Tag: Daniel Zeichner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer to Question 31603, from which funding stream the additional £130 million funding for repair of roads and bridges damaged by Storms Desmond and Eva will be taken.

Andrew Jones

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 16 March 2016 as part of the Budget 2016 that the Government will be allocating a further £130 million to those authorities affected by this winter’s Storms. This funding is on top of the £49 million already committed to repair transport infrastructure damaged by Storms Desmond and Eva. This funding is being met by savings made by the Department for Transport in other transport programmes during the 2015/16 financial year.

This funding is in addition to the £6.1 billion we are providing to local highway authorities in England for local highways maintenance between now and 2021.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) accountability of internet service providers to their customers and (b) role of the regulator in upholding the rights of those customers.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Internet Service Providers are accountable to Ofcom – and in turn to their customers – through Ofcom’s ‘General Conditions (14)’. These conditions include ensuring that an effective complaint handling procedure is in place, and Ofcom can impose a penalty of up to 10% of turnover for failure to comply.

Ofcom, as the UK’s independent communications regulator, has a duty to secure alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes for domestic and small business customers to make sure their rights are upheld. Ofcom periodically reviews the two approved ADR schemes (Ombudsman Services: Communications and the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme) and monitors their ability to deal with complaints independently, transparently and effectively.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2016 to Question 25870, how many (a) officials and (b) other staff are working on the Government’s response to the Law Commission’s recommendations on taxi and private hire vehicle legislation.

Andrew Jones

There are currently (a) three officials and (b) no other staff in the Department for Transport working on taxi and private hire vehicle policy. One of those officials works full-time on taxi and private hire vehicles, and it forms a core part of the work load of the other two. Their responsibilities include scrutiny of the Law Commission recommendations for reform of taxi and private hire vehicle legislation. This level of staffing for work on taxis and private hire vehicles remains essentially consistent with that going back to 2009/10. The Government will respond to the Law Commission report once scrutiny is complete.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of transport projects delivered from the Local Growth Fund have been dedicated to walking to date.

Mr Robert Goodwill

To date, around 36% of transport projects in Local Enterprise Partnerships’ Local Growth Fund programmes are solely or in part dedicated to walking projects.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that UK researchers have the same level of funding as before the EU referendum.

Joseph Johnson

The UK economy is fundamentally strong and our research and innovation are world leading. We have a long established system that supports, and therefore attracts, the brightest minds, at all stages of their careers. We fund excellent science wherever it is found, and ensure there is the freedom to tackle important scientific questions. While the UK remains a member of the EU, current EU arrangements continue unchanged, including those that apply to students, researchers, and businesses. We remain fully open to scientists and researchers from across the EU. We hugely value the contribution of EU and international staff and there are no immediate changes to their rights to live and work in the UK. The Government intends to maintain and enhance the strength of our research base, which is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has conducted on the potential effect of cashless payments and smart ticketing on buses on (a) bus journey times, (b) bus patronage and (c) congestion.

Andrew Jones

Through Transport Focus, the Department has conducted three pieces of bus related research on contactless payments and smart ticketing:

a) Oxford SmartZone smart card evaluation – published in September 2013

b) Norfolk’s smart card evaluation – published in March 2015

c) Non-London bus passenger attitudes towards contactless payments – not yet published.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to tackle fraud relating to European Health Insurance Cards.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Department takes any allegations of fraud and abuse seriously and works with the National Health Service on an on-going basis to detect and tackle any suspected fraud relating to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

We have introduced a raft of measures to tighten up systems and procedures, both for issuing EHICs and checking the subsequent claims made to the United Kingdom. These measures include requiring additional proof of entitlement, mandatory declaration and email verification processes.

The Department is also undertaking a major system redesign project which aims to strengthen existing processes. Reducing further the potential for fraud and error is one of the key objectives of this work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the examination boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland collect data on the number of private candidates who sit GCSE and A-Level examinations.

Nick Gibb

These questions are a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write directly to the Hon. Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House libraries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the amount paid in road user compensation claims by local authorities in England outside London from 2012-13 to 2013-14.

Andrew Jones

The management and defence of insurance claims on the local highway network is entirely a matter for local highway authorities.

The Department for Transport’s road condition statistics for 2013-14 suggest an improvement to the local road network, since 2012-13.

The Department supports local authorities to manage their road networks efficiently and effectively, with record funding of £6billion from 2015 to 2021. Also, from 2016-17, the Department is introducing a Local Highways Maintenance Incentive Fund, to reward those authorities who are demonstrating good practice in this regard. The assessment of local authorities’ eligibility for this Fund includes scoring of the effectiveness of their asset management and risk management approaches.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to (a) maintain and (b) increase real terms funding for marketing of domestic tourism after 2015.

David Evennett

The British Tourist Authority received a very positive Spending Review settlement, with a stable budget over the next four years for both Britain and England activity, an increase in overall GREAT funding and the new £40million Discover England Fund. The Fund will be administered by VisitEngland and will benefit both domestic and international tourism, making it easier for all visitors to book, access and enjoy our tourism offer.

Following the floods caused by storms Desmond and Eva,, £1million has also been provided for a promotional campaign to encourage British families to take holidays in the North of England.