shrink. In the past year, only 10% of all requests submitted by the UN to the regime to access besieged and hard-to-reach areas have been approved and delivered. That’s why it is vital we keep up the pressure on the regime and other conflict parties to let aid convoys in and to provide sustained, permanent and safe humanitarian access. Russia, in particular, has a special obligation to confront and condemn the atrocities being carried out against Syrian civilians.
When it comes to helping Syrians in besieged and hard-to-reach areas, we do not rule anything out but, right now, air drops are not a viable way of getting help to those in need. Use of air drops to deliver aid is high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed, and it is an effective way of getting humanitarian supplies to people. Critically, the UN is not currently calling for their use.
We are aware of reports of Russian airdrops into Deir Ez Zour. We are working to verify these claims and understand the nature and impact of any such airdrops, including the extent to which they may be effectively addressing needs. Unlike Madaya, Deir Ez Zour city is under regime control and is surrounded by Daesh.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Clifton on 2016-02-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the average speeds of traffic flows recorded in central London for the years 2008 to 2015 inclusive.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The average speeds are as set out in the table below. This information is based on material published on the Transport for London website.
Average traffic speeds (miles per hour) by functional sector of London. Working weekdays, by time period. TfL’s ‘network of interest’.
|
Area and time period |
2007 speed (mph) |
2008 speed (mph) |
2009 speed (mph) |
2010 speed (mph) |
2011 speed (mph) |
2012 speed (mph) |
2013 speed (mph) |
2014 speed (mph) |
2015 speed (mph) first 6 months only |
|
Central am peak |
9.4 |
9.1 |
9.4 |
9.4 |
9.3 |
9.3 |
9.4 |
8.9 |
8.3 |
|
Central inter-peak |
8.5 |
8.3 |
8.8 |
8.7 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
8.1 |
7.3 |
|
Central pm peak |
9 |
8.9 |
8.9 |
8.7 |
8.6 |
8.8 |
8.6 |
8.3 |
7.8 |
|
Inner am peak |
12.6 |
12.4 |
12.9 |
12.7 |
12.7 |
12.6 |
12.4 |
11.9 |
11.1 |
|
Inner inter-peak |
13.1 |
13 |
13.3 |
13.4 |
13.3 |
13.2 |
13.2 |
12.8 |
12.2 |
|
Inner PM peak |
11.4 |
11.4 |
11.2 |
11.5 |
11.4 |
11.4 |
11.2 |
10.6 |
10.3 |
|
Outer am peak |
19.3 |
19.6 |
20.1 |
20 |
20.1 |
19.9 |
19.5 |
18.6 |
17.7 |
|
Outer inter-peak |
21.3 |
21.4 |
21.4 |
21.6 |
21.6 |
21.7 |
21.8 |
21.1 |
21 |
|
Outer pm peak |
18.3 |
18.6 |
18.3 |
18.5 |
18.5 |
18.5 |
18.1 |
17.1 |
16.9 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disability living allowance claimants he expects to transfer to personal independence payment in each year to 2020.
Justin Tomlinson
We are rolling out Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants in a controlled way. We will continue to monitor performance and will carefully control the number of people we choose to invite to claim PIP each month.
The forecast estimates for the numbers of people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance we currently expect to be awarded PIP, in each year to 2020, are in the table below and may be subject to change:
|
2016/17 |
2017/18 |
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
|
450,000 |
550,000 |
350,000 |
50,000 |
Notes:
Data rounded to the nearest 50,000
Includes both adults and children reaching age 16
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will order an inquiry into actions taken by the trustees of the BHS pension schemes in agreeing revisions to funding rates and supporting the sale of the employer.
Baroness Altmann
The Pensions Regulator regulates work-based pension schemes, including trust-based schemes. In accordance with Parliament’s wishes, it has operational independence so it would be entirely inappropriate for Ministers to intervene in its decisions or on-going investigations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Lord Heseltine’s report, Tees Valley: Opportunity unlimited, published on 7 June 2016, what assessment her Department has made of the feasibility of a University Technical College or Institute of Technology in the Tees Valley area.
Nick Boles
Lord Heseltine’s report recommends that, following the Tees Valley Post-16 Area Review, universities and local employers should consider whether technical based education provision in the form of either a University Technical College (UTC) or Institute of Technology (IoT) may help to address skill gaps and contribute to meeting the future needs of business.
The Government is committed to establishing a UTC or technical academy within reach of every city. As with other new academies, proposals to establish new UTCs and technical academies are submitted to the Department twice a year. The Department for Education would consider any proposals from the Tees Valley area as it would from elsewhere. The strongest applications that demonstrate a clear need and demand for their chosen specialisms in their local area are approved to develop their plans further.
The Baker Dearing Educational Trust is funded by the Department to support applicant groups and can be contacted to discuss future UTC proposals. The process for establishing IoTs has not started yet, so no assessment has been made regarding the feasibility of an Institute in the Tees Valley area.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on British nationals detained in that country; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We continue to raise our strong concerns about British prisoners in Iran at the highest levels in both London and Tehran. Both the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) did so in their introductory calls with their Iranian counterparts recently, and the Foreign Secretary followed up in writing to Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 29 August.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings Ministers of her Department have had with social media companies to discuss harmful online content since May 2015.
Sarah Newton
Home Office Ministers routinely meet with a range of stakeholders, including social media companies, to discuss action to protect people from harmful online content. Ministers also meet social media companies on specific issues such as online hate crime and extremism.
In addition, they attend meetings of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), which brings together industry, law enforcement, academia, charities, parenting groups and government departments and meets on a regular basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hepburn on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been unemployed on a part-time basis in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 2008.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 19 January (HL Deb, col 641) about the potential fortification of bread with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy, why they do not apply the argument around choice and whether or not it is right to medicate the entire population for the benefit of a fairly small part of it” to the fluoridation of water supplies to prevent caries.”
Lord Prior of Brampton
It has been the policy of successive governments that decisions on water fluoridation are best taken locally. There is a duty to consult the local population where local authorities propose the establishment of a new water fluoridation scheme. Some areas of the country have water supplies that naturally contain levels of fluoride similar to the target level for water fluoridation schemes where the levels are adjusted.