Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward planned improvements to the Northern Rail service between Scarborough and York that are due to take place in 2019.

    Andrew Jones

    The possibility of bringing forward the planned improvement to this route was fully explored with Arriva Rail North during the closing phases of the franchising process in late 2015 and was not considered achievable. This position has currently not changed, but should it do so then earlier implementation would then be considered with the franchisee.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will amend the eligibility criteria for bereavement benefits to enable unmarried couples who have cohabited for many years to claim the same bereavement benefits as married couples and civil partners.

    Caroline Nokes

    A key principle of the National Insurance system is that all rights to benefits derived from another person’s contributions are based on the concept of legal marriage or civil partnership. This is a long-standing position in bereavement benefits and will continue under the new Bereavement Support Payment, the provisions of which were debated during the passage of the Pensions Act 2014.

    Marriage and civil partnerships are legal contracts that are associated with certain rights, including inheritance, recognition in the tax system and entitlement to certain benefits. Given this legal position, the Government has no plans to extend eligibility for bereavement benefits to cohabitees.

    However, cohabitees do have access to income-related benefits. They may also qualify for help with funeral costs from the Social Fund and may of course choose to provide security for their families by way of private pension or life insurance arrangements.

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the quantitative easing programme on defined benefit pension schemes.

    Simon Kirby

    Monetary policy is set independently by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. The minutes to the MPC’s August meeting, in which the Committee expanded its asset purchase programme, noted that ‘lower yields posed potential risks to some aspects of the functioning of the financial system, for example by increasing the deficits of many pension funds’ but concluded that ‘at present, however, those effects appeared to be relatively limited’.

  • Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will continue to fund the Routes into Languages programme after the current funding expires in July 2016.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    This programme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE). HEFCE will review its spending priorities (including for Routes into Languages) in the light of its grant settlement from Government, following the Spending Review.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will establish an independent inquiry to consider the costs and benefits of frozen pensions.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Any independent inquiry to consider the costs and benefits of frozen pensions for the Civil Service Pension Scheme will be a matter for the Cabinet Office.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many press and public relations staff are employed by her Department; how many of those employees are paid more than (a) £50,000 and (b) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by her Department in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Northern Ireland Office employs four communications officers who deal with press and public relations as part of their roles. One is paid more than (a) £50,000 and none are paid more than (b) £100,000 per year. Total expenditure for press and public relations for the current financial year is £255,230 which includes staff time.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to make translarna available to boys who could benefit from it.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that provides guidance for the National Health Service on whether to fund selected drugs and treatments. NICE is currently evaluating Translarna (ataluren) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy through its highly specialised technology programme. The publication date for NICE’s final guidance is to be confirmed.

    The NHS in England is legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE highly specialised technology guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Wales of the UK leaving the EU.

    Stephen Crabb

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK – including Wales – will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Network Rail has paid to Southern Rail in compensation for late running and skipped stopping in each of the last three years.

    Claire Perry

    This information is published on Network Rail’s website – http://www.networkrail.co.uk/transparency/datasets/ – covering the years 2012-13 to 2014-15. 2015-16 is not yet available.

    “

  • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the corrected Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 13 April (HL5044), how many of those Writs were sent to Peers in (1) each region of England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

    Lord Faulks

    A total of 808 Writs were sent to Life and Hereditary Peers across the regions of England and the counties of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as follows:

    East of England 61; East Midlands 15; North East 19; North West 26; South East 108; South West 49; West Midlands 19; Yorkshire & Humber 27; Central London 164; Greater London 221; Scotland 61; Wales 18; Northern Ireland 20.