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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2016-10-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to transfer to other government departments any of the staff currently working within the Department for Exiting the EU, and if so, what is their estimate of the proportion of staff who will be moved to (1) the Ministry of Defence, (2) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (3) the Cabinet Office, or (4) other government departments.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The department is permanently headquartered at 9 Downing Street. This will not change and Ministers will continue to operate from this building. Staff are also accommodated in 70 Whitehall.

    We are working with the Government Property Unit as where to locate further staff on a more permanent basis.

    DExEU staff will continue to be employed on the basis of being ‘on loan’ from a wide variety of departments and will not permanently transfer departments. No staff have been formally moved from DExEU to the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet Office, or other government departments.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Glasgow and (d) Glasgow East constituency aged (i) 60, (ii) 61, (iii) 62, (iv) 63, (v) 64, (vi) 65, (vii) 66 and (viii) 67 are in receipt of the carer addition element of pension credit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested, to answer the three questions above, is shown in the table below for February 2015, which is the latest data available.

    Pension Credit Claimants with a Carer’s additional amount, by age and gender for Great Britain, Scotland, Glasgow City Local Authority and Glasgow East constituency – February 2015

    All Persons

    Age of claimant

    Great Britain

    Scotland

    Glasgow City LA

    Glasgow East Constituency

    Total all Ages

    209,740

    22,340

    3,490

    750

    60

    –

    –

    –

    –

    61

    10

    –

    –

    –

    62

    3,340

    360

    70

    10

    63

    7,510

    730

    140

    30

    64

    8,310

    900

    150

    40

    65

    8,120

    850

    130

    30

    66

    8,610

    920

    160

    40

    67

    9,090

    970

    170

    40

    Male

    Age of claimant

    Great Britain

    Scotland

    Glasgow City LA

    Glasgow East Constituency

    Total all Ages

    132,540

    13,330

    1,970

    400

    60

    –

    –

    –

    –

    61

    –

    –

    –

    –

    62

    2,010

    190

    40

    –

    63

    4,750

    430

    70

    10

    64

    5,430

    540

    80

    20

    65

    4,870

    490

    70

    10

    66

    5,170

    520

    80

    20

    67

    5,460

    540

    90

    20

    Female

    Age of claimant

    Great Britain

    Scotland

    Glasgow City LA

    Glasgow East Constituency

    Total all Ages

    77,200

    9,000

    1,520

    350

    60

    –

    –

    –

    –

    61

    –

    –

    –

    –

    62

    1,330

    170

    30

    10

    63

    2,760

    290

    60

    20

    64

    2,880

    360

    70

    20

    65

    3,260

    360

    60

    20

    66

    3,440

    400

    70

    20

    67

    3,630

    420

    80

    20

    Source: DWP, 100% data.

    Notes:
    1. "-" denotes nil or negligible; Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest ten; some additional disclosure control has also been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
    2. STATE PENSION AGE: The age at which men and women reach State Pension age is gradually increasing. Under current legislation, State Pension age for women will equalise with State Pension age for men at 65 in 2018. Both men’s and women’s State Pension age will increase from 65 to 66 between December 2018 and October 2020. The Pensions Bill 2013-14 contains provision for a State Pension age of 67 to be reached by 2028. For more information see:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207966/espa.pdf.
    3. Parliamentary Constituency of claimant (Westminster) these constituencies are used for the Westminster parliament

    4. Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:
    http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_publications.htm

    “

  • Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the grant from Viridor Credits to Twickenham Rowing Club was audited by ENTRUST, and what assessment they have made of the environmental objectives that grant fulfils.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Landfill Communities Fund is a tax credit scheme. It allows landfill operators to gain a tax credit against 90% of the voluntary donations they make to environmental bodies for spending on certain prescribed objectives.

    The prescribed objectives include:

    • the restoration of a building of historic interest or place of religious worship; and
    • the maintenance or improvement of a public amenity;

    within the vicinity of a landfill site.

    ENTRUST, the independent regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund assesses and approves applications for project funding to ensure they meet the objectives of the scheme. ENTRUST also carries out a programme of assurance under which a cross-section of projects are selected for audit to ensure they meet the prescribed objectives, and that funds are spent compliantly.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support property level flood resilience measures.

    James Wharton

    The Department is supporting local authorities affected by Storm Desmond and Storm Eva with community recovery, business support and property resilience through the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme. Initial guidance on the support available was sent to local authorities in December. More detailed guidance on support for property resilience was issued on 15 January, on the same day that a Property Level Resilience Workshop was hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University.

    To date the Department has paid out over £47 million under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme. It is for local authorities to determine how to use this money to best meet local need and ensure value for money.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ask the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to conduct an equality impact assessment as part of its decision-making process on the vaccination of adolescent boys.

