Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward plans to (a) require all local authorities to measure the level of single non-priority homelessness in their areas and (b) collate that data in a national database.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Information on homeless households not in priority need is already collected and published in table 770 of the homelessness live tables which can be viewed at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

    No information is collected on the household type of households found to be not in priority need.

    “

  • Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Nokes on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential psychological effect on victims of domestic abuse who are representing themselves as litigants in person in the family court of having to cross-examine their alleged abuser.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government is committed to supporting victims of domestic violence and abuse.

    The Ministry of Justice is undertaking research to explore how the family judiciary are currently managing cases where unrepresented alleged perpetrators of abuse can cross-examine vulnerable witnesses in the family court, and to establish what, if any, additional provisions could be considered to support them in doing so. A report will be published in due course.

    The research did not aim to assess the psychological impact of any cross-examination on victims of domestic abuse. However, some of the findings relate to the considerations the judiciary make in managing such cases appropriately, and the report will outline options to further protect vulnerable witnesses in the family court. It was out of scope of this research to explore cases where an unrepresented litigant who is a victim of domestic abuse may have to cross-examine their alleged abuser.

    Family judges have a range of powers and training to manage difficult court room situations and to ensure they are handled sensitively for victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses. Judges can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate. It is for the judge involved, on the basis of the evidence, to determine how the framework will be applied in a particular case.

    The family courts take the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. The Child Arrangement Programme and Practice Direction 12J set out a strong and clear framework where domestic violence is alleged and all judges receive specific training on this framework.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average time taken to provide reimbursement when a benefit sanction is overturned by appeal in the last 12 months.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Woodcock on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) feasibility and (b) potential cost of hiring P3-Orion aircraft before the P-8As come into service.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence has no plans to lease any P-3 Orion aircraft prior to the introduction to service of the P-8A.

  • Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Mills on 2016-05-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HM Revenue and Customs has received related to insolvency procedures in each of the last five years.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) only holds information about dividends paid for each of the last two years. In 2014/15 a total of £70.6m was received. In 2015/16 the figure was £74.5m. These figures represent dividends paid after a company or individual has been made insolvent. HMRC also receives payments in response to the initiation of insolvency proceedings and these payments are sometimes sufficient to allow HMRC to withdraw the proceedings. Data is not available about the amount received by way of these payments.

  • Iain Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Iain Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Stewart on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the security benefits of procuring four Successor submarines.

    Michael Fallon

    The United Kingdom’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent will remain essential to our security today, and for as long as the global security situation demands.

    A four-boat fleet is the minimum needed to provide the assurance that at least one submarine will always be at sea on covert patrol.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of gas and electricity smart meters (a) that have been installed to date and (b) projected to be installed by the end of 2016.

    Jesse Norman

    As of the end of March 2016 over 3.6 million smart meters were operating under the programme. The Government publishes official statistics on the rollout of smart meters quarterly. The latest release can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistical-release-and-data-smart-meters-great-britain-quarter-1-2016

    The Government receives estimates of forecast smart meter installations from the larger energy suppliers. Their latest projections suggest a further 2.9 million meters are expected to be installed between 1 April 2016 and 31 December 2016.

    “

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent comments by European Council President Donald Tusk that Russian military action in Syria is increasing the number of refugees to Europe; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the US-led coalition’s military action on the number of Syrian refugees.

    Baroness Verma

    We continue to closely monitor the humanitarian impact of Russian airstrikes in Syria. We are particularly concerned at UN reports that Russian-backed regime offensives have caused the displacement of at least 140,000 people in Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib governorates since 5 October. We are currently not aware that the flow of refugees has increased as a result of Russian military action. However with displacement on such a scale we cannot rule out that it will have an impact on refugee flows.

    Unlike the Assad regime and its allies, who are bombing indiscriminately, Coalition military efforts in both Iraq and Syria are specifically designed to minimise civilian casualties in line with International Humanitarian Law.

    We continue to call upon all parties to the conflict to uphold International Humanitarian Law and protect civilians.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency plans his Department has for the funding of the new Northern and TransPennine franchises in the event that projected passenger number increases are not achieved.

    Andrew Jones

    Revenue risk for these two franchises lies with the franchisee, not the Department. This means the Department is not responsible for covering any shortfall in farebox revenue compared to the successful bidders’ expectations.

    The successful bids are backed by significant parent company support which can be called upon in life to ensure the liquidity ratios are met. Also both franchises were subjected to a financial robustness test as part of the bid evaluation process and considered low risk for the Department.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the movement of nuclear materials on roads in Scotland by his Department is supervised and regulated.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The transport of Defence Nuclear Material is regulated by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator according to the provisions of Joint Service Publication 538, Regulation of the Nuclear Weapon Programme, available at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341332/20140801_JSP_538_V3_1_Pt_1.pdf

    A wide range of safety and contingency measures are in place to ensure the safety of nuclear convoy operations. These are summarised in the Local Authority and Emergency Service Information document available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-emergency-services-information.