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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign national prisoners were repatriated to their home countries to serve their custodial sentence in each year since 2010.

    Jeremy Wright

    The tables below sets out the number of prisoners who have transferred from a prison in England andWales to a prison in their state of nationality since 1 January 2009.

    Year

    Transfers

    2009

    40

    2010

    46

    2011

    33

    2012

    40

    2013

    43

    The list includes one foreign national prisoner who was returned to a British Overseas Territory in 2011 under the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act 1884.

    We remain determined to secure compulsory Prisoner Transfer Agreements wherever possible, in order to increase the number of foreign national prisoners who are able to transfer to prisons in their home countries. In January this year we signed a compulsory transfer agreement with Nigeria and last year we signed an agreement with Albania. We expect to see prisoner transfers to both these countries before the end of this year.

    We are also working hard to increase the number of foreign nationals who are removed from prison under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) and the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS). In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under TERS, which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed 256 prisoners to date.

    The numbers reported here are drawn from a Prison Service Case Tracking System. Care is taken when processing these cases but the figures may be subject to inaccuracies associated with any recording system.

    Whereas this Government has begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

  • Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to the energy assistance package, stage 3, to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out in Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The Scottish Government is responsible for defining the entitlement criteria for these passported benefits. They will need to consider the current eligibility criteria and make arrangements to ensure that they can continue to deliver these benefits as Universal Credit is introduced.

    There is ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that any solution is simple, fair, easy to understand and affordable.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, if the Electoral Commission will publish the names of the 10 local authorities with the (a) smallest and (b) biggest percentage increase in registration after the implementation of the Standard Three door-to-door canvassing for 2013 canvass; and which parliamentary constituencies each such local authority covers.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the table below shows the ten local authorities with the biggest increases and decreases in electorate between the start and end of the 2013 canvass.

    Local authority

    Change (November 2013 – Feb/March 2014

    Edinburgh, City of

    20,241

    Cheshire West and Chester

    14,676

    Tower Hamlets

    10,566

    Newcastle upon Tyne

    9,550

    Taunton Deane

    9,023

    North Lanarkshire

    9,001

    South Lanarkshire

    8,926

    Glasgow City

    8,710

    Huntingdonshire

    8,023

    Mole Valley

    7,866

    Northampton

    -10,309

    Barnet

    -12,743

    Newham

    -16,617

    Maidstone

    -10,121

    Cornwall

    -13,195

    East Devon

    -6,424

    Birmingham

    -20,572

    Shropshire

    -14,350

    Leeds

    -24,119

    Renfrewshire

    -7693

    These local authorities cover the following parliamentary constituencies:

    Local authority

    Constituencies covered

    Edinburgh, City of

    Edinburgh East

    Edinburgh North and Leith

    Edinburgh South

    Edinburgh South West

    Edinburgh West

    Cheshire West and Chester

    City of Chester

    Eddisbury

    Ellesmere Port and Neston

    Tatton

    Weaver Vale

    Tower Hamlets

    Bethnal Green and Bow

    Poplar and Limehouse

    Newcastle upon Tyne

    Newcastle upon Tyne Central

    Newcastle upon Tyne East

    Newcastle upon Tyne North

    Taunton Deane

    Taunton Deane

    North Lanarkshire

    Airdrie and Shotts

    Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill

    Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East

    Motherwell and Wishaw

    South Lanarkshire

    Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale

    East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow

    Lanark and Hamilton East

    Rutherglen and Hamilton West

    Glasgow City

    East Dunbartonshire

    Glasgow Central

    Glasgow East

    Glasgow North

    Glasgow North East

    Glasgow North West

    Glasgow South

    Glasgow South West

    Huntingdonshire

    Huntingdon

    North West Cambridgeshire

    Mole Valley

    Epsom and Ewell

    Mole Valley

    Northampton

    Northampton North

    Northampton South

    South Northamptonshire

    Barnet

    Chipping Barnet

    Finchley and Golders Green

    Hendon

    Newham

    East Ham

    West Ham

    Maidstone

    Faversham and Mid Kent

    Maidstone and The Weald

    Cornwall

    Camborne and Redruth

    North Cornwall

    South East Cornwall

    St Austell and Newquay

    St Ives

    Truro and Falmouth

    East Devon

    Central Devon

    East Devon

    Tiverton and Honiton

    Birmingham

    Birmingham, Edgbaston

    Birmingham, Erdington

    Birmingham, Hall Green

    Birmingham, Hodge Hill

    Birmingham, Ladywood

    Birmingham, Northfield

    Birmingham, Perry Barr

    Birmingham, Selly Oak

    Birmingham, Yardley

    Sutton Coldfield

    Shropshire

    Ludlow

    North Shropshire

    Shrewsbury and Atcham

    The Wrekin

    Leeds

    Elmet and Rothwell

    Leeds Central

    Leeds East

    Leeds North East

    Leeds North West

    Leeds West

    Morley and Outwood

    Pudsey

    Renfrewshire

    Paisley and Renfrewshire North

    Paisley and Renfrewshire South
  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what target his Department sets for the amount of time for people to receive an accurate assessment for personal independence payments under (a) normal rules claiming and (b) special rules claiming.

    Mike Penning

    There are no legal requirements to complete action on a claim to PIP within a specified time, but we continuously monitor how long the claimant journey is taking against original estimates and implement measures to speed up the process.

  • Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Danczuk on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will request that the Office of Fair Trading investigates the level of competition in the car insurance industry.

