Tag: Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current provision of shelter for homeless people in London.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. One person without a home is one too many. That is why since 2010 we’ve invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. It is for London boroughs to determine what homelessness services are required to best meet the needs of their local area, including provision of suitable accommodation. We have given the Mayor of London £34 million to deliver pan-London rough sleeping services, with an extra £8.5 million for this work in 2015/16. Our measures include supporting the roll-out of No Second Night Out across England through the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund, and commissioning the pioneering StreetLink service. In London, two-thirds of rough sleepers in London come off the streets after a single night.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current level of spending on infrastructure in the UK, compared to the rest of the G7.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The National Infrastructure Pipeline outlines over £410 billion of planned investment to the end of the decade and beyond; this includes both public and private investment.

At the Spending Review, it was announced that the Government will exceed its commitment to invest £100 billion in infrastructure by 2020-21. It will now make a public investment of £120 billion. (This includes social infrastructure).

HM Government does not hold figures on infrastructure spending in other G7 countries, and methodological discrepancies prevent reliable comparison of infrastructure spending.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of India about transit issues to Nepal.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

I refer the noble Lord to the oral answer I gave to the Earl of Sandwich on 27 October 2015, Official Report, Column 1088.

Further to that response, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised the situation in Nepal with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, General V K Singh on 5 November, and again with Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar on 12 November.

As Nepal’s largest bilateral donor and, in the year of the 200th anniversary of relations with Nepal, the UK is concerned about the current situation. Along with the rest of the international community we are very keen to see a final political settlement in Nepal and an end to the fuel supply problems, which are holding back Nepal’s recovery from April’s tragic earthquake and having a serious humanitarian impact. We remain in close contact with the Indian and Nepali governments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the situation in Ivory Coast.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Côte d’Ivoire has made significant progress since its 2010-2011 post-electoral crisis. Though challenges remain, there has been a sustained period of political stability and improved security, as well as increasing economic growth and investor confidence. Following President Ouattara’s victory in the 25 October elections, we hope to see the Government of Cote d’Ivoire further consolidate peace and stability, as well as re-establish the country as a high performing regional economic hub.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the expected timetable for the Lloyds Banking Group share offer.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The government is committed to creating a share owning democracy in Britain. The Lloyds Banking Group share offer will help build that by giving the general public the chance to have a greater stake in our economy and encouraging long-term share ownership.

However, given ongoing events in financial markets, now is not the right time to sell shares to retail investors. We have always been clear that sales are dependent on market conditions and the timing of the offer will be kept under review in light of this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the operation of passenger compensation schemes run by train operating companies.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department for Transport expects Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to make sure that their customers are aware of their rights to claim compensation.

The Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) response to the Which? super-complaint into passenger compensation, published in March this year, included consideration of the operation of the TOC schemes. The Department is already working closely with the ORR and the Association of Train Operating Companies to bring about improvements to passenger compensation arrangements. The Department will respond to the ORR’s report into the Which? super-complaint in the summer of 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to review the number of types of identification documents with which a person may register to vote.

Lord Bridges of Headley

Ensuring the accuracy of electoral registers and taking steps to reduce fraud is critical to building confidence in the systems underpinning our democracy. In the majority of cases, applicants registering to vote will have their identity matched against government records or local data sources successfully. Where this is not possible, most applicants can be asked to provide supporting documentary evidence, which can be drawn from a wide range of sources and there are no plans to change this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the law with respect to abortion in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Abortion law is a devolved matter with respect to Northern Ireland. It is therefore for the people of Northern Ireland and their elected representatives in Stormont to consider the need for any change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to work with the North East Combined Authority following recent decisions not to proceed with a Metro Mayor.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Government remains fully committed to the North East and to devolution, and we have made clear our willingness to work with North East leaders who want to discuss options for a new deal. We stand ready to work with those councils that share our aim to boost jobs, create opportunities and build a stronger Northern Powerhouse. This guides our ongoing engagement with councils in the area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current foodbank provision in London.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Government does not hold data on numbers of food banks. We commissioned a study to look at this issue in 2013. The “Review of Food Aid in the UK” published in February 2014 was a short, literature based study designed to improve understanding of food aid provision in the UK, who makes use of it, and why. It was not a complete assessment of food aid as it found a variety of types of food aid, with mostly community-led provision responding to local needs.

Defra does not estimate numbers of households experiencing food insecurity. There is no single definition of food insecurity. The factors that impact on household food security are complex and include economic, social and environmental issues.