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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2015-12-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 19 November (HL3563), what provision was made in the 2015 Spending Review in the Department for Communities and Local Government allocation for local authorities in 2016–17, and in each subsequent year, for the introduction of the National Living Wage.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Spending Review decisions took the National Living Wage into account along with a range of other financial and economic factors. I refer the noble Lord to the provisional local government finance settlement, published on 17 December, which builds on the Spending Review outcome and also took account of pressures on adult social care. Policies to provide funding for social care include:

    • The social care precept in council tax, which puts money raising powers into the hands of local areas who understand the need in their area and who are best placed to respond. This could raise up to £2 billion a year for social care by 2019/20;

    • Making an extra £1.5 billion available for social care by 2019-20 in an improved Better Care Fund – with funding going direct to councils to ensure health and social care services work together to support older and vulnerable people;

    • More than doubling the Disabled Facilities Grant to over £500 million a year by 2019/20.
  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s aid policy of the research on global income distribution published by Oxfam on 19 January 2016.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Eradicating extreme poverty is central to DFID’s mission and the Sustainable Development Goals. Oxfam say inequality affects the politics around growth. Our economic development strategy takes account of this by supporting inclusive growth and tackling inequality by creating opportunities, widening access to them (including through education and health), economically empowering women and leaving no-one behind.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned availability of toilet facilities is (a) on Crossrail trains and (b) at Crossrail train stations.

    Claire Perry

    The Elizabeth line, being constructed by Crossrail, will be a high-frequency metro-style train service, and will carry an estimated 200 million passengers a year.

    The vast majority of journeys will be of a short duration and on board toilets would take up a significant amount of space.

    It is therefore not intended that toilets will be provided on the new trains as these would displace approximately 600 passengers per hour. 80 per cent of stations on the Elizabeth line will have toilet facilities.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what safeguards are in place to ensure that private hire vehicle operators remain responsible for journeys sub-contracted to other licensed operators across licensing authority boundaries.

    Andrew Jones

    Whilst private hire vehicle operators have the freedom to subcontract bookings, the operator that originally accepted a sub-contracted booking remains ultimately responsible for that booking.

    Both the initial operator who accepts the booking and the operator who fulfils the booking by providing a driver and vehicle are under a duty to keep records of the booking. The relevant enforcement authorities are able to check those records.

    All bookings, including those subcontracted, have to be fulfilled by operators, drivers and vehicles all of whom have been licensed by their local authority.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between junctions 12 and 14.

    Andrew Jones

    No work has been done to estimate the costs of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between Junctions 12 and 14 as this scheme is not within the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS). Highways England is working hard to deliver the schemes set out in the RIS in the first Road Period 2015-20.

    Future investment in the strategic road network is currently being developed through Highways England’s Route Strategies process, which will be used to plan new investments in the second Road Period 2020-25.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will update guidance on the use of personal electronic communications to conduct official Government business to include the use of WhatsApp and other instant messaging services.

    Matthew Hancock

    All Government business must be conducted in line with the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code, Special Adviser Code and HMG Security Policy Framework. Local records management and information security policies are in place across Departments.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether train operators are required in selecting new rolling stock to make an assessment of the effect of such selection on UK industry and the wider UK economy.

    Claire Perry

    Procurement and evaluation of rolling stock is a matter for the private operators, as it has been since privatisation. However, I note that there are now two rolling stock assembly plants in the UK, operated by Bombardier and Hitachi, and the Government welcomes the jobs and economic benefits that these plants bring.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent research her Department has undertaken on the link between neonicotinoids and bee populations.

    George Eustice

    Defra has supported a range of research relevant to improving understanding of the effects of neonicotinoids and other pesticides on bees. Recent work includes the studies: quantifying the exposure of bumblebees to neonicotinoids and mixtures of pesticides (commenced 2013); interpreting pesticide residues in honeybees (published 2015); using radio-frequency identification devices to assess effects of pesticides on foraging bees (commenced 2013); and protection goals for bee colonies (commenced 2015).

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the implications for competition of the vertical integration of pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers; and if he will make a statement.

    Margot James

    I have had no discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the implications for competition of the vertical integration of pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to work with businesses to improve the health of the workforce.

    Jane Ellison

    The Workplace Wellbeing Charter, published by Public Health England (PHE) provides a national standard for employers of all sizes and sectors with a systematic, evidence-based approach to workplace health improvement. The Charter is commissioned and coordinated by local authorities to support coherent action by businesses to improve the health of the local population.

    The Workplace Wellbeing Charter consolidates the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance relating to employer action. Organisations are accredited across critical areas such as leadership, specific health issues, systems for absence management and health and safety at three levels; commitment, achievement and excellence.

    PHE has worked with the Work@Health Centre, Alzheimer’s Society and British Heart Foundation and other partners to develop a series of topic based guides for businesses to support action on specific areas such as the food environment in workplaces and promoting physical activity and supporting carers.

    PHE is currently working with Business in the Community on a new resource for businesses focused specifically on addressing mental health issues building on the existing best practice and considering the transferable learning between business sectors and businesses of different sizes.