Tag: Caroline Lucas

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what briefing his Department provided on (a) the promotion and sale of arms and military equipment and (b) human rights to HRH the Prince of Wales before his trip to the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 February 2015 by my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Tobias Ellwood), Minister for the Middle East to Question UIN 224052.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what briefing his Department provided to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales on (a) the promotion and sale of arms and military equipment and (b) human rights before his trip to the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Middle East at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Tobias Ellwood) to Question 224052.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what briefing his Department provided on (a) the promotion and sale of arms and military equipment and (b) human rights to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales before his trip to the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

At the request of the British Government, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales undertook official visits in February to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

His Royal Highness’s visit to the Middle East was to help support Britain’s relationships in the region with key partners. His programme was designed to assist with key government objectives and the visit supported UK diplomatic, commercial and cultural interests in an important region of the world. Other themes of the tour included inter-faith dialogue, youth opportunities, and environmental sustainability.

Details of all high-level briefings for Royal tours are always confidential.