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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the delivery of the package of assistance pledged by the Prime Minister to the Nigerian government following the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in that country.

    Mark Simmonds

    We continue to provide support to the Nigerian authorities in the search for the Chibok schoolgirls. In addition to the support announced by the Prime Minister, on 12 June we announced a further package of assistance. This package includes training and advice to the Nigerian armed forces; support to the Nigerian government in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East; a commitment to draw 1 million more children into education in Northern Nigeria by 2020 and £1 million for the UN’s Safe Schools Initiative. We are agreeing the implementation of these measures with the Nigerian authorities and look forward to reviewing progress at a Ministerial meeting in Abuja in September.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the annual cost to his Department of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department estimates that in 2013 it spent approximately £3,900 on stationery for ministerial replies to hon. Member correspondence.

    All parliamentary post is delivered by a Departmental messenger, whose duties include, but are not limited to, delivering hon. Member correspondence. Any correspondence for constituency offices would be sent by post, when requested, but the Department does not record how many replies to hon. Members were sent to constituency offices.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the advertising of Optical Express under the services section of the NHS choices website, for what reason his Department concluded that Optical Express does not fall under the excluded advertising categories set out in the NHS Choices terms and conditions for offering cosmetic surgery and procedures including Botox and sunbeds; and what assessment he has made of whether advertising Optical Express services is an appropriate use of NHS funding used to maintain the website.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    NHS Choices does not advertise services on their website. Optical Express is included within the service directory published on NHS Choices on the basis that it is a provider of NHS services.

    NHS Choices has neither sought nor received any payment from Optical Express in return for this inclusion.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has an infant feeding coordinator.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department does not employ an infant feeding co-ordinator, but works collaboratively with the National Infant Feeding Steering Group, which brings together key partners including Public Health England, NHS England and UNICEF UK.

    In December 2013, the Department provided £80,000 to UNICEF for two projects to maintain and develop the National Infant Feeding Network and to promote care and compassion through infant feeding as part of universal midwifery and health visiting services, including those services delivered in neonatal units and children’s centres.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that particular attention to the most marginalised and people in vulnerable situations is specifically referenced in the language of the targets and goals in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK, through our Troika, have made statements in the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals on the importance of monitoring progress for marginalised groups across the targets and “leaving no one behind” as an overarching principle for the post 2015 framework.

    The final goals and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the monthly cost is of each court building which has been closed but not disposed of since May 2010.

    Simon Hughes

    The Department is committed to disposing of surplus property assets expeditiously and reducing holding costs. The monthly cost of each court building which has been closed but not disposed of since May 2010 is detailed below. The majority of these courts were closed as part of the Court Estate Reform Programme (CERP).

    CERP is expected to deliver an estimated £99m resource savings plus £53m from the sale of buildings. Under this Government court buildings that were rarely used or no longer suitable were closed as part of our drive to cut waste. There are temporary costs associated with ensuring unused courts are kept secure and protecting the fabric of each building, as well as property tax rates payable to the local council. When disposing of surplus property assets we will always seek best value for the taxpayer.

    In addition to the courts announced for closure under CERP, the Ministry of Justice has closed and disposed of a number of court buildings as a result of the integration and co-location.

    Table: monthly cost of each court building which has been closed but not disposed of since May 2010 as at 30 June 2014

    Court Building

    Average monthly cost 1, 6

    Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ & County Court 2

    £2,893

    Bridgwater Magistrates’ Court 3

    £1,951

    Bridport Magistrates’ Court

    £1,839

    Burton-upon-Trent County Court

    £1,590

    Cirencester Magistrates’ Court

    £1,053

    Coleford Magistrates’ Court

    £1,423

    Dorking Magistrates’ Court

    £4,740

    Epping Magistrates’ Court

    £1,931

    Flint Magistrates’ Court

    £1,945

    Frome Magistrates’ Court

    £869

    Goole Magistrates’ Court 4

    £632

    Haywards Heath (Mid Sussex) Magistrates’ Court

    £7,255

    Honiton Magistrates’ Court

    £1,298

    Houghton Le Spring Magistrates’ Court 5

    £1,794

    Keighley (Bingley) Magistrates’ Court

    £5,171

    Lewes Magistrates’ Court

    £8,456

    Lyndhurst Magistrates’ Court

    £2,557

    Market Drayton Magistrates’ Court

    £3,898

    Oswestry Magistrates’ Court & County Court

    £1,958

    Pontefract Magistrates’ Court

    £4,940

    Rochdale Magistrates’ Court

    £9,974

    Selby Magistrates’ Court

    £6,055

    Sherbourne Magistrates’ Court

    £1,301

    Stoke-on-Trent Magistrates’ Court

    £9,040

    Totnes Magistrates’ Court

    £2,184

    Towcester Magistrates’ Court

    £1,184

    Weston Super Mare Magistrates’ Court

    £488

    Wimborne Magistrates’ Court

    £4,122

    Witham Magistrates’ Court

    £1,502

    Footnotes:

