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 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when HM Prison High Down has had to (a) close wings, (b) close workshops and (c) restrict family visits due to staff shortages since September 2013.

    Jeremy Wright

    The information regarding when HM Prison Highdown has had to (a) close wings due to staffing shortages is not recorded. The occasions that workshops have closed since September 2013 (b) are listed below. Family visits (c) have not been restricted due to staffing shortages during this period.

    There are appropriate levels of staffing at the prison at all times and prisoners who engage in work and education are out of the cells for between 8 and 10 hours a day. For those that do not engage, they are still out of their cell for a minimum of 4 hours a day. In the rare occurrence that a wing should need to close, prisoners still spend at least four hours out of their cells.

    (b) HMP Prison Highdown has had to close workshops on the following occasions since September 2013:

    October 2013

    14th and 22nd

    November 2013

    1st (workshop 6 only)

    20th

    December 2013

    9th (workshop 6 only)

    16th (am)

    January 2014

    6th

    16th (pm, workshops 5 & 6)

    20th (workshops 4, 5 & 6)

    21st

    29th

    31st (am)

    February 2014

    18th (workshop 5 & 6)

    March 2014

    No closures

    April 2013

    19th (am)

  • Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the EU Roadworthiness Directive on the owners of historic vehicles in the UK.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department will shortly start seeking views and evidence from interested organisations, individuals and the devolved administrations on the best way to implement the new rules in Directive 2014/45/EU relating to historic vehicles. We will seek to minimise burdens while supporting road safety. Any changes need not come in to force in domestic legislation until May 2018.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that workers report work-related stress to their employers.

    Mike Penning

    Health and safety regulations already place a duty on employers to consult with all employees over issues that may affect their health and safety, including work-related stress.

    My department will also introduce a new Health and Work Service to provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GPs to help individuals with health conditions, including stress and other psychological problems, to stay in or return to work. This service will provide a more effective system for employees to report work-related stress issues.

    The service is due to begin by the end of 2014.

  • Biography information for Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Biography information for Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Pamela Nash on Work and Pensions.

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    Mike Penning

    The information you have requested is not currently available. Statistics on clearance times are intended for future publication but releasing them at this stage would give an incorrect representation of the process since the system has not yet reached maturity, and further quality assurance of the data is required.

    Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.

  • 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 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 998, with which other countries his Department is working on the New Climate Economy report.

    Gregory Barker

    The New Climate Economy study was launched last September and is due to be published in September 2014, ahead of the UN Climate Summit in New York that month.

  • Biography information for David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Biography information for David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for David Ward on Justice.

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    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Government considered the recommendation to reduce the three year limitation period for soft tissue personal injury claims made by the Transport Committee in its whiplash report of 15 July 2013. While the recommendation was not taken forward at that time, the Government remains committed to cutting the cost of whiplash and is willing to consider proposals that will achieve that aim.

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the level of TUPE contract protection available to fraud staff currently employed by local authorities who will be transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions as part of the single fraud investigation service.

    Esther McVey

    DWP has considered whether the creation of SFIS falls within the TUPE definitions. The regulations state “…the transfer of administrative functions between public administrative authorities is not a relevant transfer” (for the purpose of TUPE). After careful consideration, DWP has concluded that benefit fraud investigations fall within this category, and as such, TUPE would not apply.

    DWP has however, made clear that the success of SFIS is a priority and we intend to transfer staff currently working on fraud investigations from Local Authorities. To effect those transfers, DWP will apply the approach set out in the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice for Staff Transfers in the Public Sector (COSOP) and staff will transfer under a Statutory Transfer Scheme (STS) as provided for under Section 38 of the Employment Relations Act 1999. In line with COSOP, the terms and conditions for transferring staff will be protected.

  • Biography information for Chris Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Biography information for Chris Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Chris Williamson on Communities and Local Government.

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    Brandon Lewis

    On 23 May we published a second consultation on the draft regulations to implement the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2015. Under the scheme design a firefighter who earns £29,000 and retires after a full career aged 60 will get a £19,000 a year pension. The Department will carry out further consultations during 2014 on the governance and transitional arrangements for the firefighter pension reforms. I do not intend to consult again on the draft regulations on which I am currently consulting. The Fire Brigades Union should engage in the current formal consultation process rather than pursuing unnecessary industrial action. The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-regulations-to-introduce-a-new-firefighters-pension-scheme-from-april-2015 and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

    “

  • Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when the stabilisation period in respect of the privatisation of Royal Mail, as detailed in the engagement letter between his Department and the underwriting banks, ends; and how that period has been defined.

    Michael Fallon

    The stabilisation period, also known as a "greenshoe" or "over-allotment" option, is a market-standard provision that allows the Initial Public Offering’s (IPO) stabilisation manager to provide share price stabilisation (if required) for up to 30 days post-commencement of conditional dealings. In the case of the Royal Mail, the stabilisation manager was UBS and the stabilisation period ended on 8 November.

    In the engagement letter, the payment of the discretionary fee was linked to the ending of the stabilisation period. However, we informed the banks involved that a decision would not be taken in the timeframe set out in the engagement letter given the volatility of the Royal Mail share price after the IPO.

    We have not set a rigid timetable for the decision on the payment of the discretionary fee which remains unpaid.

  • Biography information for William Bain – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Biography information for William Bain – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for William Bain on Cabinet Office.

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    Mr Nick Hurd

    This Government has transformed central government procurement to make it more accessible to small and medium sized businesses. We are in the process of implementing Lord Young’s recommendations to create an SME-friendly ‘single market’ in wider public procurement, and we will go even further through reforms in the forthcoming Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill.