Tag: 2016

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of passenger rail franchises.

    Claire Perry

    The latest figures show that overall rail passenger satisfaction is up three percentage points since the last survey at 83 percent.

    However we absolutely recognise that behind those national numbers are some routes and stations where customers are not getting the service they deserve including on his local route. That is why we are so committed to getting Network Rail and GTR to work together to minimise delays and drive up customer service.

  • Meg Hillier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Meg Hillier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Hillier on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on priority categories in Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

    Karen Bradley

    The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) processes applications in date order and is reliant on the police completing their checks in a timely manner. In very exceptional cases, where it is apparent that a delay is likely to cause undue hardship to an applicant, the DBS will do all it can to expedite the process by raising an escalation with the relevant police force.

    The table below shows the average time spent by each police force in England to process disclosure applications between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016.

    Force Name

    Average Days Taken By Force

    Avon And Somerset

    7.4

    Bedfordshire

    3.5

    Cambridgeshire

    10.9

    Cheshire

    10.7

    City of London

    9.0

    Cleveland

    8.6

    Cumbria

    13.8

    Derbyshire

    14.8

    Devon And Cornwall

    4.7

    Dorset

    76.6

    Durham

    15.3

    Essex

    16.2

    Gloucester

    11.1

    Greater Manchester

    12.8

    Hampshire

    11.4

    Hertfordshire

    10.5

    Humberside

    9.8

    Kent

    18.5

    Lancashire

    5.0

    Leicestershire

    7.7

    Lincolnshire

    9.2

    Merseyside

    8.2

    Metropolitan

    85.2

    Norfolk

    1.6

    North Yorkshire

    17.9

    Northamptonshire

    17.1

    Northumbria

    13.9

    Nottinghamshire

    10.9

    South Yorkshire

    21.7

    Staffordshire

    10.7

    Suffolk

    8.8

    Surrey

    13.1

    Sussex

    17.5

    Thames Valley

    60.3

    Warwickshire

    7.2

    West Mercia

    9.3

    West Midlands

    21.2

    West Yorkshire

    12.3

    Wiltshire

    4.8
  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2016 to Question 21679, when her Department’s investigations into applications for family reunion from Kuwaiti Bidoon people were initiated; when she expects those investigations to be concluded; whether there is a maximum length of time for which a decision will not be taken on the outstanding applications in that cohort; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    In 2014, UK Visas & Immigration in Jordan became aware of potential abuse of the Family Reunion route by individuals claiming to be the dependants of someone granted refugee status in the UK as a Kuwaiti Bidoon. Investigations commenced at this time.

    UK Visas & Immigration has concluded the majority of the applications referenced in the response to Question 21679 and continues to work through those applications that have not yet been concluded.

    UK Visas & Immigration aims to resolve all applications for UK entry clearance within published customer service standards. Where there is a problem with an individual application or if it is complex, UK Visas & Immigration write to the affected applicant to explain why the application will not be decided within the normal standard. All outstanding applications for UK entry clearance from family members of individuals granted refugee status as a Kuwaiti Bidoon which have not been concluded within published customer service standards are currently being prioritised.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to meet his US counterparts to discuss the effect of the recent EU referendum on UK-US relations.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), met Secretary of State John Kerry in London on 27 June. Both Governments agree that an unbreakable bond exists between the US and the UK; that Britain’s global role remains undiminished, and that the Special Relationship remains a strong and crucial relationship.

  • 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 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on recent discussions on the peace process in Syria between Russia and the US.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), discusses Syria regularly with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Both the Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State Kerry attended International Syria Support Group meetings on 20 and 23 September in New York. The Foreign Secretary and Secretary Kerry met again, along with their French, German, Italian and EEAS counterparts, to discuss Syria in Boston on 24 September. The conflict in Syria was discussed at the UN Security Council on 17, 21 and 25 September.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 8811, what projections his Department have made of the potential increase in green investments in the UK in the next 10 years as a result of the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.

    Anna Soubry

    We are working on the basis that UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) plans to invest at a rate of around £800m per year over the period to 2020 in a range of green projects.

    We believe that moving GIB into private ownership is the best way to ensure the company has the funding it needs to achieve this annual investment rate. This is because private ownership will give GIB access to much more capital from a much wider range of sources than if it remained in Government hands where it would have to compete for funding against all other Government spending needs.

    Moving GIB into the private sector will also mean GIB will no longer be subject to state aid controls, giving it scope to invest in a wider range of green sectors and types of project than if it were to remain state funded.

  • 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 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many trailblazer apprenticeship starts there have been in the (a) automotive and (b) aerospace industries to date.

    Nick Boles

    Apprenticeship starts by standard name are published in a supplementary table to a Statistical First Release:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493778/apprenticeships-starts-by-sase-framework.xls

    This table shows starts for apprenticeship frameworks and new apprenticeship standards.

    “

  • 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 (a) the amount currently owed to HM Revenue and Customs in tax credit overpayments and (b) the potential effect of the reduction in the income rise disregard on the amount so owed in each of the next three years.

    Damian Hinds

    The amount of tax credit debt owed to HMRC as at 31 March 2015, the latest available figure, is published in HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2014-15. The Annual Report and Accounts for 2015-16 are due to be published in June this year.

    The impact on new debt from the reduction in the disregard is not available.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department plans to provide for humanitarian assistance in the Central African Republic in the 2016-17 financial year.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Central African Republic (CAR) has faced a severe and protracted crisis since 2012. 900,000 people (20% of the population) are still internally displaced or refugees in neighbouring countries. Needs remain high.

    The UK has provided £58m since 2013 to give CAR populations and CAR refugees access to essential humanitarian assistance, including livelihoods support. DFID is currently undertaking aid reviews, which will set out business plans for Africa humanitarian support.

  • 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 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the InterCity East Coast franchisee expects to introduce free WiFi for standard class passengers on trains on routes under that franchise.

    Claire Perry

    Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) currently provide free wifi to Standard Class passengers for at least the first 15 minutes of use. They also provide free wifi to Standard Anytime ticket holders who have purchased their tickets through corporate sales channels. By end of October 2016, VTEC will provide free wifi to all customers who book through the Franchise Operator’s website. VTEC are currently in negotiations with suppliers to provide free wifi by end of 2016 at all VTEC managed stations.