UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Clive Betts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Clive Betts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect a hydrogen transport system would have on air quality in (a) London and (b) the UK.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    As set out in Driving the Future Today our strategy document published last year, the Government is committed to the move to ultra-low emission vehicles. We recognise the economic opportunities for the UK that this transition provides as well its potential contribution to cutting the emissions from road transport.

    The Government’s approach to this agenda has been consistently technology neutral and we have been active participants in UKH2Mobility. This is a joint industry-Government project evaluating the potential for hydrogen as a transport fuel and the scope to make the UK an early market for the commercial deployment of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) from 2015 onwards. The UKH2Mobility project is ongoing and both Government and industry participants are working together to consider the steps needed to secure the benefits of moving to hydrogen as a transport fuel for the UK. This includes the clear contribution that studies have shown FCEVs can make to improving air quality in the UK. We have undertaken no specific research on the impact of FCEVs on air quality in London.

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide additional funding for Cleveland Police to assist in (a) retaining and (b) increasing the number of police officers in operation in Hartlepool constituency.

    Damian Green

    Like all parts of the public sector the police must play their part in
    reducing the deficit and the vast majority of forces are rising to the
    challenge of reducing costs, maintaining services and cutting crime.
    Ultimately what matters is how officers are deployed, not how many of them
    there are and, in Cleveland, police recorded crime has fallen by 14 per cent
    since 2010.

  • Meg Munn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Meg Munn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Munn on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish on the government website an up-to-date impact assessment for universal credit.

    Esther McVey

    The Government published a detailed Impact Assessment in December 2012 to accompany the laying of the Universal Credit regulations that came into force in April 2013. There are no current plans to publish an update.

  • Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pete Wishart on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much HM Passport Office has paid in compensation for delays in customers receiving passports in each year since 2004.

    James Brokenshire

    Her Majesty’s Passport Office began recording data on complaints and compensation paid by various categories in 2005 so data is not held relating to 2004. Compensation paid to
    passport applicants relating to complaints concerning application processing
    delays amounted to:

    2005

    £13,064

    2006

    £18,684

    2007

    £1,888

    2008

    £2,090

    2009

    £1,504

    2010

    £11,978

    2011

    £933

    2012

    £2,999

    2013

    £1,445

  • Caroline Dinenage – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Caroline Dinenage – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Dinenage on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to ensure that a higher proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds participate in the National Citizen Service.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Social mix is at the core of National Citizen Service. We take great care to ensure that all young people, regardless of background, are able to take part in the programme – and we know this is working.

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how he plans to allocate National Probation Service staff to new community rehabilitation companies.

    Jeremy Wright

    On 1 June, as part of our ongoing Transforming Rehabilitation Programme of reform, the new National Probation Service (NPS) and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) formally commenced operation. All probation staff were allocated to either the NPS or CRC and many have been working in their new teams since April.

    The probation workforce was allocated to the new organisations in line with future capacity needs. This was calculated on the basis of existing staffing needs for the different operational functions. The process was based on an objective consideration of the future functions and offender groups that each organisation will be responsible for.

    There are no plans to allocate NPS staff to CRCs. However to help ensure effective working relationships between the bodies, we are in favour of an arrangement that would facilitate interchange between the NPS and CRCs where it was in the interests of both employers.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 2 April (WA 208–12), how many prosecutions have been brought in the last 10 years in connection with religious hatred offences (as distinct from homophobic hatred offences) under sections 29B and 29C of the Public Order Act 1986 and in connection with religiously aggravated offences (as distinct from racially aggravated offences) under sections 31 and 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

    Lord Faulks

    It is not totally possible to identify separately offences of religious hatred from those of homophobic hatred or religious aggravation from those offences of racial aggravation. Relevant details may be held on the court record, which can only be checked at disproportionate cost.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the proportion of offenders present at parole board hearings when a victim personal statement is read.

    Jeremy Wright

    The victims of serious violent and sexual offences, where the offender has been sentenced to 12 months or more, may opt into the statutory Victim Contact Scheme, operated by the National Probation Service. Where they do so, they will be informed of a Parole Board review and offered the opportunity to make a Victim Personal Statement (VPS). The VPS provides victims with a valuable opportunity to tell the Parole Board how the offence has affected them or their family, both at the time it was committed and since, and how they think the offender’s release would affect them. The VPS can contribute to a better and more informed hearing, as it may enable more robust questioning of the offender about the offence, remorse and victim empathy.

    The independent Parole Board is responsible for the conduct of parole hearings. The normal practice is that the offender will not be present when the victim reads his/her VPS, but there may be circumstances where he/she will be. In many cases, the victim does not wish the offender to be present during the reading. Whilst the conduct of an individual hearing is for the Chair of the Panel of the Parole Board, the Chair cannot insist that the prisoner attends to hear the VPS being read if s/he does not wish to do so. No estimate has been made centrally of the proportion of offenders present at the hearing when the VPS is read out.

  • Lord Greaves – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Greaves – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average waiting time for completion of disclosure and barring service checks in the (1) standard, (2) enhanced, and (3) enhanced with list checks, categories.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    For the financial year 2013-14 the average turnaround times were as follows :-

    All Enhanced Disclosures: 11.9 Days (3,715,222 Disclosures)
    All Standard Disclosures: 4.8 Days (233,511 Disclosures)

    Enhanced disclosures are broken into :-

    Enhanced Disclosures with List Checks: 12 Days (3,554,721 Disclosures)
    Enhanced Disclosures with NO List Checks: 10.9 Days (160,501 Disclosures)

  • Frank Dobson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Frank Dobson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Dobson on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what form he expects the Chinese investment in High Speed 2 to take.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The 2013 Spending Review provided a long-term funding commitment of £50bn to deliver HS2. We are continuously seeking ways to reduce costs to the taxpayer, and we are very open to proposals around including elements of private financing, including Chinese investment.

    Opportunities for external investment might exist in relation to rolling stock and development and regeneration around stations. This could provide benefits to both taxpayers and investors.