Tag: Dan Jarvis

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average number of days taken by coroners to release the body of a homicide victim back to the family for burial in each year since 2010.

Simon Hughes

Information on the average number of days taken by coroners to release the body of a homicide victim is not held centrally. This information could only be obtained by inspection of individual case files at each coroner’s office before collating the information, and this could only be done at disproportionate cost.

In July 2013 we implemented reforms in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 together with new coroner regulations and rules aimed at improving standards and achieving greater consistency in coroner services. Regulation 20 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 requires a coroner to release the body for burial or cremation as soon as is reasonably practicable. Where this cannot be done within 28 days, the coroner must notify the next of kin or personal representative of the reason for the delay.

In February 2014 we also published the statutory “Guide to Coroner Services” which explains the standards of service that can be expected during a coroner’s investigation and what action can be taken if these are not met.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the success criteria against which the secure college pathfinder will be evaluated.

Jeremy Wright

The Ministry of Justice is developing a robust monitoring and evaluation strategy for the Secure College Pathfinder. This will ensure that the most appropriate methods for measuring the performance of the Secure College Pathfinder are in place.

Detail relating to performance measures against which the Secure College Pathfinder’s construction and operation providers’ performance will be measured will be contained within their individual contracts, which will be published on Contract Finder in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children aged between (a) 10 and 12, (b) 13 and 14 and (c) 15 and 17 years were held in each secure training centre and secure children’s home in each year since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright

Informed by advice from local Youth Offending Teams, the Youth Justice Board places young people who are remanded or sentenced to custody in the secure establishment most appropriate to their needs.

The spreadsheet shows the average number of children and young people aged between a) 10 and 12, b) 13 and 14 and c) 15 and 17 held in each secure training centre and secure children’s home in each year since 2009/10 (April to March).

The 2013/14 figures will be published in the 2013/14 Youth Justice Statistics in January 2015.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women under the age of 25 were diagnosed with cervical cancer in (a) the borough of Barnsley and (b) the UK in 2013 and 2014.

Mr Rob Wilson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of disabled people referred to the Work Programme moved into employment between January and December 2014.

Esther McVey

The information requested to September 2014 is published and available at:

http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html

Proportions can be calculated using the published figures.

Guidance for users is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ensure that the needs of cyclists are considered when infrastructure contracts are awarded.

Mr Robert Goodwill

In August 2013 the Prime Minister announced his intention to "cycle proof" the road network – in other words, to ensure that people using cycles are considered from the design stage of new and improved road infrastructure. Cycle proofing is a process which over time ensures that the built environment generally, and roads specifically, are seen to be safe, convenient and pleasant for cycle use by people of all ages and abilities.

Work to cycle proof roads has already begun. The Highways Agency has recently published its Strategic Business Plan[1] which sets out how they will improve facilities for people cycling or walking alongside the strategic road network. Designated funding has been allocated to make provision for vulnerable users when designing and building major schemes and where feasible make it safer and easier for cyclists and pedestrians to access local routes when crossing the strategic road network. For cyclists the Agency will:

· Invest £100m to improve access, integration and facilities on and around the network;

· Undertake studies at 600 sites identified in conjunction with Sustrans and the National Cycling Charity to decide the best potential solution for each location;

· Provide additional professional development training for those engineers and planners responsible for designing schemes to include appropriate cycling provision;

· Produce its first National Cycling Strategy by the end of 2015.

All contracts on the Agency’s network use the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges[2] (DMRB) for the design of works and the Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works[3] as the specification. The DMRB incorporates requirements, processes and procedures to ensure that the needs of vulnerable road users are considered and included at scheme design stage.

The Department is currently finalising the Cycling Delivery Plan. Several actions outlined in that Plan will contribute further to this cycle proofing work. The Department will seek to ensure roads projects that receive government funding, as well as those conducted by local authorities, are cycle proofed. This means that the needs of people using cycles are considered from the design stage.

The Department is also working to ensure Highways engineers have evidence based tools with which to design high quality conditions for cycling on England’s roads. This includes updating the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, and – where suitable and appropriate – endorsing the use of new standards and guidance produced by other authorities in the UK.

We do of course consider the needs of all users of public transport, including cyclists, at railway stations. That is why we have allocated almost £30 million for cycling facilities and we are on track to triple the number of cycle parking spaces at railway stations.

^[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387252/141215_Strategic_business_plan.pdf

^[2] http://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/dmrb/

^[3] http://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/mchw/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements are in place to fund the expansion of the Combined Cadet Force; and what the estimated total cost of that expansion is.

Mr Philip Dunne

Expansion of the Combined Cadet Force is under way through the joint Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Department for Education Cadet Expansion Programme which was launched in 2012. The programme is on target to provide 100 new cadet units in state schools in England by September 2015.

The programme had an initial budget of £10.85 million to meet start-up costs for the first 100 units. Fixed and running costs of these units are being absorbed through efficiencies found from existing MOD budgets.

The expansion programme is also supported by the Cadet Bursary Fund, a charitable fund launched by the Prime Minister in June 2014. This fund, which provides grants to help schools alleviate financial barriers to establishing new units, particularly additional staff costs, was supported with £1 million from LIBOR fines.

The total cost of the expansion will depend on the number of cadets in each unit, and the eventual number of new units. It is too early to say how many cadets there will be in the first 100 new units and plans and funding for any expansion beyond September 2015 will be a matter for the Government returned after the election, and for the 2015 Spending Review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department is offering to Nigeria to help combat Boko Haram.

Mr Mark Francois

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2015 to Parliamentary Question 906917, to the hon. Member for Bedford (Richard Fuller).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to ensure members of the armed forces helping with the Ebola outbreak have adequate protection against the disease.

Mr Mark Francois

We take the protection of military personnel exceptionally seriously: it is our highest priority.

The key element of this protection is the training and briefing which is conducted prior to deployment, and which is tailored to their role in Sierra Leone, including the use/operation of the personal protective equipment issued. This training is supplemented on arrival in Sierra Leone and updated thereafter in line with the prevailing situation.

All personnel returning from Sierra Leone will be screened for Ebola in line with current guidance from Public Health England. This is part of a much wider monitoring and screening process, which will run throughout an individual’s deployment.