Tag: Parliamentary Question

Charles Walker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Law Society on its inclusion of Sharia succession rules in its guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales and the Government has no intention to change this position.

The legal profession is independent of Government and is regulated by approved regulators for which the Legal Services Board has oversight responsibility. The Law Society is the approved regulator for solicitors under the Legal Services Act 2007. On 13 March it published a practice note on Sharia succession rules to assist its members preparing wills for clients under the law of England and Wales. The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with The Law Society about its practice note. It is not for the Government to comment on the compatibility of the guidance with equalities legislation as the courts in England and Wales interpret and apply the law.

The guidance does not, and cannot, change the law of England and Wales. The courts will continue to apply the law of England and Wales relating to the making of wills in exactly the same way as they did before the practice note was issued.

The judiciary of England and Wales is independent of the Government and it would not be appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to issue guidance to the judiciary on how judges are to apply or interpret the law.

November 2, 2022
Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by his Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years.

Claire Perry

In 2011, £28,861 of duplicate supplier payments were identified by the Department and its agencies, and were all recovered. No duplicate payments have been identified in subsequent years.

In accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines, the Department commissioned a spend recovery audit in 2010. This reported that:

The quantity of payment errors identified during our review (0.0002%) highlighted that the internal controls used by DfT have been effective in limiting supplier overpayments. Overall the accounts payable function is well managed and controlled.

In view of this advice, the DfT decided that formal appraisal of potential duplicate payments, either internal or external, did not represent a good use of public money for the years after 2011.

November 2, 2022
Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, where people from Brighton and Hove are being asked to travel to in order to have face-to-face personal independence payment (PIP) interviews; what assessment he has made of the range of challenges faced by people going for assessment for PIP payments who are asked to travel to another town for a face-to-face interview; if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of taxis for people from Brighton and Hove who cannot use public transport to get to PIP assessments up to 90 minutes away from their homes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Harper

There are currently two assessment centres situated in the BN21 and BN41 postcode area. A third assessment centre based in the BN3 postcode will be opening shortly.

PIP assessment providers must ensure that claimants do not have to travel for more than 90 minutes by public transport (single journey) for a consultation. This limit is an absolute maximum and we expect that only a small minority of claimants will have to make a journey approaching this duration. In the exceptional circumstance where a claimant is unable to make a journey within 90 minutes via public transport the assessment provider will offer either a home visit or the ability to use a taxi.

We are encouraging assessment providers to identify consultation venues that are as local and convenient as possible.

Payment of claimant expenses including taxi fares is the responsibility of the PIP assessment provider, the Department does not meet these costs.

This information is therefore not available within the Department.

November 2, 2022
Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many new apprenticeship starts there were in each year since 2010, in the age groups (a) 25 to 34, (b) 35 to 44, (c) 45 to 59 and (d) and over 60.

Nick Boles

Information on Apprenticeship starts by age is published in a supplementary table, entitled Breakdown by geography, equality & diversity and sector subject area: starts 2002/03 to 2013/14, to a Statistical First Release (SFR).

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324021/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

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November 2, 2022
Keir Starmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keir Starmer on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what compensation HS2 Ltd has to pay to rail franchise holders for the track possessions required to bring High Speed 2 to Euston; and what effect the provisions made in the AP3 Environmental Statement have had on this figure.

Mr Robert Goodwill

HS2 Ltd deposited an Additional Provision (AP3) to the HS2 Phase One hybrid Bill on 16 September 2015 which includes revised plans for London Euston station. The new plans focus on an incremental strategy which will deliver new high speed platforms (Stages A and B1) and do not preclude wider redevelopment of the existing station in the future (Stage B2).

We have listened to train operators and worked very closely with them throughout the development of the new design. The staged approach will mean less disruption to passengers using existing train services and therefore compensation to train operators. We have made budget provision for a level of compensation to train operators as part of the overall Phase One rail budget. These allowances have still to be agreed with the relevant train operators and will be assessed further as part of the design development process. The information also remains commercially sensitive.

