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Tag: Parliamentary Question

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

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research his Department has commissioned on a potential relationship between domestic abuse experienced by children and low educational attainment in later life.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education has not commissioned research on the possible relationship between domestic abuse and a child’s subsequent educational attainment. Reports published earlier this year by the Early Intervention Foundation and by Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse highlighted the impact on children’s wellbeing of exposure to domestic abuse. Though these reports did not focus on later educational attainment, they illustrated potential disruption to children’s lives that is likely to affect their education. The Government is committed to safeguarding children from any form of abuse.

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether his Department has any plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.

    Gregory Barker

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State reviewed the situation on 23 January 2014 and was content for no action to be taken on this matter.

  • John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to replace productive conifer forest cover lost as a result of the (a) Open Habitats Policy and (b) Ancient Woodlands Policy.

    Dan Rogerson

    Open habitats policy has a mechanism within it to ensure there is a balance between woodland creation and woodland loss based on the composition and productivity of the woodland that is being removed.

    The Forestry Commission monitors the area of woodland restored to open habitats and uses the data along with the quality of biodiversity benefit to determine whether compensatory planting should be required when granting a felling licence.

    Keepers of Time, the Ancient Woodland Policy, promotes the restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodlands to site native species for biodiversity benefits. There is no reason why these woods should not still be managed productively, albeit with a different timber crop.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit budgeting advances were made between April 2013 and April 2014.

    Esther McVey

    Budgeting support is available at the start of a Universal Credit claim. The requested information is not currently available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of how much solar farm capacity (a) has been installed in the UK and (b) will be installed (i) in 2015-16 and (ii) by 2020.

    Gregory Barker

    Energy Trends published in March 2014, show that at the end of 2013, there were 2698MW [1] of installed capacity across all scales of solar photovoltaic. From January to the end of March 2014, the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), which tracks all renewables projects over 0.01MW through the planning system (including both building mounted and ground mounted solar PV), shows an additional 264.37MW [2] of solar PV installed.

    It is not possible to state precisely how much solar PV will be installed in 2015-16.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/295362/ET_March_2014.PDF .

    [2]

    https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Highways Agency will be able to recover VAT in the same way as it can as an executive agency of his Department when it is transformed into a government-owned company.

    Mr David Gauke

    Special provisions apply to Government Departments and health authorities that enable them to recover VAT incurred on certain of their non-business activities. These are set out in section 41(3) of the VAT Act 1994.

    New bodies are not automatically covered by the above provisions, but the Treasury keeps all taxes under review.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to clinical commissioning groups about engagement with Local Safeguarding Children Boards.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are statutory members of Local Safeguarding Children Boards under section 13 of the Children Act 2004, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The inter-agency statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children, published by the Department for Education in 2013, describes the functions of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and the responsibilities of member organisations.

    NHS England published its Safeguarding Vulnerable People in the Reformed NHS: Accountability and Assurance Framework in 2013 to complement the statutory guidance and support CCGs and other National Health Service organisations in fulfilling their safeguarding responsibilities.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the pupil premium is available for pre-school children from service families; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Laws

    The pupil premium and the service children premium are additional resources provided to maintained schools and academies in England to support the education of 4-16 year-olds who meet the eligibility requirements.

    The Government has announced that a new early years pupil premium, worth £50 million, will be introduced from April 2015. It will give disadvantaged three- and four-year-old children better access to quality early education which evidence shows can have a major impact on their school readiness. The Government will consult later this year on how best to implement these proposals.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many mobile telephones have been found in prisons in England and Wales, by establishment, in each year since 2010.

    Jeremy Wright

    The National Offender Management Service takes the issues of mobile phones in prison seriously and is committed to addressing the risks that they present. Part of its response is to deploy technology in prisons that prevents mobile phones from working.

    The Government has supported the Prisons Interference with the Wireless Telegraphy Act which came into force on 21st October 2013. This Act creates clear statutory powers to enable all prisons to use signal denial technology to suppress the use of wireless telegraphy such as mobile phones by prisoners.

