Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) time and (b) cost of clearing all contaminated material on the grounds where Heathrow plans to build a third runway.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Airports Commission considered site enabling works as a part of their cost and commercial analysis and the Government is considering all of the evidence before reaching a view on its preferred scheme.

    The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015 and outlined that it will take forward a draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) to deliver new airport capacity. The NPS will be supported by an Appraisal of Sustainability which will examine the economic, social and environmental impacts of the new runway proposals. This will include an assessment of the impacts on soil.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress the sentencing council has made on producing guidelines for sentencing serious motoring offences; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    Driving offences can have devastating consequences for victims and their loved ones, which is why tough sentences are available to the courts. Further information about the driving review will be available in due course.

    As a result of this review, the independent Sentencing Council have paused their review of sentencing guidelines.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which of the proposals in Higher education: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice, published by his Department on 6 November 2015 are intended to enhance part-time higher education.

    Joseph Johnson

    Proposals in the Green Paper, ‘Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice’ will benefit both full-time and part-time higher education. Through the Teaching Excellence Framework all students will get better value for money and have more information about the courses they are applying for. Our proposals on social mobility and widening participation will apply to all students and creating a competitive, well regulated higher education system will benefit current and prospective part-time students as well as full-time.

    We have taken steps to support part-time students including introducing non-means tested fee loans and extending loans for those already holding a degree to students wishing to retrain in engineering, technology and computer science. We continue to examine what more we can do to support part-time and are engaging actively with the sector on this issue.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many press and public relations are employed by (a) the Disabled People’s Employment Corporation, (b) Health and Safety Executive, (c) National Employment Savings Trust Corporation, (d) Pensions Advisory Service, (e) Pensions Regulator, (f) Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman, (g) Pensions Ombudsman, (h) Pension Protection Fund; how many of those employees were paid more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total cost of running press office in each of those organisations was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Across Government, the government communications profession saved £330 million for taxpayers last year compared to 2009 to 2010 – by making its campaigns more cost effective. This means that we reduced communications spending by a total of £1 billion during the last Parliament.

    The Health and Safety Executive employs six full time press officers. No press officer is paid more than £50,000. The total cost of running the press office In 2014/15 was £858,000, including staff payroll costs of £291,000 and media monitoring, evaluation and other support services of £567,000.

    The National Employment Savings Trust Corporation employs the equivalent of 3.3 full time staff to deliver press and public relations. One person is paid over £50,000 per annum. The total cost of running the press office in 2014/15 was £193,000, including staff payroll costs of £124,000 and non-staff costs of £69,000.

    The Pensions Regulator employs two people in their press office, both of whom earn over £50,000 per annum. The total cost of running the press office in 2014/15 was £364,000, including staff payroll costs of £316,000 and media monitoring service costs of £48,000.

    The Pension Protection Fund employs two members of staff whose duties are primarily related to press and public relations. One of these members of staff earns more than £50,000 per annum. The total cost of running the press office in 2014/15 was £169,000, including staff payroll costs of £132,000 and supplier costs of £37,000.

    The Pensions Advisory Service, Pensions Ombudsman and Pensions Protection Fund Ombudsman do not have a press office, or employ any press or public relations staff. Since August 2015, the Pensions Ombudsman has engaged a part time Communications Manager at a salary less than £50,000 per annum.

    The Disabled People’s Employment Corporation (GB) Ltd is a non-trading company, managing legacy issues following the sale of Remploy Ltd into the private sector in April 2015. DPEC is winding up its affairs and now employs no staff. In 2014/15, the company employed four staff in its Marketing Communications department, all earning over £50,000 per annum. The total cost of running the press office in 2014/15 was £418,000.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on measures to ensure that banks and other financial institutions are not able to profit from the merging of any further education institutions as a result of his Department’s area reviews.

    Nick Boles

    I refer the hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 02129.

