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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the introduction of transitional arrangements to assist women born on or after 6 April 1951 who have been adversely affected by changes to the state pension age.

    Richard Harrington

    At the time of the Pensions Act 2011 the government introduced a concession worth £1.1 billion to limit the impact of the rising state pension age on those most affected. The concession capped the maximum delay that anyone would face in claiming their State Pension to 18 months rather than two years, relative to the previous timetable. The Government has no plans to introduce further transitional arrangements.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with senior officials in the Royal Navy on the recommendations of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the collision involving the MV Karen fishing boat from Ardglass, County Down in the Irish Sea on 15 April 2016.

    Mike Penning

    As recognised in the Marine Accident Investigation Report (MAIB), the Royal Navy has already taken actions as a result of this incident. We are now considering the MAIB’s report and its conclusions and recommendations to identify what further actions may be required. I will be visiting Northern Ireland soon and go to Ardglass.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that drivers on public transport are trained to assist disabled passengers.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport (DfT) has work closely with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to commission work to evaluate the existing Disabled Awareness Training and to produce some guidelines in best practice.

    Since September 2008 all professional bus and coach drivers have been required to hold a Certificate of Professional Competence as a requirement of the EU Directive 2003/59. Disability Awareness Training is currently available to all drivers as part of the periodic Certificate of Professional Competence training syllabus. The bus industry has reported that virtually all drivers have now undertaken Disability Awareness Training and DfT will continue to work with the industry to encourage the further uptake of disability awareness training by bus and coach drivers.

    The standards that taxi and PHV drivers have to meet is a matter for individual local licensing authorities. DfT Best Practice Guidance for taxi and PHV licensing says that licensing authorities should consider requiring or encouraging their drivers to undertake disability awareness training. According to DfT’s 2015 taxi and PHV statistical survey, 104 licensing authorities in England and Wales require taxi drivers to undergo disability awareness training.

    In the rail industry awareness training is mandatory for all customer facing staff and managers.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to promote racial diversity in the film industry.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    This Government is committed to promoting diversity in the film industry. We support the British Film Institute’s (BFI) newly launched £1 million Diversity Fund, which works to provide professional development opportunities to people from underrepresented groups, as well as funding to organisations that are looking to support diversity projects. The BFI has also recently extended its Diversity Standards to cover all Film Fund Lottery schemes which support film development, production and distribution, and widen access to film in the UK.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are consulting the governments of Iraq, the United States and Italy about the Mosul Dam on the Tigris River, and in particular about the case for downstream flood warnings and preparations, and repairs and maintenance work, to prevent collapse.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are in close touch with the Governments of Iraq, the US and our European partners, as well as the UN, about the Mosul Dam.

    The Government of Iraq has begun to take measures to improve the structural integrity of the Mosul Dam as there is a risk the dam could fail. It is currently impossible to accurately predict if or when this might occur. A failure could lead to major flooding in the Tigris river valley, from Mosul to Baghdad.

    Alongside the US, we are working with the Government of Iraq, the UN and other partners to ensure Iraq has effective contingency planning in place, including early warning and humanitarian planning, to enable ordinary Iraqis and the international community to respond in the event of failure. Our Embassy has plans to ensure staff are safe and we have updated our travel advice to highlight the risk to the general public.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the cost to the tourist industry in Keswick, Cumbria, of the closure of the A591 due to recent flooding.

    David Evennett

    No assessment has been made by DCMS of the direct cost of the closure of the A591. Work is currently underway to repair the major route between Grasmere and Keswick, and the Department for Transport has announced that the A591 is set to reopen by the end of May.

    In Cumbria on the 28th January the Prime Minister announced a £1m PR campaign to support businesses ready to receive visitors, and this is part of a wider package of immediate measures to help the area.

  • Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many incidents of laser pen attacks were recorded on road vehicles in the last five years.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England do not keep specific records of laser pen attacks. However, their records currently show that one incident involved the use of a laser pen.

  • Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of income tax paid annually by London taxi drivers, in each of the last three years.

    Mr David Gauke

    No estimate has been made of the income tax receipts arising from licensed Hackney Carriage drivers. The information is not available and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

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

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what occasions (a) she, (b) Ministers of her Department and (c) the Chief Social Worker for Children have visited Birmingham Children’s Services Department since 2012.

    Edward Timpson

    Since 2012, the Secretary of State visited Birmingham Children’s Services Department in September 2013.

    Since 2012, the Minister of State for Children and Families visited Birmingham Children’s Services Department in December 2013.

    Since her appointment in September 2013, the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families visited Birmingham Children’s Services Department in December 2013 (with the Minister of State for Children and Families), and in January 2014 and July 2014.

    The Secretary of State and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools have also met officials from Birmingham City Council in London.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of direct long-haul air links with a hub airport for international trade.

    Mr John Hayes

    Evidence on the links between long-haul air connections and international trade was presented by the Airports Commission in its Final Report and supporting documents. The Government is considering all of this evidence very carefully before reaching a view on its preferred scheme. The Government is not providing a running commentary on this work before an announcement on its preference.