Tag: 2016

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much school surplus has remained with local authorities after schools have converted to academy status.

    Edward Timpson

    The Academy Conversions (Transfer of School Surpluses) Regulations 2013 set out the process for the treatment of any surplus balance of a school when it converts to academy status. It is for the local authority and academy trust to agree together, within four months of conversion, the amount of surplus that should be paid to the academy trust. The final amount of any payment can take into account, for instance, any sum which might have been owed by the school to the local authority. No surplus funding has remained with local authorities.

    Further detail of the process can be found in the guidance on “Treatment of surplus and deficit balances when maintained schools become academies”, which can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416430/School_balances_on_conversion_submission.pdf

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  • Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 16 December 2013, column 507W, what the updated figures are for the latest period available.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The average waiting time from receipt to disposal for all Social Security and Child Support appeals between October and December 2015 (the latest period for which figures are available) was 19 weeks nationally and 15.9 weeks in the Kettering venue.

  • Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Tugendhat on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was for (a) management of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation estate of Service Family Accommodation (SFA), (b) the maintenance of SFA and (c) improvements to SFA in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The cost for the management of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation estate of Service Family Accommodation (SFA), the maintenance of SFA and the improvements to SFA, by financial year (FY), can be found within the table below.

    FY 2012-13

    FY 2013-14

    FY 2014-15

    FY 2015-16

    Totals

    £ million

    £ million

    £ million

    £ million

    £ million

    Management of DIO Estate

    20.6

    15.7

    20.4

    18.8

    75.5

    Maintenance of SFA

    42

    39.9

    41.1

    40.9

    164.5

    Improvements

    64.5

    96.3

    65.9

    56.7

    283.4

    Totals

    127.1

    151.9

    127.4

    117.4

    523.8
  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will discuss with Marks and Spencer PLC its plans to introduce changes to pay and conditions for staff working at nights and weekends associated with the introduction of the new national minimum wage.

    Margot James

    Provided that they obey the law and pay their workers at least the National Living Wage where it applies, it is for employers to decide how they manage increases in their wage bill.

    But it is my clear view that all employers look to implement the National Living Wage in the spirit in which it was introduced. The Government believes that it is essential for employers to ensure that their reward packages are competitive, in order to retain and develop the staff who are fundamental to their success.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of how transparently (a) insurance companies and (b) other providers of a public good (i) formulate the price of their products and (ii) ensure any pricing structure is not affected by the consumer’s ethnicity.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society and sets out the different ways in which it is unlawful to treat someone. There are specific exceptions for providers of financial services such as insurance companies, which allow them to use a person’s age as a factor in assessing risk and charging for their products. However, insurers are not able to use a person’s race as a factor in assessing risk and charging for their products.

    The pricing of risk is a commercial decision for individual insurers, and differences in premiums reflect different insurers’ experience of claims and other industry-wide statistics. While insurers are not required by the Financial Conduct Authority to be transparent about pricing decisions, it expects firms to comply with relevant legislation, including the Equality Act 2010, and can undertake its own enquiries to better understand what the firm is doing and whether any of its regulatory requirements have been breached.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Written Statement on 9 December 2015, HCWS369, whether the new franchisees referred to will be required to replace all Pacer trains on both the TransPennine Express and Northern franchises; and by what year all Pacer trains will be replaced on both franchises.

    Andrew Jones

    As we have made clear both publicly and in the House (UINs 5008 and 19363) all Pacer trains in service on the Northern Franchise will be withdrawn by the end of 2019.

    There are no Pacers in service with the TransPennine Franchise.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2016 to Question 22005, on developing countries: space technology, if she will publish the criteria referred to.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID published its new ‘UK Aid Strategy’ in November 2015. This document outlines the Government’s new approach to aid spending which will “meet our moral obligation to the World’s poorest and also support our national interest.”

    It also sets out the four strategic objectives of: Strengthening global peace, security and governance; Strengthening resilience and response to crises; Promoting global prosperity; and Tackling extreme poverty and helping the World’s most vulnerable. Aid will be allocated according to these principles.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK staff worked at the Permanent Representation to NATO in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15 and (d) the latest date for which figures are available.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The figures for UK staff, both from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, working at the UK Joint Delegation to NATO in Brussels during this time period are as follows: For 2014 to 2015 there were 38 UK staff members. For 2013 to 2014 there were 36 UK staff members. For 2012 to 2013 there were 39 UK staff members. As of 31 January this year there are 36 UK members of staff working at the UK’s Joint delegation to NATO.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 29389, on Yemen: military intervention, whether his Department has made an assessment of the independence and integrity of Saudi Arabia’s internal procedures for investigations as referred to in that Question.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As the Saudi Arabian Government has publicly announced, British and other foreign advisors will provide advice to the independent committee that will assess Saudi Arabian military activity in Yemen. We are standing by to assist this activity as required.

    The UK has been using diplomatic and military channels to engage with Saudi Arabia on compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL). I have spoken to the Saudi Ambassador and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has engaged with his counterpart on the importance of compliance with IHL.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29382, how many Bikeability training places his Department funded in each school year between 2009-10 and 2015-16.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Bikeability training places are monitored and compiled by financial year. The table below shows the number of Bikeability training places funded by the Department for Transport in each financial year from 2009-10 to 2014-15. Figures for 2015-16 have yet to be compiled.

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    133,984

    199,197

    293,969

    255,833

    279,358

    350,561