Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce accidents involving pedestrians and (a) cyclists, (b) motorcyclists, (c) cars and (d) heavy goods vehicles.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government has a Manifesto commitment to reduce the number of cyclists and other road users killed or injured on our roads every year. The British Road Safety Statement, published on 21 December 2015, sets out the Government’s vision, values and priorities for improving the safety of Britain’s roads for all road users.

    The Government is committed to cycling and walking and making it easier for people to choose them as sustainable travel options. The Government laid an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill that would place into law a commitment of the Government to produce a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS). On 17 December 2015, the Government published a CWIS overview document outlining the timescales and work plan for production of the various elements of the investment strategy which is online on GOV.UK The full CWIS is due to be published this year. By ensuring that cycling and walking are the first consideration of any new street design or maintenance programme, we will ensure our streets are safer for our most vulnerable road users.

    My Department issued revised guidance in January 2013 aimed mainly at local traffic authorities who are responsible for setting speed limits on local roads. Traffic authorities are asked to keep their speed limits under review with changing circumstances, and to consider the introduction of more 20 miles per hour limits and zones, over time, in urban areas and built-up village streets that are primarily residential, to ensure greater safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of which infectious diseases are among the leading causes of death for girls and women aged 10 to 19 in Africa, and what steps they are taking, working with individual countries bilaterally, to tackle those diseases.

    Baroness Verma

    World Health Organisation (WHO) data show that the leading causes of death from infectious diseases amongst adolescent girls and women in Africa are HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, meningitis and malaria. HIV/AIDS is not only the leading cause of death itself, but is also responsible for deaths from many other infectious diseases. The UK is the second largest funder of HIV prevention, care and treatment, and has pledged up to £1 billion for the 2014-16 replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Half of Global Fund resources are used to tackle HIV and almost 60% are invested in programmes that reach women and children.

    The UK puts the empowerment of girls and women at the heart of everything we do. Through our multilateral and bilateral investments we are tackling the barriers that limit their access to services, strengthening health systems, and tackling the stigma and gender-based violence and inequality they face.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which Minister in her Department is planned will lead work on Energy Union negotiations with other EU member states and the European Commission.

    Amber Rudd

    I shall continue to take the overall lead on negotiations on all DECC issues in the EU.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role the Environment Agency has in the Government’s assessment of whether expansion of Heathrow Airport would be compatible with air quality legislation.

    Rory Stewart

    Along with other Statutory Environmental Bodies, the Environment Agency is a member of the Department for Transport’s Appraisal of Sustainability Steering Group which is considering the range of environmental, social and economic impacts associated with the short-listed options for airport capacity in the south east. This is part of the work that the Secretary of State for Transport outlined in his oral statement in December last year, which confirmed that the Government would be starting work on preparing the building blocks for an Airports National Policy Statement.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the academy trusts approved to receive the Northern fund for academy sponsors were operating schools that had (a) received a requires improvement rating, (b) received an inadequate rating and (c) had been placed in special measures by Ofsted.

    Edward Timpson

    The Northern Fund was announced by the Chancellor in the 2014 Autumn Statement, to boost academy sponsorship in the North of England as a means of turning around standards in some of the most educationally deprived parts of the country.

    The first competition was run in June and July 2015, with awards being announced in November 2015. Two further competitions were run in January and February 2016.

    A total of 65 academy sponsors received an award under the Northern Fund. At that time, the number of sponsors operating schools in these categories breaks down as follows:

    • 22 sponsors were operating schools that had received a requires improvement rating.

    • Seven sponsors were operating schools that had received an inadequate rating; and, of these seven sponsors, five were operating schools that had been placed in Special Measures, which is a subset of the inadequate category.

    By definition, approved academy sponsors are working with groups of schools, some of which have the most deeply ingrained challenges. Sponsors will often have a mixed portfolio of schools at different stages of both absolute performance and improvement. The Northern Fund is designed to help selected sponsors develop additional capacity in geographical locations of need. Ministers and Regional Schools Commissioners are confident that recipients of the Northern Fund will be able to benefit schools that need their help.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Disclosure and Barring Service renewal applications were made prior to the renewal date and issued after the applicants’ certificate expired in the last 12 months.

