Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprentices were employed by (a) Network Rail, (b) Highways England or the Highways Agency and (c) HS2 Ltd on 15 March in each year from 2010 to 2016.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The numbers of apprentices employed directly by Network Rail, Highways England or the Highways Agency, and HS2 Ltd. over the requested time period are set out below.

    Year

    Network Rail

    HS2 Ltd.*

    Highways England / Highways Agency

    2010

    655

    0

    2011

    650

    0

    2012

    607

    0

    2013

    610

    0

    24

    2014

    592

    4

    43

    2015

    606

    1

    71

    2016

    398**

    0

    52

    * For HS2 Ltd, the majority of employment and apprenticeship opportunities will be provided through the supply chain. Construction is due to begin in 2017, following Royal Assent.

    **plus a further 150 to start in September 2016 at level 3, and upwards of 100+ across other levels 2 to 7

    Looking forward over this Parliament to 2020, the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy (January 2016) sets out our ambition to create 30,000 apprenticeships in the roads and rail sectors by 2020, in support of this government’s unprecedented investment in transport infrastructure.

    This target includes the Department for Transport, its Agencies and infrastructure client bodies – Crossrail, Transport for London, Highways England Network Rail and HS2 Ltd, as well as each of their supply chains. Depending on the contract, suppliers will either create one apprenticeship for every £3 to £5m of taxpayers’ money spent, or increase the number of apprentices employed each year through the lifetime of the contract. In these cases the aim is that the number of apprenticeships created each year will equal 2.5% of the workforce.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on his plans to limit motorway roadworks to no more than stretches of two miles.

    Andrew Jones

    We are undertaking the biggest investment in roads in a generation to deliver better journeys for motorists. Highways England’s top priority is maintaining the safety of all motorists and road workers whilst keeping disruption to a minimum.

    Highways England, as a general principle, aim to reduce the lengths of roadworks to a maximum of 10 miles, shorter if possible and if safety allows.

    They will also be carrying out trials to raise the speed limit through roadworks to 55mph where it is safe to do so in order to help minimise queues.

    These changes could come into effect on many new schemes from 2017 depending on the outcome of the trials.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what improvements to WiFi coverage on trains are being made by Great Western Railways.

    Paul Maynard

    First Great Western InterCity and Thames Valley trains have been fitted with on-train Wi-Fi. Following the Direct Award Great Western Railway is fitting free Wi-Fi to all Super Express Trains, Electrical Multiple Units and long term diesel trains remaining in the fleet.

    The fitted trains include the new AT300 trains providing London to South West services. Great Western Railway state in their ‘Annual Stakeholder Report 2015-16’ that this work will be completed by December 2018.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK civil servants, and of what grade, who work in units, directorates or sub-departments within DEFRA are charged with EU policy formulation, advising on EU policy or enforcing EU policy.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Defra is amongst those Government Departments whose work is most closely linked to and impacted by EU activity, legal frameworks and funding. The majority of policy roles within the Department will or are likely to support EU related work to some degree.

  • David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward proposals to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge, Angela Smith, on 21 July 2015, PQ UIN 7749.

  • Lord Empey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Empey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland has the power to require district councils in Northern Ireland to conduct election counts for elections to Westminster and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

    Lord Dunlop

    The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is currently considering a range of options for reforming his Office. This includes capitalising on new technology by introducing on-line registration.

    The Chief Electoral Officer will have regard to the continued effective delivery of elections in Northern Ireland and ensuring that his Office remains on a sustainable financial footing. The Northern Ireland Office fully supports him in this approach. I understand that work on some options is at an early stage.

    The Representation of the People Act 1983 makes provision for the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland to delegate returning officer functions to the clerk of a district council.

    Detailed questions on headcount and budget are operational matters for the Chief Electoral Officer who is independent of Government. The Chief Electoral Officer publishes all such information in his annual report which is presented to Parliament and copies are made available in the Library of the House.

    The headline budgets allocated to the Chief Electoral Office are:

    Financial Year

    Operational Funding

    Capital Funding

    2013/14

    £5.452m *

    £100k

    2014/15

    £2.336m

    £56.2k

    2015/16

    £2.296m

    £25k

    * includes £3m for the 2013 canvass

    The Northern Ireland Office has not agreed any budgets with the Chief Electoral Officer for future years pending receipt of the Department’s detailed Spending Review 2015 settlement letter from HM Treasury.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether private outsourcing companies which take on NHS contracts and obtain insurance by paying into the NHS insurance scheme are required to contribute (a) full or (b) a partial cost of that cover.

    Ben Gummer

    The NHS Litigation Authority is responsible for administering all National Health Service risk pooling schemes. Since April 2013, independent sector providers of healthcare have been able to obtain indemnity cover under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST). All CNST members are required to pay their actuarially assessed costs for each year that they are a member of the scheme.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she has made an estimate of the difference in value between coal produced in the UK and coal imported from overseas for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below gives the values of UK coal production and imports for 2010 to 2014. Data for 2015 will be available on 28 July 2016.

    Coal production (£million)

    Coal imports (£million)

    Difference (£million)

    2010

    1,065

    2,080

    -1,015

    2011

    1,175

    3,050

    -1,875

    2012

    990

    3,315

    -2,325

    2013

    535

    3,235

    -2,700

    2014

    450

    2,235

    -1,785

    Source: Tables DUKES 1.4-1.6, Digest of UK Energy Statistics, July 2015, available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-chapter-1-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukesv

    “

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage GPs to undertake out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department and NHS England are committed to addressing the issue of increasing medical indemnity costs for general practitioners (GPs), including those working out of hours.

    Increasing costs of indemnity cover associated with out of hours work may discourage GPs from undertaking out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    The Department was represented at a roundtable event held by NHS England on 17 November 2015 to develop a shared understanding of how to address rising medical indemnity costs. A range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association and Medical Defence Organisations (MDOs), also attended.

    On 9 December 2015, NHS England announced a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers. In addition they have negotiated changes to the products offered by MDOs to bring down costs of indemnity for extended access.

    Discussions are ongoing between the Department and NHS England on a long-term solution.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of (a) human trafficking and (b) forced labour have been recorded by Humberside Police for each year from 2010 to 2014; in how many such cases prosecutions were brought; and what the outcomes were of those prosecutions.

    Mike Penning

    Recorded crime figures for the period 2010 to 2014 do not directly map on to the two categories in the question. Data on human trafficking for sexual exploitation shows that one case of this type was recorded by Humberside in 2012/13. Crime recording rules stipulate that only the most serious offence in a sequence of crimes is recorded, so it is possible that other cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation offences have been recorded under even more serious crime types.

    On a principal offence basis, no defendants were proceeded against, convicted or sentenced at magistrates’ courts during the period 2010 to 2014 for offences related to human trafficking and forced labour in the Humberside Police Force Area. Such data is recorded on the basis of the location of the magistrates’ court where proceedings started, so it may be that an offence recorded in Humberside was then proceeded against in another police force area.