The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of magistrates has resigned in each month since May 2010.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what communications his Department has had with the National Archives on the release of Cabinet papers for the 1986-1988 period.
Matthew Hancock
Cabinet papers for the period 1986-1989 1988 have already been transferred to the National Archives. Transparency is at the heart of this Government’s agenda and we are publishing unprecedented amounts of information.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Attorney General, if he will estimate the costs attributed to the Department for Education by the former Treasury Solicitor’s Department in each year since 2010.
Robert Buckland
The Treasury Solicitor’s Department was renamed the Government Legal Department (GLD) on 1 April 2015. It is primarily funded through the fees it charges for its legal services. It provides Litigation, Employment, Commercial and Advisory legal services to the Department for Education (DfE). The fees charged to DfE for this work, including the cost of disbursements, are as follows:
|
Financial year |
Fees (excluding VAT) £ |
|
2010-11 |
4,208,845 |
|
2011-12 |
4,499,546 |
|
2012-13 |
4,805,840 |
|
2013-14 |
4,409,976 |
|
2014-15 |
4,098,629 |
Providing information on the costs attributed to cases relating to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 would incur disproportionate cost as it would involve a manual exercise to identify those historical cases that relate to FOI.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Swedish government over their decision to end the production of coins containing nickel; whether he plans to further investigate the health risks posed to those who suffer from nickel allergy of the decision to switch to steel nickel-plated 5p and 10p coins in 2012; and if he will make a statement.
Harriett Baldwin
Nickel has been used in UK coinage for over 60 years and nickel-plated coins introduced in the UK in 2012 were already in use in Canada, New Zealand and other countries around the world.
Independent tests have concluded that there is no increased risk to people from handling the nickel-plated steel five pence and ten pence coins compared to coins made of cupronickel alloy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-03-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions of criminal gangs in the food sector have been initiated by the National Food Crime Unit since it was established.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) is initially focusing on establishing the scale and nature of food crime in the United Kingdom at a strategic level through developing intelligence sharing relationships across the law enforcement community and with the food industry. This will also enable the Unit to instigate investigative interventions by law enforcement partners and local authorities to identify and disrupt specific instances of food crime. The NFCU’s budget is directed towards fulfilling this primary intelligence function.
Intelligence analysts within the Unit have just completed the first ever Food Crime Annual Strategic Assessment (FCASA), which will be published soon. The FCASA sets out the Unit’s developing understanding of food crime in the UK and will drive its work to ensure resources are focused where the threat to consumers and other interests is the greatest.
At the end of this year, the Food Standards Agency will review progress on food crime, in line with Professor Elliott’s recommendations following the horsemeat incident. This review will inform decision-making about the Unit’s future form and function.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are guidelines in place outlining steps to be taken if main service providers of patient transport fail to deliver satisfactory services.
Lord Prior of Brampton
It is the responsibility for individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to commission and performance manage patient transport services, in line with the national guidance Eligibility for Patient Transport Services. This guidance is attached.
CCGs will manage performance of patient transport providers through regular monitoring performance against Key Performance Indicators and have a range of interventions to improve performance, which are available through the NHS Standard Contract.
NHS England ultimately maintains oversight of CCG commissioning, and holds CCGs to account for their commissioning decisions. In addition, NHS Improvement has a role in ensuring that procurement, patient choice and competition operate in the best interests of patients, and to step in if anti-competitive behaviour by National Health Service commissioners or providers goes against patients’ interests.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2016-06-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many new coal-fired plants are planned by China and India over the next decade.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Table 7.2 of the International Energy Agency’s 2015 World Energy Outlook projects the following demand for coal under the Agency’s New Policy Scenario:
|
2013 |
2025 |
|
|
China |
2,932 |
2,957 |
|
India |
488 |
812 |
|
World |
5,613 |
5,874 |
Figures in Mtce – million tonnes of coal equivalent.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36626, what contributions he expects the Local Enterprise Partnerships to make towards the cost of the Market Harborough straightening works.
Paul Maynard
The Local Enterprise Partnerships are planning to contribute £13 million from Local Growth Deals as part of this government’s record investment in the rail network.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Jones on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the sale of ex-emergency service vehicles.
Mr Philip Dunne
No such discussions have taken place between my Rt. hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international partners on Syrian representation at the talks in Vienna on 30 October 2015.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
At the Vienna talks on 30 October Foreign Ministers discussed the crucial role of the Syrians in any political process. The UN has been asked to launch a new political process which will convene Syrian representatives for a political process on future governance, a new constitution and elections. As the Vienna Communiqué noted: “This political process will be Syrian led and Syrian owned, and the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria.”