The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-11-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the budget was for staff answering calls to tax offices in each year since 2007-08.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs does not hold this information, owing to the fact that resource is now moved flexibly within the organisation to deliver customer service.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2015 to Question 18406, whether his Department assesses the cost of any training courses undertaken by (a) RAF, (b) navy and (c) army personnel at (i) Granton-on-Spey, (ii) Llanrwst, (iii) Crickhowell and (iv) Fairbourne; and if he will make a statement.
Mark Lancaster
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 7 December to Question 18571 where the operating costs for each centre from the past four financial years was provided. It is not possible to provide costs per training event as, due to the variation in course length, delivery is measured on the total number of training weeks delivered, which was also provided in that response.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the current funding levels of (1) the Environment Agency, (2) lead drainage authorities, and (3) district councils, on (a) small scale flood alleviation schemes, (b) preventive and regular maintenance of drainage systems, and (c) the ability of these bodies to respond to emergencies.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government confirmed in the Spending Review that the Environment Agency’s maintenance budget would be protected, in real terms, over the life of this Parliament.
Under the Land Drainage Act, internal drainage boards assess how much funding they need in order to carry out works and then charge this to rate and levy payers accordingly. Internal drainage boards receive funding from agricultural rate payers in their drainage district and from district and unitary authorities via a special levy which they place on those bodies.
The Government provides funding to lead local flood authorities to carry out their duties under the Flood and Water Management Act but local authorities decide what to spend on drainage and flood prevention according to local priorities. As part of a consultation on the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2016-17, the Government has proposed protecting this funding in real terms over the life of this Parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Brady on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect of bus franchising on the vehicle manufacturing sector.
Andrew Jones
My Department has not yet entered into discussions with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect of bus franchising on the vehicle manufacturing sector. My officials have, however, discussed proposals with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has allocated to improve pavements and crossings for pedestrians in London in the last two years.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Transport for London is responsible for pavements and pedestrian crossings on those major roads in London (or “red routes”) which form part of the Transport for London Road Network. The Department for Transport provides both a general (resource) and an investment (capital) grant to the Greater London Authority (GLA) for Transport for London (TfL) each year. This money is not ring-fenced and it is a matter for the Mayor to determine how it is spent. The great majority of pavements and crossings in London are the responsibility of individual London boroughs, which are funded primarily by the Department for Communities and Local Government, although TfL also provide some funding to boroughs for local road improvements. The Department for Transport has not provided any additional funding to individual boroughs for this purpose in the last two years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.291 of Budget 2016, when his Department plans to begin the consultation process on proposals to increase transparency in the land market.
Brandon Lewis
Government will be consulting on improving the visibility of information relating to options to purchase or lease land during the summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answers of 16 February 2016 to Question 26010 and 11 April 2016 to Question 32109, when he plans to establish a reading room for hon. Members to access Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership documents.
Anna Soubry
The next round of negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will take place in July. The UK reading room will be open in time to access documents related to this round.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to establish a non-departmental public body as part of the process of placing the National Citizen Service on a permanent statutory footing.
Mr Rob Wilson
The National Citizen Service (NCS) Bill will place NCS on a statutory footing and describe its means of delivery. Classification is a subject for the Office for National Statistics in the first stage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that people who lose their driving licence on the grounds of poor vision and subsequently receive a letter from their optometrist confirming that their vision meets the required standards can have their driving licence reinstated quickly.
Andrew Jones
Drivers in Great Britain whose licence has been revoked for failure to meet the required eyesight standards may submit further evidence to support their case. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will consider that evidence within three working days. Further medical enquiries may be required.
Driver licensing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and is a matter for the Department for Infrastructure in the Northern Ireland Executive.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) complaints and (b) investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in his Department (i) have been made in each of the last five years and (ii) are currently ongoing.
Harriett Baldwin
There have been no a) complaints and b) investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in HM Treasury either in the last five years nor are there any currently ongoing.