Tag: Parliamentary Question

Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the wishes of the local people and decisions of the local council are given priority in appeal decisions by the Planning Inspectorate.

Nick Boles

Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.

The Localism Act 2011 has strengthened the role of Local Plans and abolished the last Administration’s top-down Regional Strategies. Our streamlined National Planning Policy Framework strongly encourages areas to get up-to-date Local Plans in place, and we have been actively supporting councils in doing so. Local Plans now set the framework in which decisions on particular applications are taken, whether locally or at appeal, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Once adopted a neighbourhood plan will also become part of the area’s statutory development plan – an example of this Government’s localist agenda. Both local and neighbourhood plans are founded on thorough community involvement and are subject to public examination and consultation. Almost 1,000 communities have applied for a neighbourhood planning area to be designated, with 850 areas now designated.

Planning inspectors will take full account of all the evidence that is before them, including representations made by local residents and other interested parties. Each representation should be considered on their merits, paying careful regard to the relevant policy and material planning considerations.

Since the National Planning Policy Framework was introduced, the number of appeals received has fallen as has the number allowed. The quality of local decisions also remains high – 99 per cent of decisions are made locally with only approximately 1 per cent of planning applications overturned on appeal. Housing starts and housing construction are also up, as are permissions for new homes. This means there is more local decision-making, and our reforms are supporting badly-needed new homes within a locally-led planning system.

November 1, 2022
David Mowat – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2014-06-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has for the future of the Money Advice Service.

Andrea Leadsom

The government has commissioned an independent review of the Money Advice Service, led by Christine Farnish, which will report to me by the end of the year.

MAS has an important responsibility to increase financial knowledge and capability in the UK. The review will consider how effectively and efficiently MAS is meeting the consumer need for education and advice; and make recommendations on any changes to MAS’s approach that would better enable it to meet this need.

November 1, 2022
Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support he plans to give schools which have no kitchen facilities and are unable to build such facilities because of financial constraints, and which cannot have meals delivered from other local schools, to enable them to provide free school meals for infant children; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Laws

The Government is providing £150 million capital funding in 2014-15 to support the introduction of universal infant free school meals, in addition to over £1 billion additional revenue funding over the two years 2014 to 2016. Local authorities are also free to use some of the capital they receive for general maintenance and improvement purposes to upgrade kitchen and dining facilities in schools, if that is a priority locally.

The pilots of universal free school meal provision which ran in Newham and Durham between 2009 and 2011 showed, however, that building new facilities is not the only way to increase school meal uptake.

To help schools to find solutions which meet their local circumstances, on 6 March we launched a national support service which consists of a telephone and online advice service for schools, local authorities and caterers, and a direct-support service for schools which need additional support. The service is being provided by school food experts, the Children’s Food Trust and the Lead Association for Catering in Education, in conjunction with a number of delivery partners. More information is available at: http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/Root/schools/schoolfoodplan

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November 1, 2022
Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to prevent employers who engage in blacklisting receiving Government contracts.

Mr Nick Hurd

The blacklisting of employees is an unacceptable and unlawful practice, and Government takes any such allegations very seriously.

November 1, 2022
Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2014, Official Report, columns 161-2W, on Syria, on what basis the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom was selected as the recipient of £200,000.

Hugh Robertson

The FCO’s Human Rights Development Programme Board approved funding to the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) based on the strength of their project proposal. WILPF have been active in promoting the participation of Syrian women at the Geneva II peace conference, have developed a strong network of Syrian women activists, and work in close collaboration with other international non-governmental organisations. Their activities support our wider efforts to ensure that Syrian women are fully included in the political process.

November 1, 2022
Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has published for the use of local authorities in determining planning permission applications for the creation of cemeteries.

Nick Boles

In March, we published new planning guidance, which local planning authorities can use when determining planning applications. It explains that planning applications are considered on their own merits and, by law, must be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The ‘Open space, sports and recreation facilities’ section of the guidance addresses provision of open spaces of public value.

More broadly, separate to the planning system, the underlying statutory duties for local (burial) authorities are outlined in the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977. The associated guidance is overseen by the Ministry for Justice, and is available at:

www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/burials-and-coroners/burial-ground-managers.pdf

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November 1, 2022
Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the code governing detention of teenagers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act will be redrafted to ensure that 17 year olds in custody are treated as teenagers by the police.

Damian Green

I refer the Hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised Crime of 8th April 2014, Official Report , Column 202W.

November 1, 2022
Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Herefordshire.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Work has been ongoing in Herefordshire to search for appropriate locations for potential masts, and for each mast to: come to an agreement with a landlord, find an option to transmit signal back into the existing mobile networks, and ensure that the mast can be connected to a source of electricity

November 1, 2022
Elfyn Llwyd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Elfyn Llwyd on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department has issued to magistrates in Wales and England on the implications of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda for the functioning of the courts.

Jeremy Wright

The Department has engaged regularly with the magistracy on the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms, via the National Sentencer Probation Forum and other meetings, and through the usual communication channels. Our intention is to ensure that the magistracy and sentencers more widely are fully informed of the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms and associated implications, including for breach applications. Training for the magistracy and any sentencing guidelines relating to the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 will be a matter for the independent Judicial College and the Sentencing Council respectively.

November 1, 2022

Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cases of (a) rape, (b) sexual assault and (c) domestic violence were (i) reported to the Royal Military Police, (ii) referred by the Royal Military Police to prosecutors and (iii) directed for trial in each year since 2009.

Anna Soubry

The table below shows the number of cases of rape and sexual assault reported to the Royal Military Police, which of those were referred by the Royal Military Police to prosecutors and which were directed for trial since 2009.

These represent any case worldwide where the Royal Military Police has jurisdiction. Decisions to direct cases for trial are taken by the independent Service Prosecuting Authority.

Year	Number of rape cases reported to the Royal Military Police	Number of rape cases referred by the Royal Military Police to prosecutors	Number of rape cases directed for trial[1]
2009	20	15	10
2010	20	10	10
2011	20	15	5
2012	20	15	10
2013	20	5	10

Year	Number of sexual assault cases reported to the Royal Military Police	Number of sexual assault cases referred by the Royal Military Police to prosecutors	Number of sexual assault cases directed for trial1
2009	60	30	10
2010	65	45	30
2011	50	30	40
2012	35	25	25
2013	45	30	25

The figures have been rounded to the nearest five.The specific figure has not been disclosed to ensure that the alleged victim(s) cannot be identified. This is in line with the Sexual Offences (Amendments) Act 1976 and 1992.

Because of the way domestic violence statistics are recorded it is taking some time to collate the information. I will write to the hon. Member with an answer shortly.

[1] The figures relating to referrals and directions for trial use the date of referral receipt as the base line. The Service Prosecuting Authority often receive referrals in one year and the cases are directed, disposed and/or tried in the following year. As such there is no direct correlation to the number of cases brought in any one year. Over a period of time the figures may well fluctuate as additional referrals are either directed or non-instituted.

November 1, 2022