The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on rail journeys in (a) Wales and (b) the North West of the upgrade of the Halton Curve.
Claire Perry
The exact service patterns have not yet been determined by Network Rail and stakeholders. Further announcements expected 2016/17.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2014, Official Report, column 292W, on Royal Mail, from which directorate each member of staff working on the privatisation of Royal Mail was drawn.
Matthew Hancock
The core team of 17 people working on the sale of Royal Mail shares comprised staff from the Shareholder Executive. Staff in other BIS Directorates contributed to the work – primarily from Legal Directorate, Finance Directorate, Press Office and Economics and Markets Directorate.
The project received scrutiny outside BIS from the Cabinet Office’s Major Projects Authority and a Treasury Approval Point panel.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the National Lottery about extending funding to the video games industry.
Mr Edward Vaizey
No specific discussions have taken place with the National Lottery about the use of Lottery funding in relation to the video games industry. This Government has restored the Lottery shares for heritage sports, and arts good causes to 20%, so contributing to a significant increase in Lottery funding for those areas since the beginning of this Parliament. It is for individual Distributing bodies to determine the beneficiaries of Lottery monies in making awards within their good cause sectors, taking account of their Policy Directions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) funds and (b) grants his Department makes available for the refurbishment or improvement of railway stations.
Claire Perry
The Department for Transport currently operates a number of schemes that makes funds available to enhance facilities at stations.
The Access for All programme and the Small Schemes fund provide improvements in accessibility. The National Stations Improvement Programme and Stations Commercial Project Facility are designed to deliver enhancements to passenger facilities. The New Station Fund has been established to help fund the construction of new stations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to commission an independent review of the benefits and sanctions regime.
Priti Patel
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 June 2015 to Question UIN 170.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of Child Support Agency enforcement rates for payment of child maintenance.
Priti Patel
The latest published figures show 88% of cases on the 1993 and 2003 schemes and 88% of case groups on the 2012 scheme contributing towards their current maintenance liability.
Where a non-resident parent fails to meet their liabilities, the Child Support Agency has a range of enforcement powers. For example, child maintenance can be taken directly from bank accounts and wages; and the Government has also introduced a new power to disclose non-compliance to credit reference agencies.
The total number of enforcement actions taken by the Agency can be found on page 41 of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics June 2015 available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-statistics–2.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, Downward mobility, opportunity hoarding and the glass floor, published in June 2015, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report’s findings that relatively high levels of income inequality are a contributing factor to why social mobility in the UK is relatively low by international standards and has not increased in the past 40 years.
Priti Patel
This Government is committed to tackling poverty, extending opportunity and ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, can fulfil their potential. We know that having parents in work, and educational attainment are the strongest determinants of future life chances.
Our approach to improving life chances is based on high levels of employment, a welfare and tax system that supports work and allows people to keep more of what they earn, and raising educational attainment for all children.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2015-10-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider introducing identity cards for all United Kingdom residents.
Lord Bates
The Government has no plans to introduce an identity card system for British Citizens. The Biometric Residence Permit is issued to non-EEA nationals staying in the UK for more than six months. These provide evidence of the holders’ immigration status in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they have given to acute trusts about how to respond to Care Quality Commission inspection report recommendations to increase staffing levels whilst meeting Monitor requirements to reduce spending.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government has been clear that acute trusts are responsible for delivering high quality care within available resources. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) looks at staffing levels as part of its rating of safety in its programme of comprehensive inspections. These assessments include ward level discussions of acuity levels and achievement of planned staffing levels. Where an acute trust is failing to use staff in the best way to support patient care, the CQC is right to make that public. Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority are responsible for ensuring that acute trusts are providing high quality care in a financially sustainable manner. It is in the interests of future care quality that the finances of acute trusts are healthy; and many of the improvements that are needed to improve quality of care will also improve efficiency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2015-10-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many meetings (1) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (2) ministers within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and (3) civil servants at the level of private secretary or above in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, have had with companies employing fewer than 50 employees since May.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.