Tag: Chris Ruane

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-17.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 510W, on Electoral Register: young people, what steps his Department has taken to circulate the Rock Enrol! resources to (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the European Parliament, (c) members of the Scottish Parliament, members of the Legislative Assembly and Assembly members, (d) local councillors, (e) schools, colleges and universities and (f) local education authorities.

Greg Clark

The government has made available £4.2 million funding to all 363 local authorities (LAs) and valuation joint boards (VJBs) in Great Britain. The Government has written to Electoral Registration Officers and encouraged them to use this funding to support the delivery of Rock Enrol! in their area. Officials will continue to work closely with LA/VJBs in order to monitor and measure the outcomes.

The Government is supportive of organisations that promote democratic engagement such as Bite the Ballot and welcomes lessons from their experiences.The Rock Enrol! learning resource is freely available on the gov.uk and Times Education Supplement websites amongst others. The Government is also working with a range of organisations, including the Association of Citizenship Teachers, to promote the use of Rock Enrol!

For details of the Electoral Commission’s registration activities I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Hon. Member for South West Devon on 22 January 2014, Official Report, column 209W [183573].

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 638W, on the work capability assessment, if he will make it his policy to collect such information in future.

Mike Penning

To provide the requested information would incur disproportionate cost

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-10.

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what percentage of those registered to vote by post did so in (a) police commissioner elections and (b) the local European elections in each electoral area; and what the percentage turnout was at polling stations in each election and in each area.

Gary Streeter

The Electoral Commission informs me that the turnout figures at the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were as follows:

The turnout figures at the 2009 European Parliament elections were:

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-26.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2012, Official Report, column 444W, on constituencies, what comparative assessment he has made of the accuracy of the (a) electoral register and (b) census.

Greg Clark

Using population figures derived from census data would not provide a better basis for a review of constituency boundaries than using the electoral register. The electoral register is updated annually, whereas the census takes place every ten years; in addition, census figures will include persons who are not eligible to register to vote, for example on grounds of citizenship or age.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-24.

To ask the Attorney General, what the Law Officers’ Departments’ policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.

Mr Dominic Grieve

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the 26th March 2014 (Official Report, Col 300W).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has invoked penalty clauses for unacceptable performance standards of (a) Capita or (b) other private sector companies administering personal independence payments.

Mike Penning

The Department has applied performance measures against both of the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Providers and has recovered Service Credits (Financial remedies) in accordance with their contracts.

Specific application of service credits for Capita and Atos Healthcare is commercially sensitive information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the savings to the public purse from the personal independence payment programme; and what assessment he has made of the long-term risks to that programme.

Mike Penning

The National Audit’s Office (NAO) report acknowledged that it is too early to make judgements about value for money.

Both the NAO and Office for Budget Responsibility noted that the introduction of Personal Independence Payment is expected to deliver very significant savings for the taxpayer, estimated to be £3bn per year by 2018 as well as delivering fairer outcomes for disabled people.