Tag: Bill Wiggin

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress is being made to create a safer road layout on the A417 at Birdlip Hill roundabout; and what plans he has to convert that road to a dual carriageway.

Andrew Jones

As part of the Autumn Statement 2014 and the Roads Investment Strategy for 2015-2020, the ‘A417 Missing Link’ has been included as an improvement scheme for the South West. During this Road Period Highways England (HE) is preparing this scheme ready for delivery in the next Road Period, 2020-2025. The scheme will be designed to remove the congestion and safety problems between Cowley Roundabout and Crickley Hill.

The scheme is currently nearing the end of the pre-options stage. To date HE has investigated the viability of scheme solutions. This included engaging consultants to review the traffic modelling for the area and to assess the environmental and economic impacts and constraints. The benefits and risks of the various options have been captured and cost estimates for the options prepared. Highways England have been working closely with key stakeholders on the options including Gloucestershire County Council, Cotswold Conservation Board and the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership. At this stage a number of potential solutions are still under analysis and the next stage is formal options identification.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to reduce the duration of speed restrictions for repair and maintenance on the M4, M5 and M50 motorways.

Andrew Jones

As part of the Government’s Road Investment Strategy, major improvements and renewals are being delivered across the strategic road network to deliver smoother, safer and more reliable journeys for road users. To keep traffic moving through the work sites, speed restrictions are necessary to keep both road workers and road users safe. Highways England meets regularly with its contractors to review current work programmes and accelerate activities where possible so that speed restrictions are not maintained for any longer than is necessary.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which three counties he projects will receive the most funding from his Department for road repairs in the next three years.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport has not commissioned any research in respect to the condition of rural roads.

In December 2014 it was announced how this Government is allocating record funding of just under £6 billion to local authorities in England, outside London, for highways maintenance between 2015 and 2021. This funding can be used to fix potholes and improve the condition of the rural road network depending on the priorities and needs of the respective highway authority.

The following weblink provides information on how much funding is to be allocated between now and 2021 to local highway authorities for local highways maintenance. The funding is based on a formula which includes the length of carriageway an authority is responsible for rather than need:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations-201516-to-202021

Herefordshire County Council will receive over £60 million between 2015 and 2021 from this funding.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-21.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many investigations into estate agents have taken place under money laundering regulations in the last five years.

Harriett Baldwin

In 2014-15 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued 677 penalties to the total value of £768,000 across all the sectors it regulates. HMRC considers that releasing the number of investigations and visits made to businesses in different sectors could enable opportunists to identify where resource is being focussed, allowing criminals to arrange their activities accordingly to escape challenge. HMRC must protect information which could be used by criminals in this way and therefore is not able to release numbers on how many investigations are conducted in the Estate Agency Businesses (EAB) sector. HMRC took on supervision of Estate Agency Businesses under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on 1 April 2014. Since becoming supervisor HMRC has used a range of interventions such as face to face visits, telephone interventions and webinars to reach hundreds of businesses in the EAB sector, and test and challenge their compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations. In addition to direct interventions, as supervisor, HMRC conducts risking work which involves using a range of sophisticated data exploitation tools – including their state-of-the-art Connect system – to identify cases which warrant further investigation. It is not possible to quantify how many businesses have been looked at in this way, as it is a routine aspect of supervision for HMRC. Where cases require criminal investigation, they are passed to HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service. HMRC is unable to disclose details of cases which are currently under criminal investigation for operational reasons.

I can confirm that estate agents that do not hold client money fall within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Attorney General, how many estate agents have been prosecuted for money laundering in the last five years.

Robert Buckland

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of the occupations of defendants prosecuted. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the number of appointments available for premium passport applications in London.

James Brokenshire

Her Majesty’s Passport Office continues to review services to ensure they meet customer expectations and needs. During 2015, the London Passport Office has consistently offered customers a premium service appointment the next day and has always remained within the target of 3 working days.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will increase the speed limit on motorways to 80 mph; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

There are no plans to increase the motorway speed limit to 80 mph or to increase national speed limits by 10mph. There are no available estimates of the effect such increases would have on fuel consumption or tax receipts.

The focus of government policy on our road network is the delivery of a step change in investment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to improve the condition of rural roads.

Andrew Jones

I refer my Honourable Friend to my answer dated 22 October 2015, UIN 12071

(http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=12071).

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate the effect on (a) fuel consumption and (b) tax receipts of a 10 mph increase in the speed limit.

Andrew Jones

There are no plans to increase the motorway speed limit to 80 mph or to increase national speed limits by 10mph. There are no available estimates of the effect such increases would have on fuel consumption or tax receipts.

The focus of government policy on our road network is the delivery of a step change in investment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether estate agents who hold no client money fall under the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.

Harriett Baldwin

In 2014-15 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued 677 penalties to the total value of £768,000 across all the sectors it regulates. HMRC considers that releasing the number of investigations and visits made to businesses in different sectors could enable opportunists to identify where resource is being focussed, allowing criminals to arrange their activities accordingly to escape challenge. HMRC must protect information which could be used by criminals in this way and therefore is not able to release numbers on how many investigations are conducted in the Estate Agency Businesses (EAB) sector. HMRC took on supervision of Estate Agency Businesses under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on 1 April 2014. Since becoming supervisor HMRC has used a range of interventions such as face to face visits, telephone interventions and webinars to reach hundreds of businesses in the EAB sector, and test and challenge their compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations. In addition to direct interventions, as supervisor, HMRC conducts risking work which involves using a range of sophisticated data exploitation tools – including their state-of-the-art Connect system – to identify cases which warrant further investigation. It is not possible to quantify how many businesses have been looked at in this way, as it is a routine aspect of supervision for HMRC. Where cases require criminal investigation, they are passed to HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service. HMRC is unable to disclose details of cases which are currently under criminal investigation for operational reasons.

I can confirm that estate agents that do not hold client money fall within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.