    A range of mobile signal denial technology was trialled in a small number of Prisons. The trials demonstrated that the equipment is capable of denying signals to illicit mobile phones within the prison perimeter as required by law and Ofcom regulations. NOMS has since distributed 300 short range portable blockers around the prison estate.

    Since April 2010, prisons have been asked to send all unauthorised phones and SIM cards found to a central unit for interrogation, or to notify the unit if an unauthorised phone or SIM card has been found but not sent for analysis. Data prior to April 2010 is not held centrally and data for 2013 and 2014 is being verified and is not yet available.

    The table below shows the number seizures of mobile phones and/or SIM cards reported by each prison between April 2010 and December 2012. One seizure may constitute a handset containing one SIM card or media card, a handset only, or a SIM card only.

    ESTABLISHMENT

    2010

    2011

    2012

    ACKLINGTON

    54

    28

    ALBANY

    3

    4

    ALTCOURSE (C)

    790

    609

    534

    ASHFIELD(C)

    1

    2

    2

    ASHWELL

    2

    7

    ASKHAM GRANGE

    2

    AYLESBURY

    278

    97

    29

    BEDFORD

    27

    55

    29

    BELMARSH

    15

    25

    9

    BIRMINGHAM

    248

    537

    302

    BLANTYRE HOUSE

    19

    12

    4

    BLUNDESTON

    27

    1

    11

    BRINSFORD

    12

    76

    45

    BRISTOL

    54

    33

    26

    BRIXTON

    46

    67

    28

    BRONZEFIELD(C)

    34

    12

    3

    BUCKLEY HALL

    11

    22

    149

    BULLINGDON

    42

    16

    6

    BULLWOOD HALL

    1

    8

    15

    BURE

    5

    1

    CAMP HILL

    98

    52

    22

    CANTERBURY

    22

    10

    21

    CARDIFF

    19

    36

    7

    CASTINGTON

    10

    11

    CHANNINGS WOOD

    64

    63

    15

    CHELMSFORD

    42

    38

    11

    COLDINGLEY

    37

    52

    42

    COOKHAM WOOD

    6

    1

    1

    DARTMOOR

    27

    16

    2

    DEERBOLT

    3

    15

    2

    DONCASTER(C)

    15

    6

    24

    DORCHESTER

    20

    14

    8

    DOVEGATE (C)

    5

    24

    15

    DOVER

    14

    21

    10

    DOWNVIEW

    5

    5

    2

    DRAKE HALL

    10

    2

    3

    DURHAM

    24

    41

    23

    EAST SUTTON PARK

    1

    5

    4

    EASTWOOD PARK

    3

    9

    1

    EDMUNDS HILL

    25

    22

    ELMLEY

    45

    47

    53

    ERLESTOKE

    62

    176

    137

    EVERTHORPE

    50

    32

    26

    EXETER

    14

    21

    15

    FEATHERSTONE

    39

    29

    133

    FELTHAM

    84

    65

    45

    FORD

    61

    250

    200

    FOREST BANK (C)

