Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether it is planned that tribunal hearings convened under the Investor State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will sit in public; and what Government policy is on public sittings for ISDS tribunals.

    Anna Soubry

    The negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) are ongoing and the question of investment protection provisions in the agreement is still under consideration. The European Commission has however published its proposal for investment protections in TTIP. This builds on the reforms already introduced in the EU-Canada and EU-Singapore trade and investment agreements, including that arbitral tribunal hearings will typically be open to the public.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to conduct an impact assessment on the local economy of Cumbernauld of the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld office.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.

    HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons progressive supranuclear palsy is not recorded as a cause of death on death certificates; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will request that the Electoral Commission investigate the extent to which the electoral roll prepared for the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU 2016 includes citizens of EU countries who are not eligible to vote.

    John Penrose

    The EU referendum will be overseen by the Chief Counting Officer, chair of the Electoral Commission, who is responsible for making sure the referendum is held in accordance with the legislation governing the conduct of the poll. The Electoral Commission has issued a statement setting out the actions that have been taken to address an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales that meant that some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received poll cards and, in some instances, postal votes. The Commission explains that the software provider has resolved the issue and none of the affected electors will be shown as eligible on the electoral registers to be used at polling stations on the 23 June. Any incorrectly issued postal votes will be cancelled.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to ensure that local authorities are (a) kept informed on and (b) can contribute to Transport for London’s work on business cases for future development of Crossrail 2.

    Paul Maynard

    Transport for London meets regularly with local authorities to discuss Crossrail 2’s development, including working with local authorities to assess growth projects and associated infrastructure needs to ensure a robust business case is developed. Alongside this ongoing engagement, several formal consultations have already been held, and more will follow as the scheme develops.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which stations on the Govia Thameslink Railway Southern routes operate unstaffed some or all of the time; and if he will make a statement.

    Paul Maynard

    Within the GTR network, there are 156 stations on the Southern route. Of these:

    UNSTAFFED

    Aldrington, Amberley, Ashurst, Appledore, Belmont, Birkbeck, Bishopstone, Banstead,

    Box Hill & Westhumble, Collington, Cooksbridge, Cowden, Doleham, East Worthing, Edenbridge, Epsom Downs, Faygate, Fishbourne, Fishersgate, Glynde, Godstone, Hever, Holmwood, Leigh, Newhaven Harbour, Normans Bay, Nutbourne, Nutfield, Ockley, Ore, Penhurst, Pevensey Bay, Southease, Three Oaks, Warnham, Winchelsea.

    Total – 35 stations

    PARTLY STAFFED – STAFFED FOR SOME PART OF THE DAY

    Arundel, Balcombe, Berwick, Billingshurst, Bosham, Burgess Hill, Buxted, Chipstead, Christ’s Hospital, Cooden Beach, Crowborough, Dormans, Durrington-On-Sea, Earlswood,

    Edenbridge Town, Emsworth, Eridge, Ewell East, Ford, Goring-By-Sea, Ham Street, Hampden Park,

    Hassocks, Hurst Green, Ifield, Kingswood, Lingfield, Littlehaven, London Road, Moulescoomb,

    Newhaven Town, Pevensey & Westham, Plumpton, Preston Park, Pulborough, Purley Oaks, Rye, Salfords, Seaford, Southbourne, Southwick, Tadworth, Tattenham Corner, Uckfield, Upper Warlingham, Warblington, West Worthing, Whyteleafe, Whyteleafe South, Wivelsfield, Woldingham, Woodmansterne.

    Total – 53 stations

    FULLY STAFFED – STAFFED FROM THE FIRST TO LAST TRAIN

    Angmering, Ashstead, Balham, Barnham, Battersea Park, Bexhill, Bognor Regis, Brighton, Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches, Caterham, Cheam, Chichester, Coulsdon South, Coulsdon Town, Crawley, Dorking, East Croydon, East Dulwich, East Grinstead, Eastbourne, Epsom, Falmer, Gatwick Airport, Gipsy Hill, Hackbridge, Haywards Heath, Horley, Horsham, Hove, Kenley, Lancing, Leatherhead, Lewes, Littlehampton, Merstham, Mitcham Eastfields, Mitcham Junction, Norbury, North Dulwich, Oxted, Peckham Rye, Polegate, Portslade, Purley, Queens Road Peckham, Redhill, Reigate, Reedham, Riddlesdown, Sanderstead, Selhurst, Shoreham-By-Sea, South Bermondsey, South Croydon, Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Sutton, Thornton Heath, Three Bridges, Tulse Hill, Waddon, Wallington, Wandsworth Common, West Norwood, Worthing.

    Total – 68 Stations.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) staff of which grades and (b) desk teams were working on Russia in his Department in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) the latest date for which figures are available.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The FCO’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate has one team working directly on Russia, and a significant proportion of the work across the Directorate is also focused on Russia. In addition, many teams and staff at all grades across the wider FCO and its overseas network have responsibilities which relate directly or indirectly, to Russia.

    The breakdown of staff numbers for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate in 2013-15 (overseas and at home) is as follows:

    31 March 2013 – 116

    31 March 2014 – 106

    31 March 2015 – 119

    31 October 2015 – 114

    Figures prior to 2013 are not available broken down by by Department. In 2014, following the crisis in Ukraine, we reinforced the FCO’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate by increasing the number of senior staff and deputy directors, as well as expanding the Russia and Ukraine Teams. This included an SMS 2 Director, in addition to an SMS 1 Additional Director. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 the Director position was graded at SMS 1. Other Government Departments have also increased resources on Russia.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academies in each local authority area were in deficit in each year since 2009-10; and what the total deficit was in academies in each such area in each of those years.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department does not hold this information in the form requested. Academies are operated by the legal entity of academy trusts, many of which operate multiple academies across multiple local authorities. As such, it is not possible to give local authority figures.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will hold discussions with the UN on the alleged misappropriation of reconstruction building materials to Hamas in Gaza.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID has provided £0.7 million to the Materials Monitoring Unit (MMU) which monitors the import, storage, supply and use of construction materials into Gaza under the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) in order to help ensure that materials are used for civilian purposes. The MMU has identified certain cases of resale or misappropriation of materials and taken appropriate remedial action, keeping donors including the UK closely informed. We take seriously allegations of misappropriation of building materials and have regular and regular discussions with the UN to raise these concerns.

  • Baroness Valentine – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Valentine – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Valentine on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 December 2015 (HL Deb, col 1885) on aviation capacity, what additional work is now being undertaken on (1) air quality, (2) noise, (3) carbon emissions, (4) surface access to airports, (5) managing the wider impacts of airports on local communities, and (6) the funding and financing of new runways; and when this work will be complete.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We are testing the Airports Commission’s work on air quality further against the Government’s new air quality plan, as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee. This is additional work to test compliance, and build confidence that expansion can take place within legal limits. The further work on air quality is only one element of a wider package of further work.

    We are dealing with concerns about noise to get the best outcome for residents, and doing more work on carbon to address concerns on sustainability, particularly during construction. We want to make sure that communities get the best possible mitigation deal.

    In addition, we are doing due diligence on the plans for surface access to the airports by talking to both the promoters and the key delivery bodies.

    We are also carrying out extra assurance to assess the runways’ potential both locally and nationally so it can deliver more jobs, more growth and more apprenticeships.

    On funding and financing, the Airports Commission has provided an extensive examination of the costs, financing, and commercial viability of airport expansion. The Airports Commission and the scheme promoters have made it clear that new runway capacity will be privately delivered and financed.

    We anticipate that all this further work will conclude over the summer.