Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Burns on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment will be made, prior to the appointment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive, of each candidate’s knowledge of and expertise on procedural and constitutional issues.

    John Thurso

    Three organisations specialising in executive search services were invited to tender to provide support for the recruitment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive. Saxton Bampfylde was selected through this process.

    The selection panel comprises Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Andrew Lansley MP, Angela Eagle MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP and Dame Julie Mellor (Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman). No confirmation hearing is envisaged. The composition of the panel for the recruitment of the present postholder was Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Sir George Young MP, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP and Sheila Drew Smith.

    Knowledge of procedural and constitutional issues will be tested as part of the formal interview process. The Clerk of the House is appointed by the Crown by Letters Patent, on the recommendation of the Speaker to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister to the Crown. As part of normal pre-appointment checks it will be a requirement for the next Clerk of the House to be subject to security vetting. The terms of the recruitment brief were agreed by the Commission by correspondence, and the advertisement, finalised by the Speaker and the Director General of HR and Change, was based on the agreed brief.

  • Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been granted in relation to offences occurring as a result and in the course of escaping from or breaking out of prison in the last 25 years; and if he will make a statement.

    Jeremy Wright

    We do not centrally hold data on the number of occasions the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been exercised for the time period in question. Consequently, the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, as it would involve a manual trawl through the records of every prisoner who has formed part of the prison population for the last 25 years, to identify, firstly, if they have ever escaped from prison custody and secondly, if a request to exercise the Royal Prerogative of Mercy was successful.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) permanent and (b) non-permanent staff were employed in her Department on 1 June 2014.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    As of 1 June 2014, my Department employed 155 permanent members of staff made up of Home Civil Servants and Northern Ireland Civil Servants staff seconded to the Northern Ireland Office. Three part-time members of staff are engaged on an annual contract.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he expects High Speed 2 will require a separate ticket pricing structure from regular rail services.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The HS2 business case demonstrates that the project can deliver significant benefits for the country without any fares differential being required for journeys using the high speed line. It is too soon to know what fares will be set for travel on HS2 services. Government decisions about fares structures and regulation will be taken closer to the commencement of HS2 Phase One services in 2026.

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many households with a below-average income have received support for comprehensive insulation of their homes in the last year.

    Gregory Barker

    The Coalition Government is committed to fighting fuel poverty through the installation of robust energy efficiency measures.

    Statistics published this morning show that from the start of 2013 to the end of April 2014, 394,000 low-income and vulnerable consumers, or households in specified areas of low income, had benefitted from energy efficiency measures being installed under the new Energy Company Obligation.

  • 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 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households that will receive cashback under the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16, (c) 2016-17 and (d) all further years for which funding has been allocated.

    Gregory Barker

    The total number of homes supported under the GDHIF scheme will be dependent on a number of factors. Given these are unknown factors currently, the number of homes potentially supported could vary significantly. Up to £120m has been allocated to this scheme for 2014/15. A decision on allocating funding for future years has yet to be taken.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many times she has visited Northern Ireland since 1 January 2014; and what the length was of each such visit.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I have visited Northern Ireland 14 times since 1 January 2014. On two occasions the length of the visit was a day, on ten occasions the length of the visit was two days and on two occasions the length of the visit was 3 days.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to compensate people who have paid for an upgrade in their passport application as a result of delays in processing their original application.

    James Brokenshire

    Anyone who needs to travel within the next seven days and who has waited longer
    than the standard processing time of three weeks, through no fault of their
    own, will be able to upgrade their application without charge. After their
    application has been through the proper checks, the processing, printing and
    delivery of the new passport will be fast-tracked for free. This policy was
    announced by the Home Secretary to the House of Commons on 12 June and will
    not be applied retrospectively.

    HM Passport Office’s policy on compensation is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/compensation-and-complaints-handling

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what formula is being used to distribute (a) the £185 million fund to help repair local roads damaged by severe weather announced and (b) the £200 million Challenge Fund announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2014 Budget Statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    (a) The distribution of the £185 million provided to help repair local roads damaged by severe weather is described table below.

    (b) Funding formula for the £200 million Challenge Fund announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2014 Budget Statement.

    £32 million is being provided directly to the devolved administrations as a result of the Barnett formula. It is a matter for the devolved administrations how their shares of the funds are used.

    On 24 April 2014 English local highway authorities were in invited to bid for a share of a £168 million Pothole Fund to repair local roads.

    Local authorities wishing to apply for a share of the funding are required to submit an application to the Department for Transport by 22 May 2014. Details of the application are available to view via:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pothole-fund-2014-to-2015-application

    “

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recent report from Mind entitled Fulfilling Potential? ESA and the fate of the Work-Related Activity Group.

    Esther McVey

    The Government has put in place a comprehensive system of support for disabled people and those with health conditions. We keep all our policies under review and are committed to improving further the employment support offered.