Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what cultural events and organisations are directly funded by his Department, outside of funding for the Arts Councils; and where those events and organisations are located.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) funds a number of cultural events and organisations outside of funding for Arts Council England. Events include Hull City of Culture 2017 and the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018 which will celebrate and showcase the best of art, culture and design in those regions. Alongside support for the First World War Centenary commemoration events and numerous cultural capital projects, DCMS directly funds our national museums and galleries such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate, the Science Museum Group and National Museums Liverpool. Further information on the Government’s funding commitments for culture can be found in the recently published Culture White Paper, a copy of which is available from the House Library.

  • Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects work to commence on providing disabled access to all platforms at Lichfield Trent Valley railway station in response to his Department’s review of the Access for all programme; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    We are working with Network Rail to identify how Access for All projects will be delivered and we will be responding to the Hendy Report later this year. The majority of projects should still be delivered by 2019 or have a design completed so that they can start work on site as soon as available funding allows. Option selection and design work for the project at Lichfield Trent Valley is ongoing.

  • 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 (HL516), what assessment they have made of the levels of punctuality and reliability of trains on the East Coast Main Line required to facilitate a proposal to integrate 24 trains per hour through the central core of Thameslink via Blackfriars.

    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, how many of the recommendations made by the HS2 Ltd Residents’ Commissioner in her published reports have been adopted in full by HS2 Ltd.

    Andrew Jones

    HS2 Ltd continues to use all feedback and recommendations made by the Residents’ Commissioner, including those made in published reports, to help improve the quality of its communication and engagement with communities affected by HS2 proposals.

    In response to recommendations made by the Residents’ Commissioner HS2 Ltd has, for example, expanded its community engagement teams to provide more localised support and information to affected communities, introduced a mobile unit which will have a wider reach where residents not able to attend HS2 Ltd-run events, and raised awareness of the package of HS2 property compensation and discretionary assistance schemes which are available.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of UK GDP is spent on science and research in the UK, and how that figure compares with other countries in the EU.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The UK invested 1.7% of GDP in research and development in 2013, compared to an EU28 average of 1.9%.

    The UK has a world-class science and research base and achieves a high rate of return for its investment. With 0.9% of global population, 4.1% of researchers and 3.2% of R&D expenditure, the UK accounts for 6.4% of articles, 11.6% of citations, and 15.9% of the most highly cited articles. We are the most productive science base in the G7, and rank first amongst comparable major research nations for Field Weighted Citations Impact.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on child protection of the recommendations of HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ thematic report on Behaviour management and restraint of children in custody, published in November 2015.

    Andrew Selous

    Restraint is only be used as a last resort, when young people are putting their own safety and the safety of others at risk.

    The recent report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons welcomed our new arrangements, which are designed to limit the use of physical restraint on young people in custody as far as possible.

    The report does raise some concerns over how the new system is operating and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to help people with cancer who are also suffering from depression.

    Jane Ellison

    The independent Cancer Taskforce published its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes, in July 2015, with the mental health issues often experienced by those with cancer highlighted. A cross-system cancer transformation board, chaired by the National Health Service National Cancer Director, Cally Palmer, is being established to oversee the implementation of the taskforce recommendations.

    As part of our approach to support people living with and beyond cancer, we announced in September that, by 2020, the 280,000 people diagnosed with cancer every year will benefit from a tailored recovery package. These recovery packages, developed in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, will be individually designed to help each person live well beyond cancer, including elements such as physical activity programmes, psychological support and practical advice about returning to work.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23778, on civil servants: pensions, and with reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Stockton North of 7 January 2016, for what reason a deduction was made from the refund on the Principal Civil Service Pension of the constituent referred to in that letter.

    Matthew Hancock

    Like other occupational pension schemes, the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) is required by law to provide a widow’s pension, in respect of service from 6 April 1978, whenever a member dies and leaves an eligible widow – irrespective of when that marriage took place. To cover the risk of the scheme having to pay a widow’s pension in respect of a marriage that took place after a member leaves service, a non-refundable insurance-type premium is deducted from the refund of members of the classic section of the PCSPS who remain single throughout service. This premium is a type of group insurance against the specific risk of a member dying and leaving an eligible widow/widower.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the extension to the Right to Buy scheme for housing association tenants on the supply of housing in the UK.

    Brandon Lewis

    Under the terms of the voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation and the housing association sector, housing associations will deliver an additional home through new supply nationally for every home sold under the voluntary right to buy. This will provide a significant increase to the overall supply of new housing.

    This agreement is a further step towards meeting our ambition to build a million more new homes.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners at each establishment have risk indicators which have been identified after completion of a cell sharing risk assessment.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.