Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of refunds unclaimed by people who sold their vehicles but then failed to apply for a refund of vehicle tax since 2010.

    Andrew Jones

    Prior to October 2014 motorists could apply for a refund or transfer the vehicle licence to the new keeper of the vehicle. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold information about how many keepers chose not to claim a refund. Since vehicle excise duty was made non-transferable in October 2014, vehicle keepers no longer have to apply for a refund. This is issued automatically when the DVLA is notified of the sale of a vehicle.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether energy suppliers are obligated to report to the National Measurement and Regulation Office when a heat network is established or a lease is acquired.

    Joseph Johnson

    Under Regulation 3(2)(b) of The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 heat suppliers have a duty to notify the National Measurement and Regulation Office in relation to a district heat network or communal heating that commences operation after 31st December 2015, on or before the first date of operation.

    If a change of ownership occurs (or a lease is acquired) on a district heat network or communal heating that has already been notified there is no requirement to re-notify within four years of the date of the first notification submitted. If the network has not been previously notified, then the duty to notify applies.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the (a) effect of lower-than predicted growth rates on the Overseas Development Assistance budget and (b) implications of such rates on the budget for her Department.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Budget document set out reductions to the Official Development Assistance budget of £650m in 2019/20 to reflect revised economic forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility. As in the last Parliament, the government has and will continue to adapt spending plans to ensure the 0.7% target is met.

    The allocation of ODA will be decided by HMG in due course, in line with the UK Aid Strategy, and taking into account the relative value for money of ODA programmes and strategic fit with HMG objectives.

  • Damian Collins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Damian Collins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Damian Collins on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to commemorate the life of Bobby Moore and to mark the 60th anniversary of his captaincy of the 1966 England FIFA World Cup winning team.

    David Evennett

    Sir Bobby Moore OBE made an exceptional contribution to English football – his leadership and skill inspired not only the 1966 squad, but also subsequent generations of aspiring footballers at clubs across the country.

    The FA is leading commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup win, which the Government supports. The FA will be making a formal announcement in due course.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has provided to the Courts and Tribunal Service on obtaining and using overseas conviction data in criminal proceedings.

    James Brokenshire

    Most criminal records requests made by UK authorities are made by the police, where a subject has been arrested and is the subject of an investigation.

    Where an investigation leads to a criminal prosecution, Prosecutors are required to make the courts aware of all convictions, including overseas convictions, in bail and sentencing hearings. Further, section 144 and schedule 17 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 makes it clear to judges that convictions from foreign jurisdictions should be considered during criminal proceedings, whenever they are available.

    In the last three years (2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16) 39,028, 60,226, and 95,156 requests respectively, were made by the police to EU Member States for previous convictions of foreign nationals under the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS), an increase of over 140% in that time.

    In those same years, 19,018, 34,549 and 38,890 requests respectively were made by the police to countries outside the EU for previous convictions of foreign nationals, an increase of over 100% in that time.

    To improve the availability of overseas convictions data in criminal proceedings, the Digital First programme, led by the National Police Chiefs Council, is working to improve the information held on Digital Case Files to ensure that overseas criminal convictions are routinely obtained and passed on to the courts.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Highways England traffic officers have moved heavy goods vehicles from live lanes to (a) hard shoulders and (b) emergency refuge areas in the last 12 months.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England does not specifically record how many Highways England traffic officers have moved heavy goods vehicles from live lanes to hard shoulders or emergency refuge areas.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to strengthen the code of conduct for special advisers.

    Ben Gummer

    An updated Code of Conduct for Special Advisers will be published in due course.

    I would add that a revised version of the Special Adviser Code of Conduct was published in October 2015, taking into account recommendations from the (then) Public Administration Select Committee at the end of the last Parliament. The Code ensures high standards of integrity and professionalism, whilst recognising the political dimension of the advice and assistance that special advisers provide to Ministers.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of students in receipt of publicly-funded bursaries studying at the Greenwich School of Management for degrees validated by Plymouth University did not attend their examinations in the academic years 2014–15 and 2015–16.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    Information on the proportion of students attending examinations at Higher Education Providers is not held centrally.

    Progression rates are not produced separately for those students receiving student support.

    Published statistics in respect of Alternatives Providers, including the Greenwich School of Management, are available in the Experimental Statistical First Release ‘Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained on undergraduate designated courses at alternative providers in England 2014/15’. This can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/15-06-2016/sfr235-alternative-providers

    “

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of capacity building assistance in the area of strategic communications for (a) Georgia, (b) Moldova, (c) Ukraine and (d) other NATO partner countries.

    Mr David Lidington

    Her Majesty’s Government has provided expert strategic communications advice to the Governments of Georgia and Ukraine, and to NATO.

    The UK has worked with the Governments of Georgia and Ukraine to help them develop strategic communications strategies and plan campaigns focusing on their reform efforts.

    We have also provided strategic communications training and support to the NATO HQ Strategic Communications Team to improve NATO strategic communications.

    Assessment by recipients and partners of our support is very positive. I share this assessment.

  • Lord Robertson of Port Ellen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Robertson of Port Ellen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the lifetime of the Vanguard-class submarines can be extended beyond the previous published date of 2018 to the 2030s referred to in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

    Earl Howe

    As set out in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we have assessed that we can safely manage and maintain the Vanguard boats until Successor submarines are introduced into service in the early 2030s.