Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his Department’s Research Paper No. 235, on pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantages, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the economy of women forced out of work on account of their pregnancy or maternity leave.

Nick Boles

The paper referred to provides interim research results on potential pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, in collaboration with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, is undertaking further analysis, to be published later this year, which may include some financial information, where estimates are possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the release of Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Sha’ar and Naftali Frenkel, who were abducted in the West Bank on 12 June 2014.

Hugh Robertson

As of 30 June, we have received no reports that the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers have been released.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate the Government has made of the average cost to a claimant, including tribunal fees, time spent on case, travel and communication, and advice and representation, of pursuing an employment tribunal claim for pregnancy-related detriment or dismissal.

Nick Boles

The Government does not have a breakdown of average costs to a claimant of taking an employment tribunal claim for pregnancy-related detriment or dismissal.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what penalties will be incurred for consistent delays on passenger services between (a) Brighton and London Victoria at (i) 07:14, (ii) 07:29 and (iii) 07:44 and (b) London Victoria and Brighton at (i) 17:32, (ii) 17:44 and (iii) 18:02 between January 2014 and December 2014 where delays were attributable to (A) train operating companies and (B) Network Rail; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry

The performance of a franchise is measured across its entirety; we do not measure individual lines, routes or journey. Therefore, any penalties imposed are in respect of the performance of the entire franchise.

Any penalty on Network Rail’s performance is a matter for the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), which is an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in their board.

As an independent regulator, the ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts.

Performance across parts of the Southern and Thameslink franchises has not been up to the standards that passengers rightly expect.

Department officials and the ORR recently chaired a performance meeting with regard to the Brighton Main Line. The industry is working together to develop an action plan to improve train performance and this will be presented to the Rail Minister and local MPs on 2nd February in the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-09-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether there is a process to allow hon. Members to view (a) limited and (b) other classified (i) Council and (ii) other EU documents on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

My officials are liaising with the Clerks of both the Commons and Lords European Scrutiny Committees to explore the scope and methods by which this information can be shared while still preserving the confidentiality of sensitive documents.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will (a) make an assessment of and (b) discuss with the Office of Rail Regulation the punctuality record of the (i) 07:14, 07:29 and 07:44 Brighton to London Victoria and (ii) 17:32, 17:44 and 18:02 London Victoria to Brighton rail services in 2014.

Claire Perry

The performance of a franchise is measured across its entirety; we do not measure individual lines, routes or journey. Therefore, any penalties imposed are in respect of the performance of the entire franchise.

Any penalty on Network Rail’s performance is a matter for the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), which is an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in their board.

As an independent regulator, the ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts.

Performance across parts of the Southern and Thameslink franchises has not been up to the standards that passengers rightly expect.

Department officials and the ORR recently chaired a performance meeting with regard to the Brighton Main Line. The industry is working together to develop an action plan to improve train performance and this will be presented to the Rail Minister and local MPs on 2nd February in the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-09-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions his Department has had with the US embassy in London on plans by that embassy to open a reading room to allow parliamentarians to read classified documents on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make representations to his US counterpart to enable such documents to be (a) placed in the Library and (b) made publicly available; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

A large number of documents related to these negotiations are available on the European Commission’s website on the page ‘EU negotiating texts in TTIP’. We are working with our counterparts in the European Commission and the US to both declassify as many documents as practicable and to give UK parliamentarians equivalent access to classified documents related to this agreement as that afforded to Members of the European Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the definition of energy subsidies used by his Department is the same as the definition set out in the report, Subsidies and costs of EU energy: an interim report, published by the European Commission on 10 October 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock

The European Commission study on Subsidies and costs of EU energy notes the OECD’s conclusion that there is “no universal definition of what constitutes a subsidy”, hence the use throughout the study of the term “public interventions.” The study was developed on the basis of information and data which has been estimated and utilised methodologies developed by the Commission’s consultants which were not endorsed or assured by Member States prior to its publication. Accordingly its approach reflects the views of those consultants, not those of the UK or Member States generally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-09-16.

To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to the letter of 7 September 2015 from the UK Permanent Representative to the UN to the President of the UN Security Council, on the military action against Reyaad Khan in Syria, for what reasons he did not cite the collective self-defence of Iraq from ISIL in his oral statement of 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 30.

Mr David Cameron

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson) on 14 September 2015, UIN 9571, 9653 and 9656.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his oral evidence to the Liaison Committee of 16 December 2014, HC887, if he will publish the evidential basis for his statement that 10 per cent of UK electricity coming from onshore wind is enough as part of a balanced energy supply; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Cameron

The UK needs 11-13GW of onshore wind to meet the UK’s renewable energy targets affordably (as set out in DECC’s December 2013 Renewable Energy Roadmap). 7.8GW of onshore wind capacity has already been built, 1.5GW was under construction, and 5.3GW of onshore wind already had planning consent in September 2014. There is therefore more than enough onshore wind already consented to meet the 2020 Renewable Energy Targets.