    “

  • 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 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on developing a national measure of child development at age two to two-and-a-half as part of the public health framework; and when he expects that measure to be introduced.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is leading work to develop an indicator of child development at age 2-2½ to be included in the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) from 2017. The population measure will give a national picture of child development at age 2 and will also help local areas to assess the impact of services for 0-2 year olds and inform local commissioning.

    Since April 2015, the Department has asked all health visiting teams in England to use the evidence based Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3) as part of children’s health and development reviews at age 2-2½ to generate data for the indicator. The Department has worked with Health Education England to develop e-learning materials to support health professionals using ASQ-3 as part of the two year review.

    From October 2015, health visiting providers were asked to report ASQ-3 scores to the Children and Young People’s Health Services dataset, which is being developed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The dataset is expected to publish its first report in April 2016.

    Public Health England will draw on ASQ-3 data from the children’s dataset to report the PHOF outcome measure of child development at age 2-2½, reporting on a yearly basis the percentage of children with a positive outcome across all five domains of development in ASQ-3 at age 2-2½. The first reporting of the outcome measure is planned for inclusion in the PHOF in spring 2017.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of UK military personnel have been deployed on (a) NATO, (b) UN and (c) EU-coordinated operations and training over the lpast 10 years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Strategic Defence and Security Review reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to providing contributions to NATO, UN, and EU operations and exercises. However, the MOD does not hold the information in the format requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20367 and of 18 January 2016 to Question 22101, what the spend for the Cyber Streetwise campaign was on (a) media spend and production, (b) PR, partnership and social, (c) research and (d) website in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16.

    Mr John Hayes

    Cyber Streetwise is a cross Government campaign, developed by private and public stakeholder partners and coordinated by the Home Office’s Research, Information and Communications Unit. It is designed to make the UK a safer place to interact and do business online by increasing individual and SME adoption of safe online behaviours.

    Government experts estimate that a significant proportion of cyber security threats could be avoided by safer online behaviours. Cyber Streetwise supports this by increasing digital confidence, informing people about key steps that keep them safer online. It does this by:

    • Delivering actionable and positive solution focussed advice on how to be secure

    • Creating arresting communications that highlight the consequences and cut through low interest

    • Reminding and reinforcing individuals and SMEs of the core protective behaviours at the point of risk/incidence

    The impact of Cyber Streetwise on behaviours is evaluated via regular quantitative tracking research. Since its launch in January 2014, it is estimated that 2 million adults have adopted safer online behaviours that will better protect them.

    The spend for Cyber Streetwise in 2014/15 and 2015/16 is as follows:

    • 2014/15 – £3.95 million excl VAT

    • 2015/16 – £4.1 million excl VAT

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has published on surrogacy for professionals working in midwifery, hospitals, fertility clinics and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

    Jane Ellison

    Surrogacy is a complex issue, the legislation about which has not been significantly addressed by respective administrations since the Surrogacy Arrangements Act was introduced in 1985. The Government recognises the arguments for the need for a review, and we have therefore asked the Law Commission, as part of the consultation on its 13th work programme this summer, to consider including a project on surrogacy.

    The Department has not issued guidance about surrogacy to professional groups or the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). The Government recognises surrogacy as an important option for some people wishing to start a family and is currently considering how best to clarify the current legal arrangements for intended parents, surrogates and their families. The CAFCASS campaign to increase awareness of Parental Orders is ongoing and targeted at health workers, local authority registration staff and surrogacy agencies. It will be evaluated in full upon completion in autumn 2016; in-campaign monitoring indicates its messaging is reaching the target audience.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 14 July (HL1012) in which they stated that the IMF noted Zimbabwe’s good progress and encouraged further reforms”

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Following its May 2016 Article IV Consultation with Zimbabwe, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that “despite the adverse environment, the authorities have reduced the fiscal deficit in both 2014 and 2015. They have started to rationalise public expenditures by implementing recommendations from the 2015 civil service audit. They are also amending the Public Financial Management and Procurement Acts. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has taken measures to restore confidence in the financial sector. All banks in operations now have capital buffers above the minimum requirements”. The IMF assessment did not cover political reform.