Tag: Ian C. Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how the Government plans to implement Lord Leveson’s recommendation that regulatory authorities should be able to impose structural remedies and remedies which will change behaviour which can relate, if appropriate, to editorial independence and journalistic standards.

Mr Edward Vaizey

In response to Lord Leveson’s recommendations on media plurality we asked Ofcom to consider how we measure media plurality in the UK. Ofcom published a framework for measurement on the 5th November. We will need to consider that framework and how we make a baseline assessment before we consider any further work in this area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what response his Department has made to requests for more rail travel paths from North Wales to Manchester Airport.

Andrew Jones

The allocation of train paths is a matter for the independent Office of Road and Rail to decide, not the Department for Transport.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20298, if he will publish the letter the Department wrote to the Office of Rail and Road in connection with the application from Arriva Trains Wales for additional train paths to and from Manchester Airport.

Claire Perry

A copy of the letter is attached. Please note that names and details of officials below the level of Senior Civil Servant, and those of non-government officials, have been redacted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contracts for delivery of IT services have been concluded between the Government and Google in the last five years.

Matthew Hancock

Since January 2011, as part of the Government’s transparency programme, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Since 1 April 2015, wider public sector bodies, including local authorities, have also been required to publish details of contracts above the value of £25,000 on Contracts Finder.

Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: http://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive

Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he met the Minister for the Cabinet Office to examine the options for extracting greater public value from Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport did not meet with the Minister for the Cabinet Office to discuss Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he has held discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on privatisation of Channel 4 in the last 12 months.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Chancellor to discuss matters relating to DCMS policy. The government has made no decisions regarding reform of Channel 4.The government is considering a range of options as to how best to ensure Channel 4’s future sustainability while maintaining its ability to deliver against its remit, including options put forward by Channel 4.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received on rail paths from North Wales to Manchester Airport.

Andrew Jones

We are aware that Arriva Trains Wales (ATW), and other operators, are seeking to introduce additional services to Manchester Airport; however, capacity through central Manchester and at the Airport is limited. Infrastructure investment to deliver the Northern Hub (including the recently-opened fourth platform at the Airport) will improve the situation, but there are more aspirations for direct services to the Airport than even the post-Hub infrastructure will be able to accommodate.

Please note that it is the Independent Office of Road and Rail which is responsible for the allocation of train paths and not the Department and it is therefore for the Office of Road and Rail to consider ATW’s application alongside other requests submitted for use of the limited available capacity for additional rail services to/from Manchester Airport.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police constables there were in North Wales in each year since 2010.

Mike Penning

The table provided contains statistics on the total number of full-time equivalent police officers and the number of these who hold the rank of constable in North Wales, as at 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2015.

As HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has made clear, there is no simple link between police numbers and crime levels, between numbers and the visibility of police in the community, or between numbers and the quality of service provided.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if officials in his Department will have discussions with officials in the Department of Health on the establishment of a ring-fenced fund for local authorities to be able to disregard military compensation payments in financial assessments for social care.

Mr Marcus Jones

Armed forces veterans injured in service receive payments through the War Disablement Pension or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. The latter applies to veterans injured from 6 April 2005. These payments are divided into a personal injury compensation element and other payments. Traditionally, only the personal injury compensation payment has been fully disregarded.

Since October 2012, Guaranteed Income Payments made to veterans under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme have been disregarded. The Department of Health has been in discussion with the Royal British Legion about how War Disablement Pension payments are treated. Currently, the first £10 per week of these payments is disregarded. The Government is considering how these payments to veterans should be treated in the financial assessment for social care charging in future.

It is not the policy of this Government to ring-fence funding for particular purposes. This is to allow local authorities the flexibility to manage their own resources in the most efficient manner.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the average annual household insurance premiums paid by (a) existing customers and (b) new customers in each of the last five years.

Simon Kirby

The Government does not hold information on average annual household and motor insurance premiums. There are a range of estimates of the cost of insurance published by industry, including the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the AA and Confused.com. The ABI’s data is available at: https://www.abi.org.uk/News/Industry-data-updates.

The Government encourages consumers to shop around for the most suitable cover at the best price. To this end, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently published rules and guidance requiring insurers to disclose the previous year’s premium on renewal notices for general insurance products including motor and home insurance. The measures also require insurers to identify consumers who will be renewing with them for the fourth consecutive time and give them a prescribed shopping around message. The rules will come into force in April 2017.