The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consideration her Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.
Mr Alan Duncan
DFID considers a number of factors including relevant diversity clauses when considering contracts and grants.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of employment opportunities resulting from the Commonwealth Games; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
It is estimated by the Organising Committee, Glasgow 2014 Ltd, that up to 30,000 employment opportunities will be created by the Commonwealth Games.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thornton on 2014-06-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the feasibility of issuing non-gender-specific official documents to people who do not identify as a particular gender.
Baroness Northover
Under UK law only male or female is recognised as a gender. We recognise that a very small number of people consider themselves to be of neither gender. We are not aware that that results in any specific detriment, and it is not Government policy to identify such people for the purpose of issuing non-gender-specific official documents.
A specific review on gender markings in the British passport was carried out by Her Majesty’s Passport Office, which has been placed in the Library of both Houses. The review concluded that there would be no significant advantages to including a non-gender category along with male and female.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2014-06-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the annual savings arising from the Warship Support Modernisation Initiative introduced in 2005–06.
Lord Astor of Hever
The Warship Support Modernisation Initiative (WSMI), introduced in 2002, encompasses three separate contracts between the Ministry of Defence and the operators within Her Majesty’s Naval Bases (HMNB) at Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth.
Figures on savings are provided in the tables below. These are broken down on an annual basis where information is held in that format.
Annual Savings from the WSMI arrangement with Babcock Marine Ltd at HMNB Clyde
Based on the contractual share-line arrangements and the final/interim cost settlements the savings to MOD are as attached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2014-06-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the detailed breakdown of the estimated £12 to £15 million total cost of the special administration process in relation to Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.
Earl Howe
The £7,250,000 incurred by the special administration process at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust relates to the period when the trust special administrators (TSAs) were appointed in April 2013, to the point at which the Secretary of State announced his decision to accept the TSAs’ proposals in February 2014.
We are informed by Monitor that the total figure of £7,250,000 can be broadly broken down as follows:
– Cost of the TSAs and supporting team to run the Trust – £2,000,000;
– Cost of solution development – £3,600,000; and
– Cost of stakeholder engagement and consultation – £1,650,000.
Monitor has estimated the total cost of the special administration process will be £12 to £15 million. This was first announced as part of its decision to accept the TSAs’ final proposals on 16 January 2104 and re-stated in an announcement on 13 March 2014. This includes the £7,250,000 and £250,000 expenses incurred up to the point of the Secretary of State’s decision.
The remainder of the estimated total cost consists of costs incurred in the period leading up to the dissolution of the trust. These are the cost of continuing to employ a team to run the trust, and the cost of implementing the recommendations set out in the TSAs’ Final Report.
We are also informed by Monitor that an original budget for the remaining costs was agreed at approximately £7,000,000.
That total figure of £7,000,000 can be broadly broken down as follows:
– Cost of the TSAs and supporting team to run the Trust – £1,500,000;
– Cost of delivering the transaction – £2,100,000; and
– Cost of splitting the Trust – £3,400,000.
The team running the trust will be required to remain in place up to the point at which the trust is dissolved.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on 2014-06-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the future population level of each English region, in the light of the Office for National Statistics’ mid-year forecast of the population of England by 2034.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward proposals to give employers the choice of (a) having either a direct Government contract for apprenticeships and (b) accessing funding support through their chosen training provider.
Matthew Hancock
The Government has consulted on different options for routing apprenticeship funding via employers. The consultation closed on 1 May 2014. We are currently analysing the responses and are committed to designing a system that works for employers of all sizes and in all sectors. Next steps will be announced in the autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2014-06-16.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what performance indicators he has agreed with National Savings and Investments (NS&I) on the delivery of tax-free childcare; how often NS&I will be benchmarked against such indicators; how often the results of this benchmarking will be made available; what penalties have been agreed for poor performance against these indicators; and if he will make a statement.
Nicky Morgan
On the 23 May the Government published a further consultation on the delivery of childcare accounts within Tax-Free Childcare. The consultation will be open until 27 June and the Government will consider the responses alongside those to the first consultation before it makes its decision on the provision of childcare accounts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of public libraries open for more than 10 hours a week provided access to online catalogues in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The detail requested is not held centrally by this Department and nor is it collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy as part of the annual public library statistics provided by individual library authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the final investment approval for Project Teutates.
Mr Philip Dunne
I am unable to place a copy of the business case that sought investment approval for project Teutates in the library as the document contains classified information.