Tag: Parliamentary Question

Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has spent on agency workers to cover clerical staff in each month since January 2014.

Andrew Selous

Since April 2010 we have cut our overall spend on temporary staff by £35.5m. We only use temporary staff to fill business-critical posts and essential frontline services where they can provide a fast, flexible and efficient way to obtain necessary skills that are not currently available in-house. We will continue to examine our use of contractors and look for further reductions.

In responding to each question we have utilised data provided by our contracted supplier of temporary clerical staff and contracted supplier of temporary operational staff. As the data provided has been supplied by two different third parties there is a slight difference in the way that the answer to question 3 and 4 has been presented.

Temporary operational staff relate to Operational Support Grades (OSGs) used within HM Prison Service. We have contracts in place to provide temporary OSGs to fill in gaps in requirements, for building projects or to fill vacancies short term. Temporary OSGs are a very small proportion of our staff complement.

Uniform operational support staff are Operational Support Grades (OSGs).These are uniformed staff who undertake a wide range of duties in prisons, for example operating prison gates, working in security and managing stores areas. They also escort contractors and their vehicles.

1) The following amounts (exclusive of VAT) have been spent on clerical agency staff across –

January 2014 – £2,983,633.14 (5 week period)

February 2014 – £2,613,023.10 (4 week period)

March 2014 – £2,591,678.87 (4 week period)

April 2014 – £2,900,742.70 (5 week period)

May 2014 – £2,398,053.57 (4 week period)

June 2014 – £658,700.28 (1 week period)

2) The following amounts (exclusive of VAT) have been spent on uniform operational support staff –

January 2014 – £1,082,247 (5 week period)

February 2014 – £1,420,329 (4 week period)

March 2014 – £1,137,834 (4 week period)

April 2014 – £1,249,908 (4 week period)

May 2014 – £2,282,468 (5 week period)

The spend for May 2014 also includes the backdated annual pay rise for eligible workers from 1^st April 2014.

3) The following number of clerical agency staff have been utilised –

January 2014 – 1571 (Average headcount)

February 2014 – 1634 (Average headcount)

March 2014 – 1624 (Average headcount)

April 2014 – 1578 (Average headcount)

May 2014 – 1644 (Average headcount)

June 2014 – 1674 (Average headcount)

4) The following number of uniform operational support staff have been utilised –

January 2014 – 697 (Peak worker number)

February 2014 – 845 (Peak worker number)

March 2014 – 867 (Peak worker number)

April 2014 – 853 (Peak worker number)

May 2014 – 855 (Peak worker number)

June 2014 – Peak worker number not available yet.

November 1, 2022
Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many parking tickets were issued against owners of vehicles parked illegally on pavements in each of the last five years; and how many such people were prosecuted in each such year.

Mr Robert Goodwill

In London, there is in general a ban on parking on the footway. Outside London, local authorities have wide-ranging powers to make Traffic Regulation Orders to prohibit pavement parking on designated lengths of highway or over a wide area. The former Transport Minister, the Hon Member for Lewes, Norman Baker, wrote to local authorities in February 2011 urging them to take up these powers. Local authorities with Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) powers are responsible for parking enforcement, including that relating to the footway.

In addition, the Department has developed and authorised new traffic signs for local authorities to use where pavement parking is prohibited.

With regard to the number of parking tickets issued, individual local authorities are required to keep records of all penalty charge notices issued. The Department for Transport does not record this information centrally.

November 1, 2022
Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what scope there is for amending an individual’s claimant commitment after it has first been drawn up.

Esther McVey

Once in place, both the claimant and Jobcentre Plus work coach can ask for the Claimant Commitment to be changed at any time.

November 1, 2022
Rachel Reeves – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2014-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what happens to a Remploy worker personal budget if the full amount is not used by the individual within 18 months.

Mike Penning

Personal budgets are an important part of the £8 million People Help and Support Package (PHSP) which was not available for those affected by the 2008 Modernisation Plan. Personal budgets provide additional support where other sources of funding are unavailable.

