Tag: Douglas Carswell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many metric tonnes of Chinese rebar steel have been imported into the UK in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry

The volume of rebar steel imported to the UK from China during the period 2011-2015 was as follows:

Year Metric Tonnes

2011 6

2012 2

2013 47,803

2014 254,584

2015 365,449

Source:HMRC

For 2016, data from the EU’s Steel Surveillance 2[1] Monitoring System indicates that 43 tonnes were imported to the UK during the first quarter.

[1] The Surveillance 2 system collects data directly from import customs declarations. This data relates to the reference of the customs declaration, the nature of the goods, their origin, their volume, their value and their date of acceptance by the customs administration (actual import date). Records are sent daily by the central systems of the customs administrations of the EU Member States. It is based on article 308d of the implementing provisions of the Custom Code (Regulation 2454/93

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36275, if he will make it his policy to ensure that disbursements from the Coastal Communities Fund are allocated to the regions of England on the basis of population share.

Mr Mark Francois

Our policy is that every coastal community should have the chance to bid for a share of the Coastal Communities Fund to help them with projects that will have a real and lasting impact on their local economy. The 118 Coastal Community Teams (CCTs) in England now provide an important new local context for considering these bids, so that the Fund helps to deliver community-led Economic Plans. Each bid is considered on its merits and allocating the Fund to regions on the basis of their population share would not necessarily ensure best value for money.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ensure that the bidding process for the Great Eastern Main Line franchise includes increased service frequency and improved train capacity.

Claire Perry

As with all competitions, after running a public consultation to help specify services, we have published the Invitation To Tender which sets out the minimum service specifications for the next East Anglia franchise. This asks bidders to set out detailed proposals on what improvements for passengers they will deliver. This approach allowsbidders the flexibility to design the best way of delivering or exceeding those specifications.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to improve the transparency and accountability to (a) Government and (b) Parliament of the UK Debt Management Office.

Harriett Baldwin

The UK Debt Management Office’s (DMO) key objectives are required to be met with due regard to the principles of ‘openness, transparency and predictability’, as set out in the annual Debt and Reserves Management Report. The DMO publishes and lays before Parliament its annual Business Plan and Annual Report and Accounts (and also publishes an Annual Review), providing information about its operations in line with these objectives. As an Executive Agency of the Treasury, the Chief Executive of the DMO is accountable to government and parliament, as set out in the DMO’s Executive Agency Framework Document.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether targets have been set for Centre for Health and Disability Assessment staff on the number of people to take off personal independence payments.

Justin Tomlinson

The Centre for Health and Disability Assessments delivers Work Capability Assessments for Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claimants. They do not carry out assessments of Personal Independence Payment claimants which are delivered by Atos Healthcare and Capita.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to review the efficacy of the 111 service in ensuring that 999 is not used in medical non-emergencies.

Alistair Burt

NHS 111 services are commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that should ensure all the services they commission are effective.

NHS England’s monthly published data for the period April to September 2015 show that 11% of calls handled by NHS 111 resulted in dispatch of an ambulance.

Most recent figures show that nationally 90.4% of NHS 111 users are satisfied with the service they get.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

Mr Edward Vaizey

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service from people in Clacton constituency have taken more than 60 days to process in the last 12 months.

Karen Bradley

In the vast majority of cases, disclosure certificates are issued in a timely manner. Performance data relating to February 2016 indicates that average processing time for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) applications was 15 days. It is important that checks undertaken are thorough and a proportion of the applications received by the DBS need to be referred to one or more police forces as part of the enhanced disclosure process.

The DBS is reliant on police forces completing their checks in a timely manner. A small number of forces have experienced difficulties in meeting the service level agreements in place between the DBS and each force. Whilst no assessment has been made of the impact of timeliness on unemployed customers, it is recognised that delays may create problems for some people. The DBS is working closely with those forces whose performance does not meet turnaround time targets. We will not compromise when it comes to the safety of children and vulnerable adults.

The number of applications to the DBS from people living in the Clacton constituency that have taken more than 60 days to process in the last 12 months is listed in the table below.

Month	Number of certificates issued by DBS to applicants in Clacton constituency	Applications that took longer than 60 days
March 2015– February 2016	5,707	322

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff in his Department were in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and what the cost to his Department was of providing that allowance for staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each such year.

Joseph Johnson

Continuity of Education Allowances are not paid to any staff in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills at present or in the past.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the UK could act unilaterally to take an equity stake greater than 25 per cent in Tata Steel while being a member of the EU.

Anna Soubry

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.