Tag: Kelvin Hopkins

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the delay in transferring his Department’s Transactional Bulk Print Services contract to Williams Lea from the current provider, Hewlett Packard, originally scheduled for February 2015; what the revised timetable is for that transfer; what assessment he has made of potential risks to service delivery arising from loss of key staff as a result of that delay; and what contingency plans his Department has prepared to mitigate such risks.

Justin Tomlinson

The DWP Print service will transfer to Williams Lea on 31^st March 2016. All staff currently working on Print within Hewlett Packard (HP) will transfer over on this date via TUPE unless they have decided to opt out and accept alternative positions within HP prior to the date of transfer. All staff have been informed and consultation is actively underway in line with legislative requirements.

In terms of contractual obligations, Williams Lea are obligated to transfer the service over by 31^st March 2016. Williams Lea remain on track to meet their transfer date obligation and no service disruption is anticipated.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of the introduction of driver-only operation on rail services on (a) passenger safety, (b) passenger assurance, (c) women passengers, (d) disabled passengers, (e) revenue protection and (f) passenger assistance.

Claire Perry

The safety of passengers and rail users is paramount on the railway and the Department for Transport would never do anything to put passengers at risk.

This system has already been in safe use on almost a third of rail services in Great Britain for up to 30 years and can help to improve the service to passengers. Giving responsibility to the driver to operate the doors can improve operational performance and can enable other staff on board the train to provide a better face-to-face service for passengers. Staffing levels are generally a matter for railway operators, as we believe that they are best placed to determine how to meet the needs of all passengers. However, it is important that those who need assistance to travel can rely on railway staff to provide this. Each operator is required to participate in the Passenger Assist system which allows disabled passengers to book staff assistance when they require it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the judgment in Stagecoach Group PLC & Anor v Revenue and Customs [2016] UKFTT 120 (tc) (10 February 2016), what steps his Department has taken against KPMG for designing and marketing the tax avoidance scheme rejected by the court.

Mr David Gauke

It is not possible for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to provide details of any action taken in connection with these organisations.

In the March 2015 Budget, the Government challenged the accountancy and tax professional bodies to improve how they deal with their members who promote tax avoidance schemes.

The professional bodies have responded positively to this challenge and are working with HMRC to agree a new standard to which their members will need to adhere.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the emergency timetable for Southern rail services to be introduced by Govia Thameslink Railway from 11 July 2016 was agreed by his Department; and what consultation his Department undertook on that timetable prior to its agreement.

Claire Perry

It is not for the Department to approve changes to the timetable. GTR has informed us of their intention to change the timetable in order to provide a more reliable timetable for passengers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s aid policy of the research on global income distribution published by Oxfam on 19 January 2016.

Mr Desmond Swayne

Eradicating extreme poverty is central to DFID’s mission and the Sustainable Development Goals. Oxfam say inequality affects the politics around growth. Our economic development strategy takes account of this by supporting inclusive growth and tackling inequality by creating opportunities, widening access to them (including through education and health), economically empowering women and leaving no-one behind.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Office of Rail Regulation have had with Govia Thameslink Railways Ltd on changes to criteria for driver-only operation.

Claire Perry

Neither the Department for Transport nor the Office of Rail and Road have held any specific discussions with Govia Thameslink Railway on changes to criteria for driver-only operation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of dwell times on the (a) punctuality of and (b) number of cancellations on automated rail services.

Claire Perry

There are no automated rail services on the UK national rail network.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) planned and (b) unplanned train service cancellations in each reporting period would place Govia Thameslink Railway in breach of the Remedial Plan agreed with his Department in February 2016.

Claire Perry

Under the Franchise Agreement, where GTR can provide the evidence that cancellations are due to official or unofficial industrial action, they can claim Force Majeure, which they have done. The Govia Thameslink Railway Franchise Agreement in Schedule 7.1 sets out the performance benchmarks and financial regime that is in place in relation to cancellations. A copy of the Franchise Agreement can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/govia-thameslink .

The department is monitoring the position on a regular basis.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department’s plans are for the procurement of IT and digital services beyond the end dates of its current contracts.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department anticipates a shift in the way in which citizens will engage with the Department – with greater digital interaction in the future. Digital Technology, Data and Security capabilities are a key enabler of this shift. The department initiates on an ongoing basis a number of procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Table 1 in her Department’s publication, Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2014, HC 511, what aspects of the preservation of the species were the 22 experiments on cats were designed to assist.

Karen Bradley

The 22 cats used for the preservation of the species in the Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2014 were involved in a project on the genetic status and health of Scottish wildcats. The Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) was once found across the British mainland but is now confined to the Scottish Highlands. The key aims were to:

• Undertake a targeted survey of Scottish wildcats and domestic feral cats in key areas in Scotland

• Assess the genetic purity of Scottish wildcats and degree of interbreeding with domestic feral cats

• Assess the health of both the Scottish wildcat and domestic feral cat population

To do this, wildcats and feral domestic cats were humanely trapped and given a full health check under general anaesthesia which included the taking of a blood sample to assess the genetic purity of the wildcat as well as to look for evidence of infectious disease in both. All animals were then immediately released back into the wild.

The findings of this study are being used to establish much needed baseline information which will inform key conservation management decisions for the Scottish wildcat in order to protect the population. The influence of feral domestic cats, both through interbreeding with wildcats and transmission of infectious diseases that may contribute to wildcat population decline, is being used to inform feral cat management and control programmes in wildcat areas, and may lead to specific disease control measures such as targeted vaccination.