Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the effect on electoral registration rates of introduction of a requirement to pass on electoral roll data to credit reference firms.

    John Penrose

    Copies of the electoral register have been made available for sale in one form or another since at least 1832. Credit reference agencies purchase the electoral register because it provides proof to lenders that applicants for credit do in fact live at the address given and that they are not attempting to obtain credit fraudulently using a false name and address. Given the importance of credit in a modern economy, the then Government concluded in 2002 that this was in the public interest. The credit reference agencies are precluded by law from doing anything else with the electoral data, unless the data is also included in the edited register, from which individuals can opt out.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department’s non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies (i) have been abolished in or relocated from East Cheshire Local Authority since 2010 and (ii) will be abolished in or relocated from East Cheshire Local Authority by 2020.

    Jane Ellison

    No jobs with the core Department have been abolished or relocated from East Cheshire and none will be abolished in or relocated from East Cheshire by 2020.

    The information about non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, and other accountable statutory bodies is not held centrally by the Department and the information for all those organisations has been provided by those bodies. This has resulted in a ‘nil return’, on both aspects of the question, from each of his Department’s non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies operating within East Cheshire.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to make public decisions on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis taken at the meeting to consider the commissioning specialised services on 31 May 2016.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England’s Specialised Services Commissioning Committee have considered and accepted NHS England’s external legal advice that it does not have the legal power to commission pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, work on PrEP is on-going and up to £2 million will be invested in a pilot programme to target those at highest risk over the course of two years.

    Public Health England is working to identify the most effective locations for the introduction of this pilot. The Department will be discussing future commissioning with stakeholders.

    Our £2.4 million national HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion Programme also gives those at highest risk the best advice to make safer choices about sex.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the planning inspector of the public inquiry into the Leeds New Generation Transport schemes visited any European city operating trolley bus systems to ascertain whether its system could be emulated in Leeds, and if not, why not.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    I can confirm that as part of the public inquiry into the Leeds New Generation Transport Scheme the Inspector did not visit any European city operating trolley bus systems to see if its system could be emulated in Leeds. The Inspector had regard to all the evidence put to the inquiry, this may have included information about other trolley bus schemes in the world, however the Inspector’s remit was to look at the scheme for Leeds specifically put forward by the Applicant, having regard to the evidence submitted by all parties to the case.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have applied for spouse visas to marry a UK citizen from (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Bangladesh, (d) Nigeria, (e) Australia, (f) New Zealand and (g) Jamaica in the last year for which figures are available.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are available from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many remote sites (a) are operational to enable witnesses to give evidence away from court, (b) were available for use by children under the age of 18 in 2014-15 and (c) were used by children under the age of 18 in that year.

    Mike Penning

    The Ministry is committed to supporting all victims and witnesses, including children, when giving evidence in criminal trials. All victims and witnesses are eligible for special measures to relieve stress when giving evidence, including giving evidence by video remotely.

    We have secured over £700m of funding to invest in our courts and tribunals. We have worked closely with the senior judiciary to develop a plan for investing this in reforming the courts and tribunals so they can deliver swifter, fairer justice at a lower cost. This will include digitisation and modernisation of our IT infrastructure. This will mean court users can attend hearings remotely, and not be inconvenienced by having to take a day off work to come to court. It will also mean victims of crime can give evidence from somewhere they feel safe.

    Since March 2015 vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including child abuse victims, can give evidence from a remote site which is away from the court environment. There is at least one remote site in each of the seven Regions in England and Wales, and twelve sites in total.

    In addition, the court estate is video-enabled so that any victim or witness can give evidence from a court building other than the trial site to ensure they do not come into contact with the defendant, or their family and supporters.

    Whilst HMCTS collates data on the number of witnesses giving evidence by video, the ages of the victims and witnesses are not recorded.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice his Department gives to local authorities, housing associations and other housing providers on permitting or restricting (a) senior citizens and (b) others from keeping animals in rented accommodation.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not issue any guidance on keeping animals in rented accommodation.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been affected by the under-occupancy penalty in Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in each of the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information concerning how many people have been affected by the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy in Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in each of the last 12 months is published and can be found at the link below:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

    “

  • 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 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many assessments for disabled students’ allowance (DSA) were carried out by an independent needs assessor in each year since 2009-10; what the average such award was in each of those years; and who was contracted to carry out each of those assessments in each of those years.

