Tag: Lord Kennedy of Southwark

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.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on high streets of ending small business rate relief.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

The Chancellor announced at the Autumn Statement that the doubling of Small Business Rate Relief will continue for a further year and therefore apply for the whole of 2016-17. Approximately 600,000 properties are benefitting, with 400,000 paying no business rates at all.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money has been spent on flood defences in each year from 2010.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The amount of capital investment on flood defences in each year from 2010 is shown below:

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 (1) Sudan, and (2) South Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The situation in Sudan remains of concern, especially in the conflict areas of Darfur and the Two Areas. In this light, it was disappointing that African Union-mediated peace talks in Addis Ababa were suspended on 23 November without the parties reaching an agreement. We continue to urge both the Government of Sudan and opposition to return to discussions on a ceasefire, allow full humanitarian access and engage in inclusive, comprehensive and transparent political dialogue. In South Sudan, progress has been mixed on implementation of the compromise peace agreement signed in August. We welcome recent steps including the agreement of the transitional security arrangements and preparations for the return of the first group of the opposition to Juba. However, we remain concerned by delays to the formation of the transitional government of national unity, breaches of the ceasefire in Unity and Upper Nile states, and the continued lack of humanitarian access in many areas. We regularly lobby both sides on all these issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budgets and programmes have been established since 2014 to help the regeneration of council housing estates.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

A total of £290 million of loan funding has been allocated by the Government to help the regeneration of local authority housing estates. The first tranche of this funding was announced jointly between the Greater London Authority and the Department for Communities and Local Government on 13 June 2014, and the second was announced by the my rt. hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 11 January 2016.

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 emission tests undertaken by car manufacturers in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

As part of the exhaust emissions approval process vehicle manufacturers are obliged to undertake in-use emissions testing. They are required to submit a report of their results at regular intervals or when requested to do so by the approval authority. In accordance with EU regulation 715/2007, the authority will review the information and accept or reject the report. The UK type approval authority is the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and they ensure manufacturers follow this process where they are the issuing approval authority.