The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of his Department’s consumption in kWh of (a) gas and (b) electricity in each month since June 2010; and what the cost of such consumption has been in each such month.
Stephen Hammond
The Department for Transport monthly gas and electricity consumption and costs since June 2010 are shown in the tables below.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to cold weather payments to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.
Steve Webb
Under existing Universal Credit eligibility criteria, it is estimated that Cold Weather Payments will cost an additional £8 million per annum once Universal Credit has been fully rolled out.
Were entitlement to Cold Weather Payments extended to all claimants of Universal Credit once Universal Credit has been fully rolled out the additional cost would be around £320 million per annum. It is not our intention to provide this level of support to everyone on Universal Credit. This would not be affordable and would divert resources from areas that most need it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working (a) at No. 10 Downing Street and (b) on the Prime Minister’s staff since May 2010 have not been required to undergo security vetting; how many such staff have undergone security vetting; and what the job titles and responsibilities are of all such staff.
Mr Francis Maude
Attendance at internal meetings is not normally disclosed.
It has been the policy of successive governments not to comment about staff subject to national security vetting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 1 October 2014 to Question 206270, what (a) safeguards and (b) monitoring processes and producers are operated by his Department or the Business Bank in relation to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme; what scrutiny of lenders takes place routinely; and what data his Department collects on the operation of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme by lenders.
Matthew Hancock
Participating lenders under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme are subject to a continuous cycle of risk based and thematic independent audits to monitor their compliance with the scheme. Regular communications and meetings take place with lenders to discuss the results of the audits, additional correspondence and EFG related complaints. Oversight is enhanced through analysis by the British Business Bank of the transactional data recorded by the lenders.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has a mechanism in place to be notified of instances when a local authority does not issue a final statement of special educational needs within the statutory time limit of 26 weeks.
Mr Edward Timpson
Data is collected annually from all local authorities on the numbers of final statements issued for children with special educational needs (SEN).
Guidance to local authorities on the process and timescales for carrying out statutory SEN assessments and issuing final statements of SEN is provided in the 2001 ‘Special Educational Needs Code of Practice’ and the statutory timescales are also set out in ‘The Education (Special Educational Needs) (England) (Consolidation) Regulations 2001’.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason her Department’s internal report on the impact of fracking on rural communities has been made public only in redacted form; what the criteria are for imposing such redactions; and if she will make it her policy to publish the report in full.
Dan Rogerson
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw, John Mann, on 11 September 2014, Official Report, column 723W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will (a) make an assessment of and (b) discuss with the Office of Rail Regulation the punctuality record of the (i) 07:14, 07:29 and 07:44 Brighton to London Victoria and (ii) 17:32, 17:44 and 18:02 London Victoria to Brighton rail services in 2014.
Claire Perry
The performance of a franchise is measured across its entirety; we do not measure individual lines, routes or journey. Therefore, any penalties imposed are in respect of the performance of the entire franchise.
Any penalty on Network Rail’s performance is a matter for the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), which is an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in their board.
As an independent regulator, the ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts.
Performance across parts of the Southern and Thameslink franchises has not been up to the standards that passengers rightly expect.
Department officials and the ORR recently chaired a performance meeting with regard to the Brighton Main Line. The industry is working together to develop an action plan to improve train performance and this will be presented to the Rail Minister and local MPs on 2nd February in the House.
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 requests under the Community Right to Reclaim Land he has received.
Brandon Lewis
I have attached a table which outlines the actions we have taken in response to each substantive request under the Right to Reclaim since its introduction in 2011. Each case is considered on its individual merits. Even where a direction to dispose is not issued, the whole process of challenging the local authority can help fast-track their own disposal plans. We do not hold information on the status of the applicant.
The act of Whitehall forcing councils to dispose of land is controversial, there is a high threshold for deciding whether a disposal can be ordered..
There is a strong commitment from the Government to making the best use of its land and disposing of land that is no longer needed. As such in addition to the Right to Reclaim Land powers which relate primarily to local government or other public bodies, a new Right to Contest was created in January 2014. This gives individuals, communities and businesses the ability to challenge Government on land and property owned by Whitehall departments and their agencies which is being used, but where, if sold, a better economic use could be made of it. Whilst theoretically people can still use the Community Right to Reclaim Land for Government land, in practice, most will now be dealt with under Right to Contest.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of homes for which planning permission has been granted but on which construction has been stalled for more than five years.
Brandon Lewis
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 October 2014, to Question, UIN 207630.
We do not hold the requested figures on planning permission and the length of time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next expects the Friends of Syria Group to meet next.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Core Group of the Friends of Syria are due to meet in London on 22 January at senior official level, following the meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.