Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to performance indicators for helping cyclists, walkers and other vulnerable users of the network in the Highways England operational metrics manual, whether any additional resource funding has been allocated under the Road Investment Strategy to reduce vulnerable user casualties.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England has committed to provide a safer, integrated and more accessible strategic road network for cyclists, walkers and other vulnerable road users. Through the first Road Investment Strategy for Highways England, a ring-fenced allocation of £175 million has been made available between 2015 and 2020 to improve the safety of the Strategic Road Network and improve conditions for cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

    The Highways England current delivery plan states that £78 million will be used to improve conditions for those cycling alongside and crossing the Strategic Road Network. The remaining £97 million will be used to enhance the safety of our network, with £20 million of this specifically targeted at improving facilities to provide a more accessible and integrated network.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on legal costs related to the under-occupancy penalty.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government has incurred approximately £387,155 to date on legal costs associated with judicial review challenges to the under-occupancy penalty.

    It should be noted that this figure includes VAT where this is payable (e.g. on Counsel’s fees) and disbursements but does not include costs attributable to the time spent by Government advisory lawyers, as time spent by such advisory lawyers is not recorded in a manner that allows it to be attributed to individual cases. This figure does not include all of Counsel’s fees incurred in relation to the Supreme Court hearing of MA & Others/A and Rutherford v the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (29 February to 2 March) which have not yet been billed.

  • Graham Allen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Graham Allen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Allen on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s press release of 6 April 2016, entitled Government responds to public desire for EU facts, if the Government will provide a detailed budget breakdown for the digital promotion and website costs associated with the campaign aimed at helping the public make an informed decision in the forthcoming EU referendum.

    John Penrose

    I refer the hon. Member to my response to the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex of 14 April 2016.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value was of publicly-procured British steel in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Clacton on 4 May to UIN: 35702.

  • Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the introduction of small scale DAB licensing for community radio stations.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The ten small scale DAB technical trials funded by DCMS have been positive with more than 80 smaller commercial and community radio stations broadcasting on DAB for the first time, including some new services. We are looking at options for new legislation to license small scale DAB multiplexes.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which three transitional options the former Pensions Minister, Baroness Altmann, commissioned from his Department to address the effects on women born in the 1950s following state pension equalisation.

    Caroline Nokes

    Transitional arrangements are already in place. 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.

    The following link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-foi-releases-for-march-2016 provides:

    • information on the transitional arrangements considered during the passage of the Pensions Act 2011 (see table A); and
    • illustrative costings for hypothetical policies including the three requested by the previous Minister for Pensions (see tables B to D).

    These options are not under policy consideration.

    “

  • Lord Smith of Finsbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Smith of Finsbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Finsbury on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to bring forward any legislative proposals, following the current consultation, to give effect to the green paper on higher education Fulfilling our Potential.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    The Government’s consultation on the higher education green paper, Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, closes on 15 January 2016. The Government will issue its response No decisions have yet been taken on the proposals in the green paper or how they would be implemented.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the status is of each prison building and site for prisons closed since May 2010.

    Andrew Selous

    Since May 2010 we have closed 18 prisons. This includes two partial closures (HMP Camp Hill, HMP Brockhill) and two former prisons (Morton Hall and The Verne) which have been re-roled into Immigration Removal Centres. The closure of these, and other uneconomic prison places, delivered £170m in savings between 2011-12 and 2014-15.

    Two former prisons, Wellingborough and Camp Hill, have been retained as a contingency measure to deal with unexpected events such as a larger than projected increase in the prison population. This allows us to have reserve capacity without the cost of keeping them fully operational.

    The status of each of the closed prisons is as follows:

    Former Prison

    Status

    HMP Ashwell

    Sold

    HMP Lancaster Castle

    Lease handed back

    HMP Latchmere House

    Sold

    HMP Wellingborough

    Reserve capacity

    HMP Bullwood Hall

    Contracts exchanged

    HMP Canterbury

    Sold

    HMP Gloucester

    Sold

    HMP Kingston

    Sold

    HMP Shepton Mallet

    Sold

    HMP Shrewsbury

    Sold

    HMP Blundeston

    Contracts exchanged

    HMP Dorchester

    Sold

    HMP Northallerton

    Sold

    HMP Camp Hill (part of HMP Isle of Wight)

    Reserve capacity

    HMP Brockhill (part of HMP Hewell)

    Sold

    HMYOI Reading

    Not yet on the market

    The Secretary of State for Justice announced on 9 November that we will sell former HMYOI Reading.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps the Government has taken to improve toy safety.

    Anna Soubry

    Toy safety is fully addressed by the Toy Safety Regulations 2011. Officials are engaged with the associated standards developed and maintained through the British Standards Institute and monitoring of Trading Standards enforcement activities.

  • Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on the High Level Prosperity Partnership in Africa.

    James Duddridge

    In 2013 we established high level prosperity partnerships with Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania. They form the context within which the UK seeks to increase mutual prosperity and generate jobs.

    The recent appointment of The Rt Hon Baroness Northover as trade envoy for Angola, my Honourable Friend, the Member for Windsor, as trade envoy for Ghana and my Honourable Friend, the Member for Newbury, as trade envoy for Mozambique will further enhance these partnerships.

    Our commitment to these agreements is illustrated by regular high-level visits, totalling 14 in the last three years.