Tag: Parliamentary Question

Paul Beresford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Beresford on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with officials of the Home Office and the police on proposals to allow members of the public to take their own ID photos for official documents on their own digital devices and the potential effect of this on ID fraud and quality of images.

Matthew Hancock

Government departments are fully committed to ensuring that the risks of identity fraud are minimised in transactions requiring photographs to be submitted. Currently applicants send paper photographs through the postal service. Technology now enables digital photographs to be submitted in online applications. In whichever channel is used the applicant must attest that the picture is a true likeness and departments put processes in place to assess the end-to-end risks of identity fraud. New technology has the potential to reduce fraud in this process, and we are investigating how technology can be used in a way that is both safe and cost effective.

01/01/2023
Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many tribunals relating to (a) sexual discrimination and (b) each other matter have been brought against employers in each of the last five years; and how many such claims have been successful.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Information on the number of tribunal claims relating to sexual discrimination and other matters brought against employers and the proportion of successful claims in each of the last five years can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics#employment-tribunal-and-employment-appeal-tribunal-statistics-gb.

“

01/01/2023
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 steps he is taking to encourage more cyclists to use cycle lanes rather than cycling on the main highway; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Cycle tracks, where provided, offer cyclists an alternative to cycling in the carriageway. However, the decision to use a lane or not will depend on the individual. We have no plans to make to make the use of lanes mandatory.

01/01/2023
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, how many people are currently claiming expenses from the public purse under the Public Duty Cost Allowance.

Ben Gummer

The Public Duties Cost Allowance is to assist former Prime Ministers with the costs of continuing to fulfil duties associated with their previous position in public life. A copy of the policy and guidance on the allowance is in the Library of the House. The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life. The allowance is not paid to support private or parliamentary duties. Civil servants are not entitled to claim this allowance.

Current recipients of the allowance are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. Previous recipients have included Lady Thatcher; the current recipients who are former Prime Ministers are Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. I also refer the Hon. Member to my answers to him of 9 September 2016 to (UIN 44045, 44048, 44049, 44053, 44054, 44055, 44056).

The Public Duties Cost Allowance rate is currently set at a limit of £115,000 per annum. When originally introduced, the Government stated that it would be the equivalent in amount to the Parliamentary Office Costs Allowance. I would note that that allowance is now known as the Parliamentary Staffing Allowance, determined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and that is currently set at the rate of £148,500 per annum.”

01/01/2023
The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the scrutiny of the UK’s bilateral aid programmes by the International Development Committee and the Independent Commission on Aid Impact, in addition to internal departmental audit and risk analysis, what level of scrutiny is applied to multilateral aid programmes.

Lord Bates

As with bilateral aid, multilateral aid is subject to robust scrutiny by the International Development Committee and the Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI). For example, ICAI published a review on “How the Department for International Development (DFID) works with multilateral agencies to achieve impact”, in June 2015 and the International Development Committee published an interim report on “UK Aid – Allocation of resources”, in March 2016.

The Secretary of State has clearly stated her commitment to driving higher results and ensuring value for money and transparency from DFID’s multilateral partners. DFID has taken a strategic approach to scrutinising the impact of our investment in multilateral organisations through the Multilateral Aid Review, the latest review is due to be published soon. The UK is also an active member of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), which brings together 18 donor countries with a common interest in assessing multilateral effectiveness. MOPAN will commission its own assessments of multilateral organisations.

01/01/2023
Michael Fabricant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the likely effect on (a) passenger and (b) freight traffic on the West Coast Mainline following completion of Phase 1 of High Speed 2; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The construction of High Speed 2 (HS2) will release capacity on the existing network, including the West Coast Mainline, reducing crowding, improving resilience and reliability across the network, and improving journey opportunities for passengers. This released capacity could also provide space for at least an extra 20 West Coast Main Line freight paths helping to meet forecast freight demand and taking lorries off the road network. Phase One of HS2 will also bring substantial benefits in its own right, providing additional capacity and improved connectivity.

01/01/2023

Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average amount the Youth Justice Board will pay for each place for a child in (a) Medway secure training centre, (b)Oakhill secure training centre, (c) Rainsbrook secure training centre, (d) Cookham Wood young offender institution, (e) Feltham young offender institution, (f) Parc young offender institution, (g) Werrington young offender institution and (h) Wetherby young offender institution; and what the average amount the Youth Justice Board paid on average for each place for a child in each of those institutions was in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Andrew Selous

Secure Training Centres (STCs) typically cater for younger offenders with multiple or complex needs and therefore have smaller units and higher staff ratios than Young Offender Institutions (YOIs).

The Youth Justice Board calculates the average cost of custody per place per year based on assumed full occupancy of all youth secure establishments. Table 1 shows the average costs for a place per year at each of the specified STCs and YOIs for each year since 2013/14.

Table 1: Average costs per place per year by youth secure establishment

Establishment	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16
(a) Medway STC	£214,606	£157,110	£138,051
(b) Oakhill STC	£204,301	£210,926	£217,485
(c) Rainsbrook STC	£175,479	£181,194	£134,955
(d) Cookham Wood YOI	£76,051	£53,915	£81,089
(e) Feltham YOI	£53,690	£55,120	£68,548
(f) Parc YOI	£67,995	£68,611	£69,331
(g) Werrington YOI	£55,638	£57,090	£91,306
(h) Wetherby YOI	£46,688	£59,579	£70,505

Notes:

Prices not adjusted for inflation
Business rates are included for STCs (business rates are charged on non-domestic property).
Costs do not include VAT where this is applicable (STCs and Parc).
Advocacy service prices are included for STCs and YOIs. The advocacy service is an independent service that supports young people within the secure estate.
These costs do not include costs associated with escorting of young people between courts and secure accommodation.

In 2015/16 the YJB became responsible for commissioning education in public sector YOIs, which was previously funded through the Education Funding Agency. New YOI education contracts have also increased the number of education hours available to young people.

Costs at Medway and Rainsbrook STCs reduced between 2014/15 and 2015/16, following contract renegotiations and the removal of healthcare costs from these contracts. The Oakhill contract includes costs associated with healthcare, unlike the other two STCs.

01/01/2023

Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has any plans to change the social fund funeral payment in the next 12 months.

Justin Tomlinson

The Government continually looks to improve its service. For example, in 2015 informal discussions have already taken place with stakeholders, including the National Association of Funeral Directors, representatives from life assurance companies, academics and advice services on possible improvements. These discussions carry on and there is a current focus on how to improve information on eligibility.

01/01/2023
Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children and young people were referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in each local authority in each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available.

Alistair Burt

This information is not currently collected.

01/01/2023
Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for judicial review have been (a) made and (b) successful in respect of Children Act 2004 responsibilities in each local authority in England in each of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage

HMCTS does not collect data to the level of detail required to identify local authorities or social service authorities, or applications in respect of the Children Act 2004. The information can only be collated at disproportionate cost.

01/01/2023