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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff working (a) at No. 10 Downing Street and (b) for the Prime Minister (i) have been allowed to attend National Security Council meetings and (ii) had access to Top Secret meetings or documents without being required to have had a security vetting, since May 2010.

    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.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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 the operational responsibilities of lenders under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme are; and what steps his Department has taken to ensure these are upheld.

    Matthew Hancock

    We require all lenders participating in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme to give clear and accurate information to borrowers and to ensure that their customer-facing staff understand the way in which the scheme operates. Lenders are provided with a comprehensive EFG scheme manual and are subject to a continuous cycle of independent external audit to monitor their compliance with the scheme terms. Following evidence of concerns of lending by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in August 2014, my officials asked RBS to instigate an internal review into this issue, and the Secretary of State has subsequently met with RBS to discuss these findings.

    EFG lenders follow their normal procedures according to internal policies throughout the administrative lifecycle of an EFG-backed loan. Lenders confirm eligibility of applicants and provide a transactional record to the British Business Bank – which now administers the programme on behalf of the Department – through an on-line tool. Regular dialogue is maintained between the British Business Bank and the lenders.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    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’.

  • Julian Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julian Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    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.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    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.

  • 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 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.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    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.

  • Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    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.

  • Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Mexican counterpart on strengthening UK-Mexico business relations.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I visited Mexico from 2 to 5 November and held High Level Political Talks with Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Meade and Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos de Icaza. We discussed a broad range of topics which included our respective efforts to tackle Ebola, countering extremism across the globe, human rights, as well as strengthening UK-Mexico business relations. The UK and Mexico are committed to doubling bilateral trade from 2010 levels by the end of this year.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of new cases of historic child abuse which have come forward in the last 12 months; and what recent assessment she has made of the capabilities of police forces to deal with such cases.

    Lynne Featherstone

    Child sexual abuse is a reprehensible crime which this government is determined to stamp out. We have been clear that if anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, or knows of someone who has been a victim, then they should
    report it to the police so that it can be thoroughly investigated. The Home Office does not collate statistics on the number of historic cases of child abuse being reported. The resourcing for individual operations investigating child sexual abuse is an operational matter for the relevant Chief Officer.

    Operation Hydrant is the national policing response to the oversight and co-ordination of all child abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence or those offences which took place historically in institutional
    settings. Overseen by the National Policing Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigations, Operation Hydrant is responsible for the production of best practice guidance for Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) investigating
    relevant allegations.

    The College of Policing has also produced Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for forces on Managing complex child abuse investigations.