The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission plans to reopen the main doors at St Stephen’s Entrance; and if he will make a statement.
Tom Brake
There are no plans to reopen the main doors at St Stephen’s Entrance. Police and security staff are available to facilitate access by Members and other passholders, particularly during divisions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2015-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason officials in her Department told the hon. Member for Walsall North that she would not be accompanied by a prospective parliamentary candidate on her visit to an academy in that constituency on 9 February 2015; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Edward Timpson
Departmental officials organise official government business including visits. They would not be expected to be involved in arrangements with Prospective Parliamentary Candidates.
Rivers Primary Academy was first informed that the Secretary of State for Education was planning to visit on 5 February 2015. The arrangements were then made and confirmed on 6 February 2015, on which date the Department also alerted the hon. Member to the planned visit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2015-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she told the academy in the Walsall North constituency that she was going to visit on 9 February 2015.
Mr Edward Timpson
Departmental officials organise official government business including visits. They would not be expected to be involved in arrangements with Prospective Parliamentary Candidates.
Rivers Primary Academy was first informed that the Secretary of State for Education was planning to visit on 5 February 2015. The arrangements were then made and confirmed on 6 February 2015, on which date the Department also alerted the hon. Member to the planned visit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his contribution of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 877, what the evidential basis was of his statement that the sale of the Royal Mail was in the manifesto of the last Government.
Mr David Cameron
I was referring to the previous government’s policy of seeking to part-privatise the Royal Mail.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-04-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will put arrangements in place to enable telephone callers to the Tax Credit Office in Preston to raise queries with an official rather than through the automatic telephone system.
Mr David Gauke
The introduction of HMRC’s Intelligent Telephony Automation (ITA) system has enabled HMRC to significantly reduce call handling and call waiting times and increase satisfaction.
The speech recognition technology system reacts to what the caller says instead of selecting an option by pushing a button on their phone. ITA allows customers to say what they want to discuss when they telephone HMRC. For the majority of customers, this means their queries are answered by tailored informational messages, without the need to speak to an adviser. If a customer still wants to speak to someone, ITA ensures the adviser is already aware of the customer’s reason for calling, offering a more effective customer service.
This enables HMRC to offer a more efficient and tailored customer service and where necessary, give the customer extra support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Leader of the House, if he will introduce and consult upon proposals for the Standards Committee to be replaced by a body consisting of a majority of lay members with representation of more than three hon. Members without voting rights.
Mr Andrew Lansley
The House strengthened its own procedures in January 2013 by reconstituting the Committee on Standards to include lay member representation, with a specific right to submit an opinion on any report of that Committee and to have it published.
I have had recent discussions with the Chair of the Committee on Standards, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and other interested parties on ensuring that the standards regime for Members is as robust as it can be.
I expect the Committee on Standards to announce shortly terms of reference for an inquiry examining the current system, which draws on the recent report by the lay members of that Committee. I expect to follow up my discussions with the Committee on Standards in order further to strengthen lay members’ scrutiny of standards matters. If any Member wishes to bring forward specific proposals for improvements to the system, this is of course something that both the Committee and the House will wish to consider.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-04-28.
To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what consultations the House authorities held with English Heritage prior to implementing the recent changes to St Stephen’s Entrance; whether those changes will be permanent or temporary; and what steps the Commission plans to take to ensure that better protection from inclement weather and other improved facilities are provided for visitors to the House.
John Thurso
The changes at St Stephen’s Entrance are intended to be temporary to reduce the queuing time at our public entrances. Work is progressing to improve the permanent public search facility at Cromwell Green. The redesign will deliver a more efficient search process and increase capacity. These changes are temporary and do not affect the building directly, so there was no prior consultation with English Heritage. However, work is also underway to explore, with English Heritage and Westminster City Council, installing a permanent canopy to the pedestrian walkway leading to the Cromwell Green Search Point, which would provide protection in bad weather.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North dated 30 April 2014, ref 2014/0036207, on behalf of a constituent.
Mr Edward Timpson
The hon. Member wrote to Peter Lauener, Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency, on 30 April 2014 about admissions arrangements at Walsall Academy. He copied his letter to my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State. Mr Lauener replied to the hon. Member on 14 May.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will arrange for replies to be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North to his letters to (a) the Chief Operating Officer, Pension, Disability and Carers Service of 7 April and 7 May; and if he will arrange for a substantive reply to be sent to that hon. Member to his letter to the Chief Executive, Capita-PIP ref PIP100 34851/101 of 7 April 2014 on behalf of a constituent.
Mike Penning
A reply to all of the issues that you raised in both of your letters will be sent to you by one of our Directors by 13 June 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will direct Network Rail to inform officially the hon. Member for Walsall North when the work on the bridge at Broad Lane, Bloxwich, Walsall arising from electrification of the railway line will be finally completed.
Stephen Hammond
Network Rail is currently a private sector company limited by guarantee and the duration of the Broad Lane bridge replacement works is an operational matter for the company.
Network Rail advises that the replacement works are due to be completed and the bridge is due to be re-opened to road traffic on Friday 20 June.