    122

    37

    105

    FOSTON HALL

    1

    2

    FRANKLAND

    6

    2

    7

    FULL SUTTON

    10

    4

    9

    GARTH

    76

    32

    39

    GARTREE

    14

    22

    65

    GLEN PARVA

    2

    4

    8

    GLOUCESTER

    1

    4

    3

    GRENDON

    17

    10

    3

    GUYS MARSH

    77

    182

    175

    HASLAR

    2

    HATFIELD

    10

    58

    154

    HAVERIGG

    107

    134

    291

    HEWELL

    76

    289

    335

    HIGHDOWN

    23

    68

    49

    HIGHPOINT

    80

    55

    180

    HINDLEY

    1

    4

    6

    HOLLESLEY BAY

    193

    129

    90

    HOLLOWAY

    7

    7

    10

    HOLME HOUSE

    18

    15

    5

    HULL

    23

    25

    13

    HUNTERCOMBE

    2

    36

    9

    ISIS

    8

    52

    39

    KENNET

    4

    5

    9

    KINGSTON

    6

    KIRKHAM

    273

    390

    493

    KIRKLEVINGTON GRANGE

    13

    15

    19

    LANCASTER CASTLE

    18

    LANCASTER FARMS

    89

    79

    25

    LATCHMERE HOUSE

    69

    40

    LEEDS

    53

    59

    27

    LEICESTER

    27

    26

    15

    LEWES

    38

    46

    30

    LEYHILL

    83

    27

    30

    LINCOLN

    28

    33

    4

    LINDHOLME

    164

    96

    145

    LITTLEHEY

    13

    34

    4

    LIVERPOOL

    138

    118

    88

    LONG LARTIN

    12

    31

    77

    LOW NEWTON

    3

    LOWDHAM GRANGE (C)

    27

    10

    26

    MAIDSTONE

    6

    34

    22

    MANCHESTER

    41

    36

    23

    MOORLAND

    111

    65

    13

    MOORLAND OPEN

    10

    MORTON HALL

    4

    5

    MOUNT

    86

    78

    182

    NEW HALL

    2

    1

    NORTH SEA CAMP

    86

    63

    67

    NORTHALLERTON

    7

    3

    NORTHUMBERLAND

    9

    15

    109

    NORWICH

    30

    15

    11

    NOTTINGHAM

    11

    38

    17

    OAKWOOD

    33

    ONLEY

    53

    68

    65

    PARC(C)

    32

    79

    16

    PARKHURST

    6

    8

    20

    PENTONVILLE

    207

    199

    124

    PETERBOROUGH(C)

    141

    145

    60

    PORTLAND

    24

    6

    11

    PRESCOED

    2

    4

    PRESTON

    18

    15

    9

    RANBY

    90

    124

    300

    READING

    12

    25

    7

    RISLEY

    72

    12

    37

    ROCHESTER

    6

    10

    23

    RYE HILL(C)

    42

    79

    70

    SEND

    3

    12

    11

    SHEPTON MALLET

    3

    7

    4

    SHREWSBURY

    3

    SPRING HILL

    12

    13

    34

    STAFFORD

    12

    69

    14

    STANDFORD HILL

    150

    186

    127

    STOCKEN

    26

    12

    30

    STOKE HEATH

    8

    28

    19

    STYAL

    7

    7

    9

    SUDBURY

    72

    120

    124

    SWALESIDE

    100

    58

    107

    SWANSEA

    2

    1

    SWINFEN HALL

    32

    44

    14

    THAMESIDE

    8

    THORN CROSS

    74

    79

    84

    USK

    2

    1

    1

    VERNE

    67

    144

    161

    WAKEFIELD

    1

    2

    3

    WANDSWORTH

    157

    131

    119

    WARREN HILL

    5

    10

    5

    WAYLAND

    20

    30

    17

    WEALSTUN

    57

    145

    155

    WELLINGBOROUGH

    61

    195

    181

    WERRINGTON HOUSE

    12

    4

    9

    WETHERBY

    5

    3

    5

    WHATTON

    9

    1

    WHITEMOOR

    18

    28

    17

    WINCHESTER

    39

    3

    31

    WOLDS(C)

    104

    96

    44

    WOODHILL

    4

    58

    74

    WORMWOOD SCRUBS

    141

    267

    39

    WYMOTT

    58

    50

    11

    Total

    6756

    7789

    7301

    All figures provided have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to cross-reference data on visual impairment with the electoral register for the purpose of improving election communications with the visually impaired.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it ensures that its public information campaigns are accessible to those with visual impairments, and that the voter registration and information materials it produces are available in a variety of formats including Braille and Easy Read. The Commission has written to the RNIB, following the evidence they gave to the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee on 1 May, to offer to meet to discuss what else could be done to help ensure that those with visual impairments can register and vote.

    The Commission also informs me that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for compiling and managing electoral registers and Returning Officers (ROs) are responsible for issuing election-related communications to those on the register. This includes poll cards and postal voting statements which must, by law, contain information telling the recipient what to do if they need the information provided in a different format. It is for EROs and ROs, in discharging their duties, to identify how best to meet the needs of individuals in their area who are visually impaired.