Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the technology used for the digital voucher system for accessing funds from the apprenticeship levy will allow companies to direct unused funds to smaller companies in their supply chains.

    Nick Boles

    In the first year of the levy, employers will be able to use funds in their levy account to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment of their own employees. We know that some employers will want to use funds in their digital account to pay for apprenticeship training of other employer’s apprentices, for example, someone in their supply chain. We will make an assessment of the pros and cons of any approach, including the trade-offs with other design choices, before providing further information in June.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received about plans to redevelop Cardiff Central railway station.

    Claire Perry

    I am aware of local stakeholder interest in the redevelopment of Cardiff Central Station which was identified by the rail industry in the Welsh Route Study as a choice for funders for the next five year Network Rail funding period (CP6, 2019-2024). I stand ready to discuss with the Welsh Government and the new Cardiff City Region Capital Transport Authority how a potentially viable and fundable scheme for Cardiff Central Station could be developed.

    Later this year, the rail industry will present its initial advice on investment needs for the national network, for 2019 onwards. On the basis of this advice, Government intends to articulate its emerging priorities for improvements to the national network during 2017.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school leavers in each of the local authorities of the Liverpool City Region who were (a) entitled and (b) not entitled to free school meals went to university in the last five years for which figures are available.

    Edward Timpson

    Information is given on the number and percentage of students completing key stage 5 study (A level and other level 3 qualifications) in mainstream state-funded schools and colleges, and progressing to study at a UK Higher Education Institution for at least two terms the following year; in each of the last four years for which information is available. Free school meal eligibility is as recorded when students were in year 11.

    The tables attached show figures for the six local authorities in the Liverpool City Region: a) Halton, b) Knowsley, c) Sefton, d) St Helen’s, e) Wirral, and f) Liverpool. Comparable figures for g) the North West and h) England are given for context. Numbers of pupils are shown rounded to the nearest ten, as published. Percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.

    Information on pupil destinations at local authority, regional and national level is published annually on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-destinations

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  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that national security issues relating to Hinkley Point C and Bradfield in Essex remain a priority in decision-making over those sites.

    Jesse Norman

    Government takes the security of existing and proposed nuclear facilities very seriously.

    The UK civil nuclear sector is subject to a thorough safety and security regulatory regime, overseen by the independent Office for Nuclear Regulation.

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on (a) temporary agency staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising in real terms in each year since 2010-11.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Administration has been assumed to be the Departmental Expenditure Limit Administrative spend and has been taken from the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2014/15 (Table 4, page 184).

    The information that is available is in the table below:

    The Department for Work and Pensions spent the following amounts:

    Temporary Agency Staff £m

    Consultants £m

    Administration £m

    2010/11

    30.8

    14.3

    5,610

    2011/12

    11.5

    8.7

    1,333

    2012/13

    12.6

    8.4

    1,180

    2013/14

    13.1

    11.7

    1,091

    2014/15

    31.1

    10.5

    894

    Information on marketing and advertising costs could only be provided at disproportionate cost. To put this into context, the cost of temporary agency staff was just over 1% of the Department’s paybill in 2014-15.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nadine Dorries – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to require improvement of the punctuality and reliability of Govia Thameslink train services.

    Claire Perry

    I am chairing a monthly meeting involving Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), Southeastern and Transport Focus to monitor and co-ordinate improvements in both performance and passenger experience in the South East. This work builds upon the Joint Improvement Plan that was developed in the Spring. This Group is absolutely committed to see improvement and, crucially, to make sure that rail customers see the benefits of these improvements.

    GTR failed to meet their benchmark for cancellations set out in their Franchise Agreement and in the view of the Secretary of State they are also likely to exceed their delay minutes benchmark in the near future. In order to address their poor performance and hold them to account we issued them with a Remedial Plan Notice that requires them to set out the measures they will take to improve their performance. GTR have submitted their plan and once the measures are agreed by the Secretary of State they will become contractually binding through a Remedial Agreement. Officials regularly monitor GTR’s performance and this will include the delivery of the measures and performance improvements agreed through the Remedial Plan. Non-compliance may result in further enforcement action in line with the Franchise Agreement should the need arise.

    Network Rail’s performance is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road, who have recently agreed a £4.1m package of improvements to be delivered by Network Rail on the Southern part of GTR franchise area in order to address performance issues.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 16 December 2015 (HL4139), what assessment they have made of whether the police have sufficient officers to undertake enforcement action to deal with moving traffic offences outside London.

    Lord Bates

    The Government has not made any assessment of this nature. It is a matter for chief officers, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners to decide the size and makeup of their workforce, taking into account local priorities.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department have had with (i) James Murdoch and (ii) representatives from Sky UK Limited in each year since 2012.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Details of Ministers’ and Senior Civil Servants’ meetings with external organisations, including senior media figures, are published routinely and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications on Gov.uk.

    “

  • Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on the UK farming industry.

    George Eustice

    Defra has not made any assessment of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on the UK farming industry.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an impact assessment has been carried out on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals to reduce the number of marine offices in the UK.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Guidance from Cabinet Office indicates that there is no requirement to complete a Business Engagement Assessment on this activity.