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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made by his Department and train operating companies on ensuring compliance with the relevant legislative provisions by the expiry date of the (Commencement No. 3, Transitional Provisions, Savings and Consequential Amendments) (Amendment) Order 2016 in October 2016.

    Claire Perry

    It is for the rail industry to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act when the services provisions of the Act come into force. Train companies, working with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), are currently reviewing their working practices to ensure that this is the case. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a statutory enforcement body for the Consumer Rights Act for this sector.

    The Department for Transport, ATOC and the ORR are working together to co-ordinate industry wide improvements in the way that rail passenger compensations schemes are publicised and administered.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding mechanisms they use to disburse funding for sexual and reproductive health and family planning in fragile and conflict-affected states.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK aid strategy has committed that, from 2016, we spend 50% of our support in fragile states and regions. This will include our work on family planning and broader sexual and reproductive health and rights. In such settings, DFID uses multilateral mechanisms, for example United Nations Population Fund, and our bilateral programmes to disburse funding for sexual and reproductive health services. In addition the UK has made a commitment that in humanitarian crises, DFID calls for proposals will require that the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls to be considered.

    DFID spent approximately £605m on sexual, reproductive, maternal and child health in fragile and conflict affected states and their neighbours in 2014; £606m in 2013 and £526m in 2012. This was approximately 6% of DFID ODA in 2012 and 2013 and 7% in 2012.

    In 2015/16 our support to UNFPA totalled £112.5m and included work in fragile and conflict-affected states and humanitarian settings, including in Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen. In Syria, for example, DFID will be providing £18.5 million through UNFPA over three years to 2018. This is in addition to the UK’s previous support to Syria, which has helped tackle gender-based violence and enabled access to reproductive health services for more than 260,000 girls and women.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-11-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average duration of a claim for tax credits was in Salford in the most recent (a) three and (b) six months for which data is available.

    Damian Hinds

    The answers are only available at disproportionate cost.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Care Quality Commission has any plans to reduce the number of core services it inspects at NHS hospitals as a consequence of the changes to his Department’s budget announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Ben Gummer

    In January 2016, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will consult on its proposed strategy for inspection and regulation from 2016 to 2021. Following the consultation, the CQC will formally publish its strategy which will set out how it proposes to inspect hospital services including its approach to the inspection of core services.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many employees in his Department have (a) taken the CESG Certified Cyber-Security Training Course and (b) received other relevant cyber-security training.

    Penny Mordaunt

    CESG certify a range of cyber security training courses, such as the Open University Introduction to Cyber Security and the MSc in Cyber through Cranfield University. As most employees complete these courses in their own time, it is not a requirement to record it on departmental systems. It would be impossible to present accurate statistics for their take-up as this information is either not held, or not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    All users of MOD IT systems, some 255,000 people (both civilian and military), are mandated to undertake the Defence Information Management Passport, an e-learning course, which includes a cyber security element. In addition all Services have now implemented Cyber Awareness Training across their Single Service introductory training. Further, a range of cyber security material is promulgated, including briefings, online and hardcopy materials, in order to maintain awareness across Defence.

  • Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review the National Offender Management Service’s Benchmarking Policy and efficiency programme in HM Prison Rochester.

    Andrew Selous

    The Benchmark Project involves applying the ‘benchmark’ developed in competition. Its purpose is to contribute to the further efficiencies public prisons were required to make and to optimise the effective delivery of services to help reduce re-offending. Applying the benchmark to an establishment involves two elements: the regime refresh and a new approach to staffing, which follows the principle of resource following risk. The benchmarking process includes a mechanism for Governors to formally raise resourcing issues and for additional resources to be deployed if deemed necessary. HMP Rochester has implemented the ‘benchmark’ principles however current recruitment levels of instructional staff mean that full implementation is not yet complete. Therefore, it is not proposed to revisit the Benchmarking Policy in HMP Rochester.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of bad debt on (1) household, and (2) non-household, water bills in each of the last three years.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    In December 2015, Ofwat, the independent economic regulator of the water sector in England and Wales, published its most recent assessment of affordability and debt in the water industry (Affordability and debt 2014-15). Ofwat’s report assessed the level of debt within the industry, the costs associated with recovering and writing debt off, debt recovery practice and the support available for customers.

    The report identified that the costs associated with recovering and writing off water debts are the equivalent of £21 per year to every household customer in England and Wales. This is an increase from 2009-10, when the amount was £15 (£17 in 2014-15 prices) per year.

    Ofwat has not assessed the cost for non-household customers.

  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which commercial organisations are permitted to promote or distribute their products or the products of other organisations in NHS maternity wards; what revenues accrue to the Government or the NHS from that activity; and what evidence there is that patients welcome such activity.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    National Health Service trusts may negotiate locally with commercial organisations to distribute advice, information and ‘try before you buy’ samples that they think would be useful for pregnant women.

    Neither the Department nor NHS England centrally have any contracts with Bounty or influence over the contents of the packs nor does the Department benefit financially from such arrangements. We do not have any information about what contracts might exist between Bounty and individual NHS trusts.

    Although we are aware of Bounty distributing their packs on maternity wards, we have no evidence of whether or not this is welcomed by parents.

    Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) use the services of Bounty to help distribute Child Benefit claim packs to new mothers in NHS hospitals. The contract for this service is held by HMRC’s Print Vendor Provider, Williams Lea. Using the Bounty pack as one channel for distributing Child Benefit forms has proved efficient and cost effective. The Child Benefit form can also be obtained through other channels, notably the HMRC website.

    In 2012-13, HMRC paid £85,990.27 (excluding VAT) for Bounty to distribute a total of 857,939 English and Welsh language claim forms.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what resources his Department allocates to promoting and upholding freedom of religion or belief within the countries with which it works.

    Mr David Lidington

    Human Rights are part of the everyday work of all British diplomats. We work intensively on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) through the UN, the EU and the OSCE; and in individual countries, prioritising what works in local circumstances. In many parts of the world, we have supported projects through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. In the current financial year, we have allocated almost £900,000 to projects in this area.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) benefit sanctions, (b) work capability assessments and (c) other government welfare reforms on child poverty in (i) Glasgow and (ii) Scotland.

    Damian Hinds

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to question 905768 which was provided by Justin Tomlinson MP, the Minister for Disabled People at that time, which can be found at:

    https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-07-11/debates/1607114000024/WelfareReformEffectsOnPeopleWithDisabilitiesInScotland#contribution-1607114000168

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