    Joseph Johnson

    Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) are available to help pay the extra essential costs they may have whilst studying on an HE course as a direct result of their disability. The Government recently announced reforms to DSAs to ensure that the limited public funding available for DSAs is targeted in the best way and to achieve value for money, whilst ensuring those disabled students most in need continue to get the help they require. The changes also aim to ensure that Higher Education providers all properly adhere to their Equalities Act 2010 duties, for the benefit of all disabled students.

    All disabled higher education students who are eligible for DSAs are referred to an independent assessment centre so as to identify the type and level of support they require.

    Information in Table 1 sets out the number of study needs assessments carried out by independent assessment centres in England and Wales for English domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate higher education students applying for Student Finance England administered DSAs. Information for numbers of assessments carried out by each assessment centre is not held centrally. Information is not available at individual assessor level. Information for the period prior to 1 April 2011 is not held centrally.

    Table 2 sets out the average award of DSAs in each financial year. A list of currently accredited assessment centres is below.

    Government does not contract with assessment centres. Assessment centres who wish to work in this area are accredited through the DSA Quality Assurance Group, a not-for-profit membership organisation.

    Table 1 –

    Timeframe

    Number of assessments

    1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014

    34,355

    1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013

    32,410

    1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012

    35,073

    Source: DSA Quality Assurance Group management information. Information for the period 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2015 will be available in April 2016.

    Table 2 –

    Average DSA payments to full-time English domiciled students

    Academic years 2009/10 to 2013/14

    Academic year

    Average payment (£)

    2009/10

    2,110

    2010/11

    2,300

    2011/12

    2,350

    2012/13

    2,250

    2013/14

    2,230

    Source: SLC, Student Support for Higher Education in England

    Note: 2013/14 final figures are the latest available

    List of assessment centres in England and Wales

    AbilityNet DSA Assessment Centre

    Access 1st Assessment Centre

    Access Birmingham Assessment Centre

    Access Bristol Assessment Centre

    Access Central Ltd

    Access Centre Coventry

    Access Centre Ealing

    Access Centre Hereford

    Access Independence Ltd

    Access South West

    Access SUMMIT

    Access West of England

    Access@SW15

    Action for Blind People Pan Disability Assessment Centre

    Aim Assessments

    Anglia Access Centre

    Assessment Centre Cardiff

    Assessment Centre Cardiff Metropolitan University

    Assessment Centre on Teesside

    ATOP Chester

    Bangor Access Centre

    Bradford Assessment Centre

    Bridgend Assessment Centre

    Broadbent & Co

    Cambridge Access Centre

    Carmarthenshire Access Centre

    Central London Assessment Services

    Cheltenham Assessment Centre

    Durham University Assessment Centre

    Exeter Access Centre

    Glyndwr University Assessment Centre

    Hertfordshire Access Centre

    Higher York Access Centre

    Hull Assessment Centre

    IONA – Kent and SE Assessment Centre

    Kent Assessors

    Kingston Assessment Services

    Lancaster University Assessment Centre

    Leeds Assessment Centre

    Leeds Metropolitan Disability Assessment Centre

    Leicester Assessment Centre

    Lincoln Assessment Centre

    Lincoln University Assessment Centre

    Loughborough Regional Assessment Centre

    Maritime Assessment Centre

    Midlands Assessment Centre

    Needs Assessment Centre

    Newport Assessment Centre

    North East Regional Assessment Centre

    North London Regional Assessment Centre

    Nottingham Trent University Access Centre

    Nottingham University Access Centre

    Open University Access Centre

    Oxford Access Centre

    Oxford University Assessment Centre

    Pennine Lancashire Access Centre

    Plymouth Assessment Centre

    Portsmouth Assessment Centre

    Reading Assessment Centre

    Regional Access Centre East London

    Sheffield Regional Assessment Centre

    South London Access Centre

    Southampton Assessment and Study Services

    Staffordshire Regional Access Centre

    Surrey Assessment Centre

    Sussex Regional Access Centre

    Swansea Assessment and Training Centre

    Taunton Assessment Centre

    Technical Assessment and Support Centre

    University Centre for Assessments Newcastle

    University of Derby Assessment Centre

    Wessex Needs Assessment Centre

    West London Assessment Centre

    Wolverhampton Assessment Centre

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff are seconded to his Department by (a) KPMG, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) Deloitte and (d) Ernst & Young.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Treasury have the following secondments in as at 29th February 2016:-

    Deloitte Touche

    1

    Ernst and Young

    1

    KPMG

    1

    PriceWaterhouseCoopers

    1