Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been paid in fines by Network Rail to Govia Thamelink Railway to compensate for poor performance in each of the last three years.

    Claire Perry

    Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR’s) provision of services for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise only began on 14 September 2014, with Southern services included from 26 July 2015.

    Network Rail’s performance is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), who have agreed a £4.1m package of improvements to be delivered by Network Rail on the Southern part of GTR franchise area in order to address performance issues.

    There is a compensation and incentive regime element within the Track Access Agreement between Network Rail and each operator, and this is overseen by the ORR.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants are currently claiming expenses under the Public Duty Cost Allowance after leaving office.

    Ben Gummer

    The Public Duties Cost Allowance is to assist former Prime Ministers with the costs of continuing to fulfil duties associated with their previous position in public life. A copy of the policy and guidance on the allowance is in the Library of the House. The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life. The allowance is not paid to support private or parliamentary duties. Civil servants are not entitled to claim this allowance.

    Current recipients of the allowance are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. Previous recipients have included Lady Thatcher; the current recipients who are former Prime Ministers are Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. I also refer the Hon. Member to my answers to him of 9 September 2016 to (UIN 44045, 44048, 44049, 44053, 44054, 44055, 44056).

    The Public Duties Cost Allowance rate is currently set at a limit of £115,000 per annum. When originally introduced, the Government stated that it would be the equivalent in amount to the Parliamentary Office Costs Allowance. I would note that that allowance is now known as the Parliamentary Staffing Allowance, determined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and that is currently set at the rate of £148,500 per annum.”

  • Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Parminter on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what figure should be included for carbon dioxide emissions from wood, per unit of fuel, in the background data for fuel consumption used for the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990–2014, given that there is no figure for wood included in the table on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Emissions of carbon dioxide from using biomass, including wood, in the energy sector are not reported within the national totals in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory because they are offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed by fast-growing bio-energy sources. The carbon stock they represent is reported in the land use change and forestry sector, in line with international guidelines set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many actions have been taken by the police and trading standards regarding breaches of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in relation to ticket resale websites.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Such information on breaches of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in relation to ticket re-sale websites is not currently held by or routinely made available to the Government.

    The Independent Review of Secondary Ticketing required by the Consumer Rights Act will consider evidence and report by 26 May 2016.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Question 19452, if he will publish the business model referred to in that Answer; and which departments or bodies funded Just Solutions.

    Andrew Selous

    We have no plans to publish the business model for Just Solutions International (JSi). As I told the House on 14 December, services under JSi were to be provided on a cost recovery basis.

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost to higher education budgets in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales of the replacement of maintenance grants with additional student loans, as a result of the Barnett formula.

    Joseph Johnson

    This reform in England reduces public sector net borrowing and was accounted for in the settlement for my department. Higher Education is a devolved matter and the Barnett formula was applied to the department’s Spending Review settlement in the usual way.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 9 February (HL5629), what steps they are taking to increase the number of discounts available to post-16 students travelling to their nearest further education or sixth form college in (1) rural areas, and (2) urban areas.

    Lord Nash

    The statutory responsibility for financial support for transport to education and training for post-16 students, including discounts, rests with local authorities. It is therefore for local authorities, along with local transport providers and schools or colleges, to decide what discounts and concessions to provide. These decisions are best made locally in light of local needs, the resources available, and other local circumstances.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of immigration cases were designated as complex in (a) 2015, (b) 2014 and (c) 2013.

    James Brokenshire

    Following feedback from customers and partners UKV&I introduced new service standards in January 2014. As such statistical information for 2013 is not available.

    The table below shows the number and proportion of immigration cases designated as complex in 2014 and 2015

    Complex Case

    Total Apps Received

    % of Complex Cases

    2014 (01/04/2014 – 31/12/2014)

    87,219

    412,337

    21%

    2015

    84,435

    513,475

    16%

    Following feedback from customers and partners UKV&I introduced new service standards in January 2014. As such statistical information for 2013 is not available. Our records indicate the average waiting time (days) for immigration cases that are designated as complex is as follows.

    Average Waiting Time

    2014 (01/04/2014 – 31/12/2014)

    122

    2015

    163

    Overall Average

    147
  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of cadet forces to reducing the incidence of serious youth violence.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Ministry of Defence-Sponsored Cadet Forces comprise the Sea Cadet Corps, the Combined Cadet Force, the Army Cadet Force, and the Air Training Corps.

    The Department has not formally assessed the potential contribution of its Cadet Forces in reducing the incidence of serious youth violence. However, the 131,000 Cadets involved follow a wide variety of well-organised, enjoyable and challenging military-themed activities in a safely-managed environment.

    Experience shows that these activities allow Cadets to develop a sense of responsibility and service to the community, self-reliance, leadership, teamwork, communication skills and respect for authority and for others. In undertaking these activities, Cadets can gain nationally-recognised educational and vocational qualifications.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprentices were employed by (a) Network Rail, (b) Highways England or the Highways Agency and (c) HS2 Ltd on 15 March in each year from 2010 to 2016.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The numbers of apprentices employed directly by Network Rail, Highways England or the Highways Agency, and HS2 Ltd. over the requested time period are set out below.

    Year

    Network Rail

    HS2 Ltd.*

    Highways England / Highways Agency

    2010

    655

    0

    2011

    650

    0

    2012

    607

    0

    2013

    610

    0

    24

    2014

    592

    4

    43

    2015

    606

    1

    71

    2016

    398**

    0

    52

    * For HS2 Ltd, the majority of employment and apprenticeship opportunities will be provided through the supply chain. Construction is due to begin in 2017, following Royal Assent.

    **plus a further 150 to start in September 2016 at level 3, and upwards of 100+ across other levels 2 to 7

    Looking forward over this Parliament to 2020, the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy (January 2016) sets out our ambition to create 30,000 apprenticeships in the roads and rail sectors by 2020, in support of this government’s unprecedented investment in transport infrastructure.

    This target includes the Department for Transport, its Agencies and infrastructure client bodies – Crossrail, Transport for London, Highways England Network Rail and HS2 Ltd, as well as each of their supply chains. Depending on the contract, suppliers will either create one apprenticeship for every £3 to £5m of taxpayers’ money spent, or increase the number of apprentices employed each year through the lifetime of the contract. In these cases the aim is that the number of apprenticeships created each year will equal 2.5% of the workforce.