Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23481, of the 57 breaches in handling secure materials there identified, how many breaches concerned documents within each of the following categories applicable prior to April 2014, namely (a) top secret, (b) secret, (c) confidential, (d) restricted, (e) protected and (f) unclassified; and how many breaches concerned documents within each of the following categories applicable from April 2014, namely (i) top secret, (ii) secret and (iii) official-sensitive or official.

    Mr David Lidington

    The figures quoted in my answer of 28 January to written question 23481 referred only to the period since April 2014. The information on breaches prior to April 2014 are not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost. The number of breaches from April 2014 onwards are as follows:

    Classification:
    Top Secret

    Number:
    1

    Comment:
    There was no loss of data related to this breach.

    Classification:
    Secret

    Number:
    0

    Classification:
    Confidential

    Number:
    12

    Comment:
    The Confidential classification pre-dates the introduction of the Government Security Classifications (GSCs).

    Classification:
    Official-Sensitive

    Number:
    43

    Comment:
    Official – Sensitive is not a classification under GSC and is a caveat. Materials designated Official or Official-Sensitive does have a level of protection; however loss of its control does not warrant a breach as per existing Cabinet Office guidelines.

    Classification:
    Official

    Number:
    1

  • Iain Wright – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Wright – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the apprenticeship levy on the training requirements of small and medium-sized firms unable to access the levy.

    Nick Boles

    When the apprenticeships levy is introduced in April 2017, small and medium sized employers will continue to have access to government funding to support apprenticeships. We will provide further details on the support available later this year.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the alternative Colne Valley tunnelling scheme for High Speed 2 as proposed by Hillingdon Council; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Richmond Park, the Leader of Hillingdon Council and the hon. Member for Uxbridge and Ruislip Northwood and Pinner to discuss that alternative.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The alternative Colne Valley tunnelling scheme, as proposed by the London Borough of Hillingdon (LBH), has been assessed and evidence was presented to the House of Commons HS2 Phase One Bill Select Committee. The Select Committee highlighted a number of concerns with the tunnel scheme in their statement on the 15th July 2015 which concluded that ‘our overall view is that a convincing case for a tunnel instead of the viaduct has not been made.’ Importantly, the Select Committee noted that the evidence was that a tunnel would not eliminate the impact of construction works in Hillingdon and surrounding areas.

    However, HS2 Ltd is currently undertaking a study with LBH to identify how the HS2 construction impacts in Hillingdon can be further reduced. The results from this study are due to be reported in May 2016.

    In the meantime, the Secretary of State is happy to meet the hon. Member for Richmond Park, the hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, and the Leader of Hillingdon Council.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many infraction proceedings the EU has initiated against his Department in each of the last 10 years; what the reasons were for each such proceeding being undertaken; and what the outcome was of each such proceeding.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The information requested is publicly available on the website of the European Commission where the infringement cases for each member state can be found. This includes the infringement and the decision. These records go back to 2002 and can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=en

    “

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the financial regulators have completed their review of the risk algorithms to be used to permit cross-margining by central counterparties to facilitate the takeover of the London Stock Exchange by Deutsche Borse; whether the results of this review will be published, and whether any further steps will be taken to strengthen confidence in central clearing houses.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The timings of regulatory reviews of any proposal by a CCP to make significant changes to its margining arrangements would be a matter for the company and regulators acting in accordance with the relevant legislation. The Bank of England’s 2016 Annual Report on the supervision of financial market infrastructures, laid before Parliament on 4 March 2016, provides further information about ongoing regulatory initiatives in relation to CCPs.

  • Baroness Jolly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Baroness Jolly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jolly on 2016-07-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current anticipated outturn costs and in-service dates for (1) Project Mensa, and (2) Project Pegasus, at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

    Earl Howe

    The anticipated outturn costs cannot be provided. The current approved costs and in-service dates for Project Mensa and Project Pegasus are shown below.

    In-service dates are shown in bandings to avoid prejudice to national security and defence.

    The Main Gate business cases for Projects Mensa and Pegasus include estimates for risk and uncertainty, which are contained within the approved costs.

    Project

    In-service period

    Approved cost (£million)

    Project Mensa (warhead assembly/disassembly)

    2016-20

    734

    Project Pegasus (uranium components)

    2016-20

    634

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people using mobile phones while driving; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The government’s recent consultation on bringing in tougher sanctions received near unanimous support for tougher penalties. The Secretary of State for Transport has pledged to bring tougher sanctions in as soon as possible, we expect them to take effect in the first half of 2017.

    Anyone using a hand-held device while driving will face higher on the spot fines and more points on their driving licence than they do today.

    The government is also developing a hard-hitting THINK! campaign to tackle this issue, to make it socially unacceptable like drink driving or not wearing a seatbelt.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the respective roles of (a) Highways England and (b) its proposed programme management partner in the delivery of the Road Investment Strategy Programme.

    Andrew Jones

    The government is tripling the capital investment in the Strategic Road Network. Highways England have been given responsibility for delivery of the Road Investment Strategy and operation of the network.

    A four year term contract was tendered competitively by Highways England to a consortium consisting of CH2M Hill, Mace and PwC (CMP) in early July 2015 to help provide additional support to improve their capability and available resources to deliver an increasingly demanding and complex programme.

    This has no impact on the role, responsibilities and requirements of Highways England.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full time equivalent staff were employed at the tax credit office in Preston in each year from 2010 to 2015; and what estimate he has made of the size of the workforce at that office in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

    Mr David Gauke

    The following table outlines the number of full time equivalent staff employed at the tax credit office in Preston at the start of each financial year.

    Financial year

    Number of full time equivalent staff

    April 2010

    2010

    April 2011

    1957

    April 2012

    1998

    April 2013

    2033

    April 2014

    1870

    April 2015

    1787

    The projected full time equivalent staffing levels in 2016, 2017 and 2018 are 2,050, 1,941 and 1,834 respectively.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many IT contractors engaged by HM Revenue and Customs work through a personal service company.

    Mr David Gauke

    All IT contractors have been engaged by HMRC through centralised Government contracts and Frameworks that comply fully with Cabinet Office procurement guidelines.