The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to putting in place immediate arrangements for members of the armed forces to be trained in train driving, operating and management.
Earl Howe
Defence has no current plans in place to provide training in train driving, operating or management.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-17.
To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Parliamentary Digital Service is taking to protect constituency casework data.
Tom Brake
We do not comment on matters of digital or physical security. I understand the Director of the Digital Service has discussed the matter with the hon. Member.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the need for special education facilities to educate young people coming to the UK as a result of the conflict in Syria; and if she will make a statement.
Edward Timpson
The Government is wholly committed to ensuring that Syrian refugees who are resettled in the UK receive appropriate support and have a positive experience while they remain in the UK. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is conducting detailed assessments of the needs of all Syrian refugees who are to be re-settled in the UK, including any special educational facilities required by children. These are forwarded to host local authorities prior to the families’ arrival in the UK and will help to ensure that their needs are matched to the availability of local facilities. Based on the experience of the first 1000 arrivals, the government is in the process of assessing the longer term and wider requirements for specialist provision arising from the Prime Minister’s pledge to re-settle 20,000 refugees during the life-time of this Parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with his counterparts in the devolved administrations steps to ensure that programmes such as Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies can be implemented across the UK.
Alistair Burt
We have no specific plans at present for a Ministerial meeting on the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, but Departmental officials are in regular contact with colleagues in the Devolved Administrations on cross-cutting issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the specialist contractors hired by her Department to advise regional school commissioners are required to declare any interests relevant to their employment by her Department.
Edward Timpson
Contractors procured to support the academies and free schools programme are required to declare conflicts of interest.
The contract states, “The Contractor is required to declare to the Contract Manager any interests and/or links, including other contracts or positions held whether they be paid or unpaid or relationships with, but not limited to, schools, education providers or other external organisations involved in the provision of education or education services so the Contract Manager may assess whether any conflicts of interest, whether potential, actual or perceived, and as reasonably judged by the Contract Manager, may have the potential to present reputational, operational or legal or risks to the Contractor and to the Department in allocating any particular project.
"If such a conflict of interest does arise, or may arise, the Contractor will declare it to the Department immediately and accept that the Department may ask the Contractor to immediately cease any involvement with the task giving rise to the conflict.”
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the contribution of the Minister for Skills of 10 March 2016, what assessment he has made of the potential take-up of the apprenticeship levy by employers.
Nick Boles
Apprenticeships are paid jobs and their availability is employer demand-led, so we do not publish future forecasts. The levy will put apprenticeship funding in the hands of employers and will encourage an increase in the quality and quantity of apprenticeships in England.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-04-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of international scientific evidence concerning moderate alcohol consumption as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The alcohol guidelines review was undertaken by a group of independent scientific experts who were commissioned to report back to the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers and make recommendations on new low risk drinking guidelines. The Guidelines Development Group scrutinised all of the available evidence concerning alcohol consumption including moderate alcohol consumption and the protective effects to overall mortality. They set out their assessment of the systematic reviews in their report.
The Alcohol Guidelines Review – Report from the Guidelines development group to the UK Chief Medical Officers is attached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Cash on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, by what mechanisms the National Grid can procure electricity supplies outside of the capacity market.
Andrea Leadsom
National Grid routinely purchases electricity through the balancing mechanism to ensure supply and demand balance precisely minute-by-minute. National Grid is also able to contract forward to ensure the availability of capacity which can provide these balancing services, for example, through the Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR); and for the provision of other ancillary services required to meet the physical needs of the system, although these services are often provided by capacity which is also participating in the energy market. These will still be available to Grid after the Capacity Market begins operation and some of the services will be available through plant participating in the capacity market.
During 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17, ahead of the introduction of the capacity market, National Grid has also been allowed by Ofgem to procure capacity into the Supplementary Balancing Reserve (generation) and Demand-side Balancing Reserve. National Grid has already procured 3.6GW for next winter which ensures we will have an adequate capacity margin. Once the capacity market begins operation in 2017/18, Ofgem have stated that they will discontinue this facility.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for a Disclosure and Barring Service local intelligence check to be completed by the Metropolitan Police Service.
Sarah Newton
From June 2015 to May 2016, the average time taken to complete Disclosure checks by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was 94 days and for the police as a whole, 22 days.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is working closely with the small number of forces, including the MPS, whose performance does not meet turnaround time targets. The performance of police disclosure units is an operational issue for individual police forces and the MPS has established a Gold Group to oversee the recovery plan which they have in place to reduce the time taken. I have made clear to the MPS that its current delays must be addressed as a matter of priority and I continue to maintain close oversight of the progress being made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-09-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to take forward the recommendations of the West Anglia Taskforce to examine timetable improvements to reduce rail journey times on the West Anglia Main Line between London, Stansted and Cambridge.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Department for Transport is carefully considering the recommendations of the draft report of the West Anglia Taskforce, particularly the interactions with the commitments made as part of the new East Anglia franchise. However, the recommendation to establish an “action group” has already been taken forward.