    Jane Ellison

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr John Baron) on 20 July 2015 to Question 7298.

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the latest estimated costs or final costs are for each of the road projects referred to in the Government’s announcement entitled Major Roads Investment in the South West, published on 1 December 2014.

    Andrew Jones

    The latest cost estimates for road projects in the South West of England included in the Government’s Roads Investment Strategy (RIS) for 2015-20 are below:

    M49 Avonmouth Junction

    £37.3m – £53.6m

    A303 Sparkford to Ilchester Dualling

    £104.6m – £142.2m

    A358 Taunton to Southfields

    £351m – £517m

    M5 Junction 23

    less than £25m*

    A30 Chiverton Cross to Carland Cross

    £100m – £250m*

    A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down

    £864m – £1321m

    A417 Missing Link

    £250m – £500m *

    A30 Temple to Higher Carblake

    scheme cost £56.5m. Highways England contribution = £46.5m.

    * cost as provided in RIS Investment Plan

    Updated range estimates have been prepared for some schemes since the cost categories provided in the RIS in December 2014. As schemes are developed further, they will all have their estimates updated.

    I note in particular that historic attempts to improve the A303 were shelved by the previous Labour Government; we are determined to finally deliver the connectivity the south west deserves.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.19 of the Treasury report entitled, Overview of Tax Legislation and Rates, published on 16 March 2016, what impact assessment has been undertaken on which technologies will be added or removed from the list of qualifying technologies for the first-year allowance scheme for energy-saving and environmentally-beneficial technologies.

    Damian Hinds

    At Budget 2016, the Government announced changes to 100 percent enhanced capital allowances for energy-saving and environmentally-beneficial (water-efficient) technologies.

    Each autumn, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consult manufacturers and suppliers. DECC and Defra then recommend to Treasury Ministers updates to the schemes.

    Details of the changes will be set out in Treasury Order 2001/2541 for energy and 2003/2076 for water in the next few months. As is routine, an impact assessment will be published alongside the Order.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds the Government has allocated for research into progressive supranuclear palsy in each of the last three years; and what plans the Government has to allocate further funding for research to support early diagnosis of and effective treatments for that condition.

    George Freeman

    In the last three years, the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has funded research relating to progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) within the overall infrastructure awards for the following biomedical research centres and units. Spend specifically on research into PSP cannot be disaggregated from total spend through these awards.

    – NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (£110.1 million; 2012-17);

    – NIHR Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre (£58.7 million; 2012-17);

    – NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (£48.9 million; 2012-17);

    – NIHR Cambridge Dementia Biomedical Research Unit (£4.5 million; 2012-17);

    – NIHR Maudsley Dementia Biomedical Research Unit (£4.5 million; 2012-17).

    The NIHR has launched a new, open competition for biomedical research centre funding from April 2017 to March 2022.

    The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including PSP. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the level of accuracy of the credit records held by credit reporting agencies; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    When consumer credit regulation transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014, the Government decided that, given their central role in helping to inform responsible lending decisions, CRAs should be directly regulated by the FCA. As such, every credit reference agency’s fitness to trade is being assessed as part of the FCA’s robust authorisation process

    Information on a credit report should be purely factual; for example, if arrears were incurred, those lenders who share data through the credit reference agencies will have recorded them.

    A credit reference agency is able to correct factually inaccurate information. However, it is the original lender or organisation that supplies credit to a consumer that provides the agencies with the information held on a credit report. Where inaccurate information has been reported to a credit reference agency, a consumer must contact the lender in the first instance.

    If a problem with inaccurate data is not resolved satisfactorily with a lender, consumers are able to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is able to investigate and take action where necessary. The ICO is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights, and it enforces the Data Protection Act.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) connectivity and (b) affordability of rail travel between Stoke-on-Trent and London.

    Paul Maynard

    For the next InterCity West Coast franchise we ran a public consultation from 10 May to 2 August this year seeking both the public’s and stakeholders’ views and priorities to help inform potential bidders to ensure they meet the needs of the passengers. This included questions about connectivity and minimum levels of service. We are now reviewing and analysing the information and a summary will be published in due course.

    We have capped the rail fares we regulate at inflation (Retail Price Index) for four years running, and will continue to do so for the life of this parliament. This means those fares we regulate will rise by no more than 1.9% in 2017.

    Passengers on long-distance routes such as Stoke on Trent to London can also benefit from unregulated Advance fares, which have helped to make some leisure travel services significantly cheaper for passengers who are able to book ahead and commit themselves to travelling on a specific departure, and has also helped to fill emptier trains.