Tag: 2016

  • Andrew Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on smaller bus operators of local authorities franchising bus services; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    I want to ensure that smaller bus operators, who drive innovation and invention, form part of the mix of bus service providers in any future franchising model. The Department’s assessment of the effects of franchising on smaller bus operators will be set out in the Impact Assessment which will accompany the introduction of the Bill.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many appeals against fines to lorry drivers under section 32 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 there have been in each year since 2005.

    James Brokenshire

    The value of fines issued to lorry drivers under section 32 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in each year since 2005 is as follows:

    01/04/2005-31/03/2006 £1,105,103
    01/04/2006-31/03/2007 £1,898,866
    01/04/2007-31/03/2008 £1,946,705
    01/04/2008-31/03/2009 £2,552,490
    01/04/2009-31/03/2010 £2,609,737
    01/04/2010-31/03/2011 £1,083,390
    01/04/2011-31/03/2012 £931,618
    01/04/2012-31/03/2013 £890,544
    01/04/2013-31/03/2014 £4,070,471
    01/04/2014-31/03/2015 £6,490,232
    01/04/2015-31/03/2016 £5,249,894

    This information is from management information reports. The data held on the Civil Penalty data base does not allow the penalty amounts to be separated between driver’s and hauliers, hence the data provided is the total number of penalties imposed for the period.

    The number of appeals against fines to lorry drivers under section 32 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in each year since 2005 is as follows:

    01/04/2005-31/03/2006 7
    01/04/2006-31/03/2007 8
    01/04/2007-31/03/2008 12
    01/04/2008-31/03/2009 13
    01/04/2009-31/03/2010 9
    01/04/2010-31/03/2011 10
    01/04/2011-31/03/2012 11
    01/04/2012-31/03/2013 0 *
    01/04/2013-31/03/2014 24
    01/04/2014-31/03/2015 64
    01/04/2015-31/03/2016 36

    *High Court appeal cases, all appeals were held behind at the time until resolved. Appeals then fell into subsequent years.

    This information is from management information reports.

  • Kirsty Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kirsty Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsty Blackman on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Aberdeen North of 1 December 2015, on foreign aid.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Department does not have record of receiving a letter from the hon. Member for Aberdeen North dated 1 December 2015. My office has been in contact with the hon. Member’s office to receive a copy of the letter and we will respond in due course.

  • James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Life Sciences of 18 April 2016, Official Report, column 262WH, what progress he has made in convening a task and finish working group for brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The Department of Health Task and Finish Working Group on Brain Tumour Research is bringing together clinicians, charities and officials to discuss how, working together with research funding partners, we can address the need to increase the level and impact of research into this devastating disease.

    The Working Group will be chaired by Professor Chris Whitty, the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser, and will report directly to me. I anticipate that the Working Group will need to meet in person three times before completing its tasks by September 2017.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK will support an independent, international investigation into alleged breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen at the Human Rights Council.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are pleased that we could reach a strong consensus Yemen resolution at the Human Rights Council. It is vital that the international community continues to be active in supporting efforts to improve the human rights situation in Yemen.

    The Government is not opposing calls for an international independent investigation, but, first and foremost, we want to see the Saudis investigate allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) which are attributed to them; and for their investigations to be thorough and conclusive. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that any lessons learned will be acted upon.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of funding for apprenticeships in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16 was allocated to apprenticeships in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector.

    Nick Boles

    Estimated funding for Apprenticeships in the Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Sector Subject Area in 2014/15 was approximately £353million, that is, 24.9% of the total estimated funding for 2014/15. This data is not available for 2015/16. Figures for estimated funding come from the Individualised Learner Record and provide an indication of the level of government funding. They should not be treated as actual spend, since spending is not reported by Sector Subject Area.

    Information on actual spend is available for the financial year 2014-15 at the link below and shows a total spend of £1.56bn for Apprenticeships.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/446591/SFA_Annual_Report_2014_to_2015_PRINT_200715.pdf

    “

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the threat posed to children by domestic violence; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    Data showing the total number of women who have suffered domestic abuse in the last five years is set out in the Crime Statistics published on 11 February 2016: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime-and-sexual-offences–2014-to-2015/index.html.