Any necessary impacts to the existing railway will be carefully planned with Network Rail and the affected operators from the outset, learning from experiences at other major stations such as Kings Cross and London Bridge.

November 2, 2022
Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for jobseeker’s allowance were made in Wrexham (a) by telephone and (b) online in each of the last 24 months.

Priti Patel

The information requested is not available.

November 2, 2022
Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with representatives of (i) the Taxpayers’ Alliance, (ii) the Confederation of British Industry, (iii) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (iv) the Adam Smith Institute, (v) the Freedom Association, (vi) the Politics and Economics Research Trust and (vii) the Midlands Industrial Council in the last 12 months.

Justin Tomlinson

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published up to 31 March 2015 and can be accessed on Gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications

Further publications of Ministerial meetings will be published in due course.

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November 2, 2022

Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for funeral payments were (a) made and (b) granted in each region in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson

Tables 1 and 2 give the number of the Funeral Expense Payment applications received and awards made by the Department for Work and Pensions by region from 2010/11 to 2014/15.

Table 1: Funeral Expense Payment applications received by region, 2010/11 to 2014/15

Region	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
East of England	4,200	4,800	4,700	4,100	3,500
East Midlands	8,400	4,600	4,500	4,000	3,200
London	6,800	6,900	6,700	6,500	5,800
North East	4,400	4,700	4,200	3,600	3,000
North West	10,600	10,400	10,300	9,200	8,100
Scotland	8,300	8,500	8,000	7,400	6,300
South East	6,200	6,400	5,700	5,200	4,400
South West	4,000	4,300	4,200	4,000	3,100
Wales	4,300	4,300	4,400	3,700	3,500
West Midlands	7,200	6,800	6,600	6,000	4,900
Yorkshire and Humberside	4,300	6,700	6,400	5,500	4,900
Total	68,800	68,500	65,600	59,100	50,600

Table 2: Funeral Expense Payment awards made by region, 2010/11 to 2014/15

Region	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
East of England	2,500	2,600	2,500	2,200	2,200
East Midlands	4,200	2,500	2,300	2,200	2,100
London	3,800	3,900	3,600	3,500	3,600
North East	2,400	2,400	2,100	1,900	2,000
North West	6,100	6,100	5,700	5,300	5,000
Scotland	5,100	5,000	4,800	4,400	4,300
South East	3,100	2,900	2,500	2,700	2,700
South West	1,800	2,300	2,100	2,100	1,900
Wales	2,600	2,400	2,400	2,200	2,200
West Midlands	4,100	3,800	3,700	3,300	3,000
Yorkshire and Humberside	2,500	3,600	3,500	3,300	3,200
Total	38,200	37,700	35,200	33,100	32,100

Notes:

All figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

Figures may not sum due to rounding.

The applications figures are based on applications received by DWP, not applications processed. Some applications may have been withdrawn before a decision was made.

The award figures include awards made after review, reconsideration or appeal following an initial refusal.

These figures do not include cases which have been processed clerically and have not been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.

November 2, 2022

Lord Berkeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much Network Rail, the Department for Transport, First Great Western and Agility trains have each committed to contributing to the £7.5 billion Great Western route modernisation programme.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Contracts between the Department for Transport and Agility Trains and Great Western Rail are commercially confidential.

November 2, 2022
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to amend building regulations to require that extractor fans are not installed in open-plan kitchens with log burners, to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Part J of the building regulations requires that when a combustion appliance is installed, an adequate supply of air is provided for safe combustion. The Government provides statutory guidance on how to meet this requirement and this includes avoiding the installation of solid fuel appliances and extractor fans in the same room. Where this is unavoidable, specialist advice should be sought to ensure safe operation of the appliance whether or not the extractor fan is running.There are no plans to amend these requirements or guidance.

November 2, 2022