    Mike Penning

    The Disclosure and Barring Service is responsible for issuing criminal record certificates and the maintenance of children’s and adults’ barred lists. The Disclosure and Barring Service has a target of processing 85% of all disclosure applications within 21 days. In the vast majority of cases (95%), disclosure certificates are issued within 8 weeks (2015/16).

    Criminal record certificates issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service do not expire after a specific period of time and do not include a renewal date. A certificate has no set period of validity. Information revealed through a Disclosure and Barring Service check reflects the information that was available at the time of its issue. Disclosure certificates are primarily designed to be used by an employer at the point of recruitment for a particular position.

    Some roles and some employers require the person concerned to “renew” their Disclosure and Barring Service check at specific intervals. The person can do that either by applying for a new certificate or by using the Disclosure and Barring Service Update Service.

    It would not be appropriate to comment on specific cases, but there are a number of factors which can affect the timely completion of checks. These include the length of time if can take for an employer to deal with the initial application, the accurate completion of the application form, the clarity of the information provided, the existence of conviction or non-conviction information, legal challenges and the operational effectiveness of the disclosure units of the police forces involved, if any, in the enhanced process. In some cases, forces will ask Disclosure and Barring Service to clarify some details provided by the applicant which requires further investigation and this can cause further delays.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Attorney General, on how many occasions, and on what dates, the Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute medical professionals for abortion-related offences since 1997-98.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold offences data prior to 2004-2005. Between the years 2004-2005 and 2015-2016, the CPS commenced prosecutions of 71 abortion related offences. However, it is not possible to disaggregate the data to report the occupation of the defendant, whether a medical professional or otherwise. This information could only be obtained by examining each of the CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Maria Miller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Maria Miller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Miller on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons section 80 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 has not been brought into force.

    Andrew Jones

    Section 80 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 contains a duty on persons carrying out works in the carriageway. As the question indicates, this has never been brought into force. It concerns occasions where a person undertaking works in the street finds apparatus belonging to an undertaker that does not appear or differs from the underground asset records provided. In such cases, the person would be required to take steps to inform the owner, or keep a record of its location and inform the relevant local authority of the nature of what they have found and its location.

    The associated section 79 (Records of location of apparatus) of the Act was brought into force in 2003. This section provides that those with apparatus under the street must maintain records of that apparatus, and provide it to those requesting it with a legitimate interest.

    Some years ago, the industry considered how the requirements in section 80 might operate in practice if they were brought into force. I am aware that at the time, those undertaking street works felt that there would be challenges in identifying the asset owner and conveying the information in a way that would provide an accurate and reliable record for the future. This process could delay completion of the works, causing additional congestion to traffic and adding cost to the job. These consequences conflict with the aims of minimising disruption and cost in carrying out street works. The range of methods used to maintain records, and inconsistency in how the information could be conveyed raised concerns about the feasibility of doing this, and future liability issues.

    No further consideration has been given to this matter recently.

  • Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Afghan interpreters, and (2) members of their immediate families, have been relocated to the UK under (a) the ex gratia redundancy scheme, and (b) the intimidation policy.

    Lord Bates

    Up to the end of November, 230 Afghan locally engaged civilians along with 297 members of their families have been relocated to the UK under the ex gratia redundancy scheme.

    No locally engaged civilians have been relocated to the UK under the current intimidation policy. One former staff member was relocated to the UK under a previous version of the policy.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 23 November 2015 to Questions 16300 and 16301, what proportion of cases with a current liability the 110 non-compliant cases that have been closed as part of the CSA case closure programme represent.

    Priti Patel

    The 110 non-complaint cases represent 0.02% of the cases with a current liability as at the quarter ending September 2015.

    Notes

    1. The percentage figure is rounded to 2 decimal places.
    2. Cases include those paying via Collection Service and Maintenance Direct.
    3. The non-compliant case figure was at October 2015.
    4. The percentage figure is of the number of cases with a current liability as at September 2015 (574,400).