Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 June (HL518), how many unplanned closures of the East Coast Main Line there were in August.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail and the relevant train operators will continue to develop the detail and performance implications of the 2021 timetable in line with the industry’s normal timetable development process, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road.

    With regard to the operation of the Thameslink central core, this is a matter for Network Rail and the relevant train operators, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road. The industry is continuing to develop plans for integrating the 24 trains per hour proposed to run on the Thameslink route at peak times from December 2018 with other services on the East Coast Main Line, including the implications for punctuality and reliability.

    After consulting with Network Rail we have established that there were five ‘unplanned closures’, on various sections of the line, on five separate days in August, two of which were infrastructure related and three as a result of passenger action.

    Network Rail have defined days with ‘unplanned closures’ of the East Coast Main Line as days where there are more than five cancellation events. A cancellation event covers any service suffering one or more of the below events:

    • Full Cancellation
    • Part Cancellation
    • Diversion
    • Fail to stop
    • Change of Origin
  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the project management section of the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013 Expenditure Report, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016, what incentive payments were made to HS2 Ltd’s development partners and professional services contractors; to whom such payments were made; and what exceptional performance was relevant in each such case.

    Andrew Jones

    Incentive payments were based on accrued estimates of the contractually obliged sums payable to the company’s Development Partner CH2M Hill and its Professional Service Contractors. These contractors have provided critical support to HS2 Ltd in its undertaking of both its preparatory works and its ongoing hybrid Bill management. Assessment is undertaken by a multi-disciplinary panel from across HS2 Ltd to consider the case made by each contractor as to the additional value provided over and above the original contracted scope.

    The accrued estimates accounted for in support of HS2 Ltd’s preparatory works are £1.4m, split over the following suppliers: CH2M Hill, Arup, Atkins, Capita Symons / Ineco, ERM / Temple / Mott McDonald, Mott.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the future of the Police Community Support Officer role.

    Lord Bates

    Decisions as to how neighbourhood policing teams are resourced and deployed are operational matters for the relevant Chief Constable, in association with their Police and Crime Commissioner. We recognise the important role Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) play in keeping communities safe and have given PCSOs additional discretionary powers through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information she holds on the proportion of A Level students who have chosen to take an AS Level in 2015-16 under the reformed AS Level and A Level system.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested will not be held by the Department for Education until autumn 2016. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) will publish information on AS level exam entries and results in August 2016. The department will publish this information for the first time in the provisional “A level and other level 3 results” statistical first release in autumn 2016.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the number of mixed race stem cell donors; what discussions he has had with the Anthony Nolan Trust and others on diversifying stem cell registries; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department’s delivery partners, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and the Anthony Nolan Trust, ensure that all patients regardless of ethnicity can gain maximum benefit from the United Kingdom’s registry of volunteer bone marrow donors and from its inventory of altruistically-donated cord blood.

    In March 2015 the Department gave £3 million of funding to NHSBT and the Anthony Nolan Trust to continue their work saving and improving lives through stem cell and cord blood donation. Part of this funding will support the collection of an additional 3,000 Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) adult donors.

    The provision of cord blood stem cells remains an important part of the overall strategy and this year will see a continued expansion of the cord blood bank with a target that 40% samples are collected from the BAME community.

    The Department continues to support the work of the National BAME Transplant Alliance that helps to coordinate the work of BAME organisations working to promote all forms of donation including bone marrow stem cells.

    The Department is currently working with Anthony Nolan and NHSBT to consider possible future funding in the light of the spending review and set against other spending priorities.

  • 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 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s spending data for October 2014, for what reasons IPSOS Mori was engaged on the business case for Efficiency and Reform Group fraud, error and debt.

    Matthew Hancock

    Ipsos MORI were commissioned by the Grants Efficiency Programme to conduct research to help us to further understand the make-up of the complex grants landscape across 17 central government departments. The study consisted of 81 interviews, which investigated a range of randomly selected grants. Interviews were held with a cross-section of Grant Managers between 15th July and 12th September 2014.

    The qualitative and quantitative findings from this research were used to help develop a baseline for calculating the benefits of various proposed interventions aimed at improving the administration of government grants, which were included in The Grants Efficiency Programme’s outline business case. The business case received support from ministers across government and the Grants Efficiency Programme is working with departments to deliver better information and to increase capability, in relation to grants, by the Spring.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure private landlords do not exploit vulnerable tenants.

    Brandon Lewis

    We are determined to crack down on the small number of landlords that let unsafe and sub-standard accommodation. The Housing and Planning Bill will establish tough new measures, including a database of rogue landlords and property agents, banning orders for serious or repeat offenders, a stricter fit and proper person test, extending Rent Repayment Orders and introducing civil penalties of up to £30,000

    In addition, we have made nearly £12 million available to local authorities to help them tackle rogue landlords in their areas. Since 2011, nearly 40,000 inspections have taken place with over 3,000 landlords facing further enforcement action or prosecution through renting out unsafe, squalid and often illegal property.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on whether Passenger Service Performance by the TSGN has exceeded the Default Performance Level for any benchmark for any (a) three consecutive reporting periods, (b) four reporting periods within a period of 13 consecutive reporting periods or (c) any five reporting periods within a period of 26 consecutive reporting periods except in relation to any reporting periods falling within a no breach reporting period.

    Claire Perry

    The Department receives information on each franchised operators’ performance against respective benchmarks every four weeks. Delays and Peak Short formations have not exceeded the Default Performance level as defined in the Franchise Agreement. However, GTR exceeded the breach performance level for cancellations last year and the Secretary of State issued Govia Thameslink Railway with a Remedial Plan Notice requiring them to set out the measures they will take in order to improve performance. Subsequently, the Secretary of State has accepted the Remedial Plan that sets out the steps the operator is taking to improve their performance.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to update guidance for sex and relationships education so that it is inclusive of LGBT young people.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government believes that sex and relationship education (SRE) is essential for children’s development and preparation for responsible adult life. The Secretary of State’s guidance makes clear that all schools should ensure that young people, whatever their developing sexuality or identity, feel that SRE is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs. We have received requests about updating the guidance and have made a commitment to develop an action plan for improving PSHE and have agreed to consider updating the 2000 statutory SRE guidance. In her letter of 10 February 2016 to the Education Select Committee, the Secretary of State said that she would consider updating the SRE guidance.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to tackle the decline in the number of UK citizens moving to live overseas.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government has no legal basis to influence where UK citizens choose to live.