    Jo Swinson

    The competition powers of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) passed to the new Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on 1 April 2014. Like the OFT, the CMA is an independent authority, and therefore has complete discretion to investigate those cases, which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate.

    In the case of the private motor insurance industry, the CMA is already conducting a market investigation, and on 12 June set out for consultation its proposed changes to the market. These include a cap on the charges to the insurer of an at-fault driver in an accident for the cost of providing a replacement vehicle to the non-fault driver; better information for consumers; and a ban on price parity agreements between price comparison websites and insurers. Further details are available via this link to the CMA press release:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-sets-out-changes-for-private-motor-insurance

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on permitting motorists to park briefly on double yellow lines, single yellow lines or loading bays; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    In December, our consultation on parking asked for comments on the scope for introducing new grace periods for parking, including what areas it should apply to. In the recently published Government response to the consultation, we announced we will introduce a mandatory 10 minute free period (a) at the end of paid-for on-street parking, (b) at the end of free on-street parking, and (c) extend the same grace period to local authority off-street parking.

    This measure will support local shops and stop shoppers being penalised for returning to their car a few minutes late. This Government recognises that if parking on local high streets and shopping parades is made too difficult, shoppers will merely drive to out of town superstores or just shop online. Our position is in stark contrast to the Labour Government which actively encouraged councils to hike parking charges, cut the number of car parking spaces and adopt aggressive parking enforcement.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many bids there have been to the fund to assist community groups with the Community Right to Build; how many such bids were successful; and how much has been allocated from that fund.

    Stephen Williams

    A key priority for the Coalition Government has been to give communities greater control over shaping the development of their area. The Localism Act 2011 created new powers for communities to write their own neighbourhood plans and to gain planning permission for community-led development through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.

    Nearly 1,400 communities, covering six million people, are now engaged at different stages of the neighbourhood planning process, giving millions of people the chance to participate in identifying, and voting on, where development takes place and what it looks like. All 52 referendums held to date have resulted in big ‘yes’ votes and 34 plans have been ‘made’ (brought into force) and therefore are part of the development plan, the starting point for determining planning applications.

    The popularity of neighbourhood planning has shown that when given the opportunity, communities are keen to shape future development in their areas, and we expect the number of community-led developments to increase as more neighbourhood plans are finalised. Over the last two years there have been over 3,100 enquiries and 14,000 web hits relating to the Community Right to Build. The Community Right to Build gives communities the freedom to build new homes, shops, businesses or facilities where they want them, without going through the normal planning application process. Experience has shown that following discussions with the local planning authority for community-led development proposals, community groups have chosen to submit a planning application for their project, rather than a Community Right to Build Order.

    To ensure groups undertaking community-led development have the right support and advice to gain planning approval, we broadened the remit of available support funding to assist community groups to bring forward development either through Community Right to Build Orders or community-led planning applications.

    This has led to significant take up of funding for community-led projects coming forward, with over 100 applications for funding already approved by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Greater London Authority. Locality and their partners have also been working with 60 groups to provide assistance and advice.

    The first three referendums for Community Right to Build Orders took place in December, all of which were passed and are now in force.

    We have allocated a further £3.5 million to support the Community Right to Build and community-led planning applications for housing in 2015-18. On 17 February, my department announced a further £6 million funding boost to the community rights programme. This new funding will mean:

    • like-minded communities will be able to network and learn from each other through the new My Community Network;
    • communities will have access to tailored advice through a phone and online advice service to help them use the range of community rights and other neighbourhood approaches;
    • 100 more neighbourhoods will be supported to use the Our Place approach, enabling councils and other public sector providers, voluntary and community groups, local businesses and the community to work together to tackle important local issues from job creation to health priorities;
    • 100 communities will receive support to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and develop Community Action Plans;
    • 50 communities will receive support to develop economic plans to address local economic priorities like job creation and enterprise;
    • 50 local authority/community partnerships will receive advice, support and grants to support the transfer of multiple or complex publicly owned assets into community ownership; and
    • 6 new contracts have been awarded to external partners to support communities in using the community rights in 2015-16.

  • Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Site Licence Companies plan to spend on support and overhead costs in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority expects to spend £970m in 2014-15 and £918m in 2015-16 on support costs, as defined for the purposes of the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s Annual Report and Accounts. The definition includes research and technology, IT, security, facilities, programme management, procurement, human resources, finance, head-office costs, EHS&Q (environment, health safety and quality), regulatory engagement and communications.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people ordinarily resident in Scotland have been accommodated in secure units in England in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    The following table shows the number of male and female prisoners held in prisons or young offender institutions, who have a reported home address in Scotland in each September since 2010.

    Number of male and female prisoners who have a reported home address in Scotland, in each September since 2010.

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    95

    108

    98

    112

    111

    Information on offenders is provided by them on reception in prison and recorded on a central IT system. Reported addresses can include a home address, an address to which offenders intend to return on discharge or the address of their next of kin. No address has been reported and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders and therefore these figures are excluded from the answer.

    Note: secure units are defined here as prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales. Information on individuals held in secure training centres, secure children’s homes and in secure mental health units are not included in this answer.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Attorney General, what the sex was of the (a) complainant and (b) defendant in each of the cases of stalking brought since the implementation of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012; and what the outcome was in each such case.

    Mr Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain a central record of the sex of either complainants or defendants prosecuted in cases where charges of stalking under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 have been brought. Obtaining this information would require a manual review of individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.