    1. Monthly cost based on financial year data 2013/14. Holding costs include rates, fuel and utilities, facilities management, telephony and other property costs.

    2. Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court and County Court building was sold on 11 August 2014

    3. Monthly cost based on financial year data 2012/13 and 2013/14 in order to address rates rebates in 2013/14

    4. Monthly cost based on financial year data 2012/13 and 2013/14 in order to address rates rebates and accounting adjustments made in 2013/14

    5. Monthly costs includes spend for associated office, The Villa.

    6. Costs are not comparable between financial years due to events such as rebates for rates, utilities, facilities management and telephony.

  • Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pete Wishart on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what meetings (a) he and (b) officials of the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland have had with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such meeting.

    Mr Alistair Carmichael

    As Secretary of State for Scotland, I have met the Rt hon Member for Edinburgh South West on two occasions where we discussed issues of importance to the people of Scotland. Officials in the Office of the Advocate General have not had any meetings with the Rt hon Member for Edinburgh South West.

  • Mark Lazarowicz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Lazarowicz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Lazarowicz on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many current applications for funeral expenses from the Social Fund have been outstanding for longer than (a) 16 days, (b) 18 days and (c) 21 days.

    Steve Webb

    This information is not held in the format requested and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on how many claims for benefits made by telephone by people in Preston constituency in 2014 to date were interrupted by the claimant running out of credit.

    Steve Webb

    The requested information is not available from current Management Information systems as no information relating to the causes of call terminations is gathered. As such, it is not possible to distinguish between reasons for termination or to distinguish between calls terminated by agents or callers.

    The current Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) policy is that all calls should be free to our 0800 numbers to claim:

    • State Pension;
    • Pension Credit;
    • Jobseekers’ Allowance;
    • Income Support;
    • Employment Support Allowance; and,
    • Personal Independence Payment.

    It is free to call DWP 0800 numbers from all major landline providers.

    DWP continues to have agreements with O2, Everything Everywhere (formerly Orange and T-Mobile), Vodafone (including Cable & Wireless), Three (also known as Hutchison 3G), Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile ahead of the OFCOM changes due in June 2015. This agreement allows many of our customers to make free mobile phone calls from their participating networks to the Department’s 0800 customer numbers.

    DWP is aware of possible concerns about call charges to enquiry and claims lines so agents will routinely offer to call a customer back if concerns are raised over the cost of the call. The Department also provides controlled access to telephones for claimants if required in support of job-searches or benefit enquiries.

    During June 2014 the average duration of a call to the Primary Benefit New Claims lines (ESA, IS and JSA) from connection to termination was 14 minutes and 43 seconds.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from secondary ticketing websites about amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill.

    Jo Swinson

    My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not received any direct representations from representatives of the secondary ticketing websites on amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill or about the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

    Neither my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State nor other Ministers in the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have had meetings with the secondary ticketing websites about the implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 or the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

    The draft Regulations and the contents of the Bill were widely consulted on and the Department received a range of comments in response. Officials from the Department have also had discussions with a wide range of stakeholders (including with secondary ticketing websites) on the implementation of those Regulations and the guidance on them.

    Following a consultation on the draft regulations, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills has produced guidance on the requirements of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance is easily accessible on the gov.uk website. Officials have also worked with the Business Support Helpline, which offers free advice to business on a wide range of issues, including regulation, and with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), as the primary body responsible for educating businesses on consumer law. TSI has also produced guidance which is available on their website. Consumers themselves are important in driving compliance and officials have worked with Citizens Advice to raise consumer awareness so that they can see when businesses are not abiding by the requirements of the regulations.

    The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has also actively promoted the changes in the Regulations across all sectors through seminars, presentations and communications to businesses.

    Ministers in the Home Office, Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have discussions and correspond together on a wide range of issues, and this has included agreeing the content of the Consumer Rights Bill. Officials from those Departments are in regular contact, including regarding the issue of resale of tickets.