There is no specific funding allocation for personal budgets within the £8million PHSP package and the budget for each former Remploy disabled employee is allocated based on individual need.

We anticipate that all funding for the PHSP package will be utilised by the time the last People Help and Support Package period is completed.

Latest figures as of 18 April 2014 show 1,516 disabled former Remploy workers have chosen to work with our Personal Case Workers to find another job and 727 are in work.

November 1, 2022
Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2014-06-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that war memorials around the United Kingdom are kept in good condition.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

There is a wide range of support available for the repair, conservation and protection of war memorials from the Memorials Grant Scheme run by DCMS, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the War Memorials Trust, English Heritage and others. In addition, the Government has announced an additional £5 million to ensure that war memorials and significant burial sites are in a good condition for the centenary. Further details will be announced in due course.

November 1, 2022

Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2014-04-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much in cash terms and what proportion of total university funding came from (a) domestic tuition fees, (b) foreign student fees, (c) public funding and (d) external sponsorship in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr David Willetts

Information on the finances of English Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). A summary of the income of publicly-funded HEIs in England from Home and EU Tuition Fees, Non-EU Tuition Fees, Public Funding and External Sponsorship has been provided in the table.

Income of publicly-funded higher education institutions⁽¹⁾

English Higher Education Institutions

Academic year 2012/13

Academic year	Income (£ millions)	Share of Total Income (%)
Total Course Fee Income	10,142	41.7%
Of which…
Home & EU Tuition Fees	6,479	26.6%
Non-EU Tuition Fees	2,997	12.3%
Other Tuition Fee Income⁽²⁾	666	2.7%
Public Funding ⁽³⁾	8,580	35.3%
External Sponsorship ⁽⁴⁾	5,598	23.0%
Total Income	24,320	100.0%

Source: HESA Finance Record

Notes:

All figures are rounded to the nearest £ million and, as a result, columns may not total correctly.

⁽¹⁾The University of Buckingham are the only non-publicly funded HEI to return financial data to HESA and their income has been omitted from the final figures.

⁽²⁾Other Tuition Fee Income includes income received from FE Courses and Non-Credit bearing courses.

⁽³⁾Public Funding refers to funding received from Funding Bodies, BIS Research Councils, UK Central Government, Local Authorities, Health and Hospital Authorities and EU Government Bodies.

⁽⁴⁾External Sponsorship refers to income from non-public sources including research grants and other income from EU and UK industry, commerce and other corporations.

November 1, 2022

Lord Ashcroft – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ashcroft on 2014-06-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any civilian honours other than the George Cross can be awarded posthumously.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 16 June 2014, (Official Report) Column Ref WA126.

November 1, 2022
Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-04-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to ensure that the Latin American community is better recognised in official statistics.

Mr Nick Hurd

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

November 1, 2022
Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with Royal Mail Group, Ofcom or officials or Ministers in other departments about invoking section 44(9) and section 44(10) of the Postal Services Act 2011 to ask Ofcom to report on the sustainability of the Universal Service Obligation.

Jenny Willott

None.

Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament gave Ofcom the primary duty to secure the ongoing provision of the universal service and to this end Ofcom must also have regard for the provision of a universal service to be financially sustainable.

Ofcom monitors market developments, including any impacts on Royal Mail’s performance and operational efficiency, and has the regulatory powers and tools to intervene if the sustainability of the universal service is ever at risk.

As part of its monitoring regime, Ofcom publishes a report every year on Royal Mail’s performance and the postal market, and this includes an update on the financial sustainability of the universal service. More information about Ofcom’s regulatory regime can be found on its website (www.ofcom.org.uk).

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November 1, 2022
John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what levels of stock the Church Commissioners hold of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

Sir Tony Baldry

The Church Commissioners do not keep inventories of stationery items and office consumables, to calculate the stock levels held would incur a disproportionate cost. The level of stock is monitored regularly, and replenished as necessary to meet staff needs.

November 1, 2022