Tag: Ian C. Lucas

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.

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, what meetings he has had with Ministers from the Cabinet Office at which the privatisation of Channel 4 was discussed in August and September 2015.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Secretary of State meets regularly with Ministers from the Cabinet Office 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, if his Department will estimate the number of passengers from North Wales and Cheshire who are projected to use Manchester Airport in (a) 2015, (b) 2020 and (c) 2025.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The last aviation forecasts made by the Department for Transport were produced in January 2013. These gave the following forecasts of passengers using Manchester Airport who began or ended their journeys in North Wales or Cheshire in the central demand case:

(a) 2015 : 2.46 million

(b) 2020 : 2.74 million

(c) 2025 : 3.05 million

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how access to pension provision at the age of 55 affects eligibility for benefits.

Justin Tomlinson

The rules relating to the treatment of pension funds in means-tested benefits have not changed. How someone’s (or their partner’s) pension fund is treated depends on whether they have reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit, and the way in which they have accessed the fund (released money can be treated as either income or capital). Each case is decided on its own circumstances.

Information is available in terms of how income and capital are treated in the means-tested benefits. A factsheet on this subject can be found at

www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-flexibilities-and-dwp-benefits.

Further information can also be found in the decision-making guidance at www.gov.uk.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to release the full business case for the recently-announced closure of 15 HM Passport Office interview offices.

Karen Bradley

There are no plans to release the business case for this decision.

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 car 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.

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, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the privatisation of Channel 4 on the independent production sector in the UK.

Mr Edward Vaizey

No decisions have been made on the future of Channel 4. The Government is considering how best to ensure Channel 4’s future sustainability, while maintaining its ability to deliver against its remit. It will also be important to consider the impacts of any possible changes to Channel 4 on the independent UK production sector.