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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans for there to be a period between the Local Sustainable Transport Fund ending in March 2016 and the commencement of the new Access Fund.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    On 15 February 2016, we announced that there will be a transition year between the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and the Access fund. The Sustainable Travel Transition Year will take place in 2016/17, with the Access fund being formally launched later in 2016 for delivery in 2017/18.

    This transition year will enable the Department time to publish the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS); to work with the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) to understand the future approach for the Local Growth Fund; and to identify the highest value for money approach to supporting investment in sustainable travel.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making with the governments of the United States, Russia, and others, to stabilise Syria and to make significant progress on peace negotiations.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK has been undertaking stabilisation activities in Syria for a number of years, through projects totalling over £100 million funded under the Conflict Pool and thereafter the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. But as the Government made clear at the London Conference on Syria in February, the post conflict stabilisation and reconstruction needs in Syria following a political settlement which ends the civil war will require a significant international response.

    We are currently working with our international partners to ensure a coordinated post-conflict planning effort which is able to respond to the timeline that will – we hope – emerge from successful UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva, which are due to resume on 14 March. However, as agreed at the London Conference, it will rightly be for the UN to coordinate this work, with the support of Member States including the UK.

    The UK is supporting peace negotiations through our leading role in the International Syria Support Group, as well as our support to the Syrian High Negotiations Committee. UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura intends to resume peace negotiations in Geneva from 14 March. We hope that this effort delivers rapid progress towards political transition as envisaged by the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.

  • Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many training providers were investigated for fraud or misappropriation of Skills Funding Agency funding during (1) 2011–12, (2) 2012–13, and (3) 2013–14; in how many cases there was a case to answer; and in those cases where findings of fraud or misappropriation were confirmed, which training providers were concerned.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Investigations will result either in no funding issues being identified or the identification of funds for recovery. Funds identified for recovery may have been mis-claimed in error or may be the result of potential fraudulent actions. The Skills Funding Agency is not a prosecuting authority so where an investigation indicates potential fraud the case is referred to the police. Fraud is not confirmed unless there is a successful criminal prosecution.

    The table below shows the number of cases investigated, the number of cases where funds were identified for recovery (whether as a result of error or potential fraud), the number of cases referred to the police, the number of cases resulting in charges being brought and the outcome of prosecutions in each of the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. Note that where a case is referred to the police it may take a significant period (up to several years) for charges to be brought.

    Financial Year

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    No. of live investigations during the year

    43

    34

    37

    No. of cases where funds were identified for recovery

    20

    6

    9

    No. of cases referred to the police

    6

    0

    1

    No. of cases where charges brought

    4

    –

    0

    Outcome of prosecutions

    1 successful 2 unsuccessful 1 ongoing

    –

    –

    The successful prosecution as a result of an investigation in 2011-12 was of David Peters who worked as an assessor for Safetycor Ltd, a subcontractor to Exeter College and Wolverhampton College.

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department ensures that the delivery of drug and alcohol treatment by local authorities conforms to the NHS constitution.

    Jane Ellison

    Section 2 of the Health Act 2009 as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires local authorities to have regard to the National Health Service constitution in performing their health service functions which include the commissioning of services to treat dependence on drugs and alcohol.

    Public Health England supports local authorities in their public health functions by providing a range of supportive guidance and materials, as well as bespoke data, value for money tools, topical briefings, and advice on good practice.

    The Department distributes funding to local authorities through the Public Health Grant to carry out their public health functions. The grant conditions include a requirement for each local authority to have regard to the need to improve the take up of, and outcomes from, its drug and alcohol misuse treatment services. Local authorities are also required to report annual expenditure on drug and alcohol services.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance the Government has issued to local police forces in response to the recent increase in reported racist incidents.

    Karen Bradley

    We have been working with the police at national level to monitor the increase in reported hate crime over the past few weeks and to ensure that local forces have the necessary guidance and assistance to respond. Operational guidance on hate crime was issued by the College of Policing to all forces in 2014.

    Police forces are responding robustly to recent incidents, and victims can be reassured that their concerns about hate crime will be taken seriously by the police and courts. Any decisions regarding resourcing of front-line policing are a matter for chief constables in conjunction with their police and crime commissioner.

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from the Scottish Government since July concerning the new pilot study on post-study work visas.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We have been in contact with the Scottish Government concerning the Tier 4 visa pilot. There is no pilot study currently being conducted into post-study work visas.

    The Tier 4 visa pilot is part of the Home Office’s continued efforts to ensure that the UK maintains an excellent offer to attract the brightest and best to study at our world-leading institutions. The pilot is deliberately narrow in scope, with the institutions selected on the basis of their consistently low level of visa refusals. Its main aim is to test the benefits of a differentiated approach within Tier 4, whilst ensuring any changes do not undermine the robust application of immigration requirements.

    The pilot helps simplify the visa application process for international students looking to study on a Masters’ course, in the UK, of 13 months or less. Whilst it will also help to support students who wish to switch into a work route by extending the leave period following the end of their study to up to six months, it does not make any changes to the Tier 2 visa route and is not a return to the post-study work visa route.

    The four selected institutions were consulted regarding its implementation. Should the pilot be successful, the Home Office will consult key stakeholders about its possible expansion.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of the funding of £500 million for shared schooling in Northern Ireland is expected to come from her Department’s budget.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    In the ‘Stormont House Agreement’ signed on 23 December 2014, the UK Government agreed a contribution of up to £500m over 10 years of new capital funding to support shared and integrated education, subject to individual projects being agreed between the Executive and the UK Government.

    In the recent ‘A Fresh Start: the Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’ the UK Government agreed a number of further flexibilities to the funding commitments contained in the ‘Stormont House Agreement’ including that capital funding for shared and integrated education can be used to support shared housing projects, with individual projects to be agreed by the UK Government.

    This funding to the Northern Ireland Executive will come from Her Majesty’s Treasury through the Northern Ireland Office.

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory reporting of major vehicle malfunction incidents by the emergency services to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is not aware of any requirement for mandatory reporting of major vehicle malfunction incidents by the emergency services. There is a voluntary method by which emergency services can report to DVSA concerns of design or construction defects in automotive products. This has been in place for many years and is an efficient and effective method used by the emergency services.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that all residual legacy benefit caseloads will move onto universal credit by 2021 as forecast in the policy costings of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Priti Patel

    Testing of the migration of legacy claimants onto Universal Credit will take place during 2017. Following this national migration will commence in 2018 and by 2020/21 the move to Universal Credit will be complete.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to investigate and address the role of the Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in London in evading UN Security Council sanctions in respect of their submission of vessel registration changes to the International Maritime Organisation in 2014; and what assessment they have made of the involvement of embassies of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea worldwide in sanctions evasion.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Vessel registration is a matter for Flag state action. The UK is not a Flag state for any Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) vessels, so has not been involved in investigating this issue. We have processes in place to verify the provenance of any vessel registered under the British flag.

    There are documented links between the DPRK’s diplomatic missions and its proliferation activity which are in breach of sanctions. For example, the UN DPRK Panel of Experts reported that DPRK Embassy officials in Cuba were engaged in making arrangements for the 2013 Chong Chon Gang shipment of conventional arms and related materials in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. We have since worked with partners to encourage the need for vigilance over possible illicit activity taking place by DPRK diplomatic missions.