Tag: Kelvin Hopkins

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether all documents released by his Department as a result of Freedom of Information requests are placed on his Department’s website.

Harriett Baldwin

A proportion of our responses are published on GOV.UK, which you can find at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=hm-treasury&publication_type=foi-releases.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Govia Thameslink Railway on the threshold for (a) planned and (b) unplanned train service cancellations since February 2016.

Claire Perry

We monitor GTR’s performance and we have ongoing discussions with them over the delivery of their train services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the Government’s policy is towards the Big Six energy companies that seek to outsource or offshore directly employed jobs in retail operations; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

It is important we have a vibrant, dynamic energy market where energy companies work hard to attract customers though customer service as well as price. The management of retail operations, such as answering enquiries and addressing complaints from their consumers, however, are commercial matters for the individual companies.