Tag: Gareth Thomas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether funding currently received by mayoral combined authorities from EU structural funds will continue after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring regions and organisations have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the European Union. At the same time, we are keen to use the opportunities that departure presents to set our own priorities. The Chancellor has announced that the Treasury will guarantee structural fund bids which are signed before the UK leaves the EU. This includes funding for projects agreed after the Autumn Statement, if they represent good value for money, and if they are in line with the government’s strategic priorities, even if these projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Over the coming months, the government will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate certainty.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current levels of local authority funding to meet the demands for local authority services.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government has provided a long-term funding settlement, including a £3.5 billion social care package, over the lifetime of this parliament. Councils have continued to balance their budgets while reducing council tax in real terms and maintaining public satisfaction with services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many full-time equivalent consular staff were based in (a) India and (b) Gujarat in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

This information is represented below for each of the consular offices that we have in India for each year. Please note that consular cases in Gujarat are covered by our Deputy High Commission in Mumbai.

	11/12	12/13	13/14	14/15	15/16
New Delhi	6	6	6	7	6
Mumbai	3	3	3	3	3
Kolkata	2	2	2	2	2
Goa	3	3	2	2	2
Chennai	2	2	2	3	3

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilian business jet movements there were at RAF Northolt in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 October 2015 in response to Question 10882 and the answer I gave him on 5 September 2013 in response to Question 167738. There are no plans to review further the limit on the number of commercial civilian movements at RAF Northolt, which remains 12,000.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance his Department has offered to Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group to help it avoid its projected deficit of £116.4 million by 2018-19; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

We are advised by NHS England that the projected deficit figure for 2018/19 dates from November 2013, and was included in a potential “downside case” modelled as part of Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) sustainability plan which was submitted to NHS England.

We understand that the sustainability plan also included an “upside case” and a “mid case” and that all three cases were modelled according to varying projected levels of Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) savings.

The joint financial strategy agreed with the seven other CCGs in north-west London, combined with higher than average growth in allocations and delivery of its QIPP programme, has enabled Harrow CCG to improve its financial performance, as a result of which it is now reporting a surplus of £2 million for 2015/16.

For 2014/15, Harrow CCG received one of the highest funding increases in the country, amounting to 4.2% on the previous year. For 2015/16, the CCG received another above average increase in allocation and will receive a funding increase of 6% in 2016/17, compared to an average CCG growth figure in London of 3.6%.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many lorries were (a) routinely searched and (b) searched for illegal immigrants at English ports in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

This information is not held centrally.

Border Force operates a multi-layered search regime using a range of interventions to screen all freight vehicles entering the UK through the juxtaposed ports.

This includes the use of specialist technologies such as Passive Millimetre Wave Imaging devices, heartbeat monitors and carbon dioxide detectors as well as physical searches by sniffer dogs, Border Force staff and specialist search contractors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to assist the government of Afghanistan in tackling corruption in that country.

Mr Desmond Swayne

I have been asked to reply.

Helping Afghans to tackle corruption is critical to the UK’s engagement in Afghanistan. We are taking a leading role in raising the profile and priority of anti-corruption efforts and coordinating international efforts focused on interventions that contribute to the building of a stable political settlement and a viable state.

The UK’s objectives are to:

• Change norms and incentives: supporting increased transparency, citizen engagement, civil society advocacy and oversight, and applying greater political pressure;
• Strengthen systems to reduce opportunity: supporting stronger private sector regulation, strengthening public financial management and administrative controls;
• Increase risk to individuals: supporting enforcement to increase sanctions, controlling access to the UK and increasing reputational risk; and
• Minimise risk in UK-funded activity: improving use of evidence and further strengthening programme and risk management.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what data the Land Registry holds on the number of leasehold domestic properties in (a) the London Borough of Harrow and (b) England in each of the last 10 years.

Anna Soubry

The data requested is on the attached spreadsheet. Land Registry has also provided data relating to both the number of leasehold titles and the number of transactions affecting leasehold titles in Harrow and in England in each of the last 10 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many airlines are required to copy passengers’ documents, on how many flight routes, before the passenger is allowed to board.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office do not currently require airlines to copy passenger documents before allowing them to board. For flights to the UK, airlines may be liable to a charge of £2000 for any passenger that does not produce valid travel documents on arrival.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who overstayed their visa have been identified leaving the UK in each month since 8 April 2015; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

The data requested is not currently available. My Department is considering the use of exit checks data for statistical reporting purposes. Any data published then will be subject to data assurance standards.