Tag: Daniel Zeichner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether the bus service operators grant is used by bus operators to keep fares down.

Andrew Jones

We have been reviewing the Bus Service Operators Grant scheme in recent years with a view to improving its effectiveness in supporting bus services. In their assessment of the impact of any changes in policy associated with the Bus Service Operators’ Grant, departmental economists normally assume operators pass subsidy received on to passengers 50% through lower fares and 50% through increased service levels. Under these assumptions, they estimate that BSOG has the impact of keeping fares 3% lower than they would be in its absence in England outside of London.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 28284, how much the Business Rate Retention Scheme has raised for the Greater London Authority in each year since the scheme’s introduction.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The income available to the Greater London Authority through the Business Rates Retention Scheme was £863.2 million in 2013/2014 and £936.2 million in 2014/2015. The income is forecast to be £1.0396 billion in 2015/2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cycling and walking projects will be funded annually by the (a) Government’s £80 million five-year Access Fund and (b) Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

Mr Robert Goodwill

In February 2016 we confirmed that the Access Fund would be preceded by a £20m Sustainable Travel Transition Year. This competition is live and I therefore cannot confirm how many projects it will support. That said, support for cycling and walking is one of the Fund’s objectives and all bids will need to demonstrate support for cycling and walking in order to secure funding.

The remaining £60m will support the Access Fund, which will launch in summer 2016. I cannot confirm how many projects will be supported by the Access fund, but, similar to the Sustainable Travel Transition Year, I can confirm that support for cycling and walking will be a key funding criterion. We therefore anticipate that all successful projects will support cycling and walking in some way.

The Local Sustainable Transport Fund concluded in March 2016. All 44 projects in 2015/16 supported cycling and walking in some way.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make available financial, activity and outcome data on the additional resources provided to enable prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection to meet the release test since 2012.

Andrew Selous

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is not able to disaggregate spending on IPP prisoners from spending on all prisoners.

Supporting IPP prisoners in progressing towards release once they have completed their tariff is a priority. In particular, there is considerable focus on getting IPP prisoners access to any accredited programmes and other interventions designed to help them reduce their risk of harm.

In December 2014, NOMS established a Progression Regime in closed conditions for IPP and life sentence prisoners who are not eligible for open conditions. This provides such prisoners with an alternative way to demonstrate reduced risk to the Parole Board.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 29991, what estimate he made of the total amount local authorities have spent on delivering concessionary bus fares since 2011.

Andrew Jones

Figures for net current expenditure on concessionary travel in England between 2011-12 and 2014-15 (the latest for which data is available) are available in Table BUS0811b which is published on the Department’s statistics page on the GOV.UK website.

The total net current expenditure refers to expenditure on all aspects of concessionary travel, including the statutory bus concession for older and disabled people, discretionary concessions, youth concession schemes and administrative costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce measurable targets on reducing the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy was published in March and set out the Department’s targets for cycling. This included an objective to reduce the rate of cyclists killed or seriously injured on England’s roads, measured as the number of fatalities and serious injuries per billion miles cycled, each year.

We are in the process of analysing feedback received during the consultation and expect to publish the final Strategy this summer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-21.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date he was made aware of the potential takeover of ARM by SoftBank.

Mr David Gauke

In line with the practice of successive administrations details of ministerial discussions are not routinely disclosed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the (a) automotive sector and (b) low emission vehicles market.

Mr John Hayes

The Government remains committed to almost every car and van in the UK being a zero emission vehicle by 2050. The Government is committed to making a success of the negotiations to leave the EU and will work hard to get the best deal for Britain. In the meantime, Departments will continue working to deliver the Government agenda.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s press release of 13 August 2016, Chancellor Philip Hammond guarantees EU funding beyond date UK leaves the EU, how the future allocation of European Regional Development Fund funding will be assessed.

Mr David Gauke

The European Regional Development Fund is one of a number of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs). The relevant information on ESIFs can be found in my letter of 12 August to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. This letter is attached and can be found on the Gov.uk website, alongside the Treasury press notice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 44873, how many civil servants are currently analysing the responses to the draft cycling and walking strategy.

Andrew Jones

This Government wants to create an environment which encourages walking and cycling, where cycling and walking is the norm for short journeys or as part of a longer journey. Our goal is of streets and public places which support walking and cycling and a road network where infrastructure for cycling and walking is always improved when local and national routes are maintained, upgraded or built.

Moving forwards the Department is working on a revision of the draft Strategy based on the feedback received during the consultation period. A number of officials are involved with the Strategy, with one specifically concerned with the consultation analysis.