    Since the 2004/05 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), the number of women aged 16 to 59 experiencing any domestic abuse in the last year has reduced from 1.71 million to 1.35 million (360,000 fewer victims and a fall of 21%) and the estimate of the number of women experiencing any domestic abuse in the last year is the lowest since the survey began.

    Latest data published by the Office for National Statistics from the 2014/15 CSEW additionally show that in 46% of cases of partner abuse, a child was present in the household, of which 20% of children saw or heard the abuse.

    Data on children referred to and assessed by local authority children’s social services in England in 2014/15 show that there were 197,700 assessments where domestic violence was identified as a relevant factor. This data is only available for 2014/15.

    The Government works closely with charities, academics and statutory agencies to assess and address the impact of domestic abuse on children and wholly recognises the life changing impact domestic abuse can have on the lives of children. That is why we have expanded the Troubled Families Programme for a further five years (2015-2020) to work with an additional 400,000 families, including those affected by domestic abuse.

    To further address the impact of domestic abuse on victims and their children, we have introduced a new domestic abuse offence to tackle coercive and controlling behaviour, and in England and Wales we have rolled out Domestic Violence Protection Orders and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. Improvements have been made to the police response to domestic abuse, and we are supporting multi-agency working which takes a whole family approach.

    We will shortly publish a refreshed cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls strategy setting out how we will do more still to support victims and their children. The Government has already announced £40 million of funding for domestic abuse services between 2016 and 2020, as well as a £2 million grant to Women’s Aid and Safelives to support early intervention programmes.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-03-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in Easington constituency who will be affected by the reduction of the income rise disregard for tax credits to £2,500.

    Damian Hinds

    This information is not held and statistically reliable projections at constituency level could only be provided at disproportionate cost. From April 2016, the income rise disregard – the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within a year before their tax credit award is adjusted – will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500.

    The only people who will be affected by this will be those who see an increase in their in-year income by more than £2,500. There will be no net cash losers because their income will have increased.

    In the subsequent tax year, a claimant’s tax credits award will be calculated in the usual way, using their full annual income for the previous year to determine their tax credit entitlement. This means that after the change in the tax year, whether the claimant’s increase in income was above or below the disregard level, their tax credit award for the following year will be adjusted to what it would have been had no disregard existed

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage (a) development of oil and mineral production and (b) other economic development within South Sudan.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Sustainable economic development in South Sudan will require peace and political will from the country’s leaders. This means appointing a transitional government of national unity as soon as possible and implementing the peace agreement signed in August 2015. The UK remains committed to the people of South Sudan. DFID supports livelihoods and basic services for the people of South Sudan alongside life-saving humanitarian support. We support economic development by helping to improve the capacity of key institutions, and through our support to improving the effectiveness and transparency of customs operations. DFID has no plans to support the development of oil and mineral production beyond seeking to ensure a greater degree of transparency in the sector.

  • Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the total expenditure by HS2 to date; and how much has been spent on (a) land, (b) property, (c) compensation and (d) salaries.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Under the Government’s commitment to transparency, the data that is recorded by departments for projects such as HS2 in its Major Projects Portfolio is published by departments alongside the publication of the Annual Report of the Infrastructure & Projects Authority. This data includes financial statistics such as whole life costs of each project as well as total in-year budget, forecast spend and variance. This information is available from GOV.UK.

    Since 2009/10 the Government has spent £1.4bn on the HS2 programme. This includes the costs incurred by HS2 Ltd and Land & Property expenditure. In relation to (a), (b) and (c), as of March 2016, £434.4m has been spent on land and property with a further £11.2m in compensation payments associated with the statutory blight regime. Please note that 2015/16 figures have not been audited yet.

    With regards to (d), the information on HS2 Ltd salaries is published in the company’s Annual Accounts, which are available from Gov.UK. As of March 2016, the total salaries for HS2 Ltd stand at £80.4m.