The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2016-01-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many writs of summons were sent to Peers in 2015, and how many were returned undelivered.
Lord Faulks
704 812 Writs of Summons were sent out to peers at the Dissolution of Parliament on 30 March 2015. Information on the number of Writs that were returned is not held centrally.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what change there has been in the level of rough sleeping in the UK since 2010.
Mr Marcus Jones
Rough sleeping statistics for individual local authorities and England are published in Table 1 of the Department’s Rough Sleeping in England publications for each year. These are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the £1 billion primary care infrastructure fund has been (a) committed to future projects and (b) spent by GP practices.
Alistair Burt
The Primary Care Transformation Fund is a multi-year programme and the first tranche of local estates and technology projects to improve general practitioner premises and supporting infrastructure across the country are already underway.
Clinical commissioning groups have commissioned the development of Strategic Estates Plans that include the individual estates and technology projects for years two to four, which are due for submission later in the spring. These will then be assessed during the summer and the allocations required to support them developed in the autumn – which will form part of the commitments to future projects.
Expenditure on 2015/16 projects will be finalised with the audit of NHS England’s national accounts, which is expected to complete in July.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has (a) sought and (b) received permission for the use of (i) Italian or (ii) US facilities at Sigonella by RAF aircraft for operations in Libyan airspace.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We have had a long-standing presence at Naval Air Station Sigonella, and have made frequent use of it. However, it is not normal practice to comment on the details of arrangements with host nations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that the London Stock Exchange estimates that its acquisition by Deutsche Bourse will lead to a reduction of £7 billion in the margin capital available to protect the financial system from the consequences of counterparty failure, and of whether such a reduction in collateral represents an unacceptable increase in systemic risk.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
Central Counterparties (CCPs) play a central role in modern financial markets. As the Prime Minster has made clear, the UK’s new settlement with the EU ensures UK firms, including CCPs, will never face any discrimination for being outside the Eurozone.
I refer the noble Lord also to my written answer of 1 April (HL7153).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-06-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 35252, how many staff within the scope of the HM Treasury guidance on senior off-payroll engagements were paid off-payroll in (a) NHS trusts in 2013-14 and (b) NHS foundation trusts in 2012-13.
Alistair Burt
Information collected by the NHS Trust Development Authority showed that as of 31 March 2014 there were 961 staff engaged by National Health Service trusts within the scope of the HM Treasury guidance. Information collected by the Health and Social Care Information Centre indicated that at 31 March 2013 there were 1,267 such staff engaged by NHS foundation trusts (FTs).
The numbers of Board off-payroll staff have declined consistently since the introduction of the HM Treasury guidance in August 2012. In 2012/13 there was a total of 2,403 engagements in trusts and FTs of which 200 were Board members or senior officials with significant financial responsibility. In 2013/14, there was a total of 2,070 of which 118 were Board members or senior officials with significant financial responsibility. In 2014/15, there were 1,193 in NHS trusts of which 52 were senior officials with significant financial responsibility. Figures for FTs in 2014/15 are not yet available. The Department continues to work with NHS Improvement to ensure that all off-payroll engagements comply with tax law and HM Treasury guidance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from (a) Birmingham Airport and (b) other regional airports outside London on maintaining existing routes and increasing the number of long haul flights on offer; and if he will make a statement.
Mr John Hayes
Transport Ministers have regular discussions with airport operators across the country on aviation policy issues, including domestic and international air connectivity. The UK’s airports operate commercially, and it is a matter for them to work collaboratively with airlines to maintain existing air services and develop new ones.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-11-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government plans to take in response to the Sixth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, HM Revenue and Customs performance in 2014-15, HC 393.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recognise that their customer service has not been good enough, and have taken major steps to improve. This includes recruiting 3,000 new staff into customer service roles, available outside normal office hours when many of their customers choose to call.
These steps have started to make a difference. This month, HMRC have answered more than 80% of calls, and average queue times are now around 10 minutes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) Talk Talk and (b) other internet service providers on measures that can be taken to prevent breaches of security relating to customer data.
Mr Edward Vaizey
My Departmenthas been in contact with TalkTalk from the early stages of this incident, but this remains primarily a matter for the company itself and for law enforcement
This Governmenttakes issues of customer data protection very seriously, andhas regular discussions with internet service providers and telecommunications companies on the resilience and security of services. I recently wrote to FTSE 350 companies to remind them of the steps the Government expects them to take and the robust procedures businesses need to have in place. I also invited them to take part in the Government’s annual Cyber Governance Health Check to help companies understand and improve their level of cyber security.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current status of the Big Society programme; which department and Minister is responsible for it; what projects are currently active; what is the budget for each of those projects; what changes have taken place to the programme since the general election; and what procedures are in place to report to Parliament on the programme.
Lord Bridges of Headley
The Big Society programme remains a key manifesto commitment for the Government. The 2015 Spending Review saw this commitment reaffirmed with, for example, funding for the National Citizen Service increased to over a £1 billion creating the next generation of community minded volunteers. An additional £100 million in funding for Social Impact Bonds has also been pledged to reduce demand on public services. These programmes are helping to create a stronger, more engaged nation where people and neighbourhoods are able to take greater responsibility with improving the country.
These programmes are regularly reviewed and reports are publicly available.