The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which Minister in her Department is planned will lead work on Energy Union negotiations with other EU member states and the European Commission.
Amber Rudd
I shall continue to take the overall lead on negotiations on all DECC issues in the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he takes to monitor the economic effect of projects his Department has funded.
Anna Soubry
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has taken a number of steps to embed systematic monitoring of our policies and programmes, including economic effects. The Department’s vision for monitoring and evaluation is outlined in our Evaluation Strategy, found on the GOV.UK website.
In particular:
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-05-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the volume of advice given by community pharmacists to patients that is not covered by a commissioned services contract.
Lord Prior of Brampton
As part of the essential services within the National Health Service community pharmacy contractual framework, all community pharmacies are expected to provide advice in respect to dispensed medicines, support for self-care, prescription linked healthy life style advice and signposting to others where the pharmacy cannot itself provide support. The volume of advice given by community pharmacists to patients that is not covered by a commissioned services contract has not been assessed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to section 7 of the East Anglia franchise Invitation to Tender, published on 17 September 2015, what weighting his Department has ascribed to (a) social characteristics and (b) other factors used to determine the most economically advantageous tender for (i) that franchise and (ii) proposals for new rolling stock orders by bidders for that franchise.
Claire Perry
As you have indicated the winning bid will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender as set out in section 7 of the Invitation to Tender (ITT). This is determined through a combination of ‘price’ and weighted quality points awarded as part of the Department’s evaluation of initiatives proposed by a bidder to meet or exceed the Department’s requirements set out in each delivery plan at section 5 of the East Anglia ITT.
It is in the delivery plans themselves that references to social characteristics are included. In the main they appear in the Stations, Customer Experience and Leadership delivery plans.
In respect of Rolling Stock, as a minimum, the Department has required that bidders propose either new rolling stock or non-new build rolling stock. If non-new build rolling stock, passengers will perceive the overall design, internal ambience, condition and facilities, and the external condition, as being modern, comfortable and comparable to that of new or nearly new rolling stock.
This link takes you to the full ITT should you require it: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/461470/east-anglia-invitation-to-tender.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Leader of the House, further to her Written Statement on 21 July (HLWS128), what discussion she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the light of that Department’s position as the Department having the worst record in answering Questions for Written Answer within 10 working days, and whether the Secretary of State intends to make a Written Statement to explain what steps have been taken within that Department to match the overall record of government departments in answering 93 per cent of Written Question within 10 working days.
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
I take very seriously my responsibility as Leader of the House to encourage Ministers to be punctual in answering written questions. I recently published data on departmental performance in answering Questions for Written Answer for the 2015/16 session, where I was pleased to see that 93% of questions were answered within 10 working days. Nevertheless, we must always strive to do better. I have written to the three departments with the greatest proportion of late responses in the last session to make clear the House’s expectations and to stress the importance of timely responses.
Though the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (formerly the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) received 475 Questions for Written Answer in 2015/16 – more than double the number received in the previous session – Ministers were nevertheless disappointed by the department’s performance. In response the department has put in place a range of actions to improve performance, including strengthening internal deadlines and procedures. Baroness Neville-Rolfe, as the Lords Minister, has stressed to me how seriously the department takes its responsibilities to Parliament and is confident that performance will improve in this session.
My office continues to work with all departments to ensure prompt and comprehensive responses to all Questions for Written Answer. I will continue to publish data on an annual basis to allow analysis of performance over time. This practice is important in highlighting where improvements in timeliness could and should be made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2016-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide a list stating the value of each grant that has been awarded by her Department to each academy sponsor matched to a school with an Academy Order; and what the average value is of those grants that have been made under the provisions of the Education and Adoption Act 2016.
Edward Timpson
As of 24 October 2016, there have been 33 grant payments made as a result of an Academy Order being issued under the provisions of the Education and Adoption Act 2016. They consist of the following:
|
Grants Paid |
Total |
|
1 part payment of grant of £45,000 |
£45,000 |
|
22 grants of £70,000 |
£1,540,000 |
|
2 grants of £80,000 |
£160,000 |
|
7 grants of £90,000 |
£630,000 |
|
1 grant of £110,000 |
£110,000 |
|
Grand Total |
£2,485,000 |
This brings an average cost of £75,303 supporting these sponsored academies. The details of the grant amounts can be found on page 4 of the Sponsored academies funding Advice for sponsors document. This guidance is published online and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511128/sponsored_academies_funding_advice_for_sponsors.pdf
This does not include any award of sponsor capacity fund (SCF) which may previously have been made to relevant sponsors as part of their developing greater capacity to support schools.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Miller on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons section 80 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 has not been brought into force.
Andrew Jones
Section 80 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 contains a duty on persons carrying out works in the carriageway. As the question indicates, this has never been brought into force. It concerns occasions where a person undertaking works in the street finds apparatus belonging to an undertaker that does not appear or differs from the underground asset records provided. In such cases, the person would be required to take steps to inform the owner, or keep a record of its location and inform the relevant local authority of the nature of what they have found and its location.
The associated section 79 (Records of location of apparatus) of the Act was brought into force in 2003. This section provides that those with apparatus under the street must maintain records of that apparatus, and provide it to those requesting it with a legitimate interest.
Some years ago, the industry considered how the requirements in section 80 might operate in practice if they were brought into force. I am aware that at the time, those undertaking street works felt that there would be challenges in identifying the asset owner and conveying the information in a way that would provide an accurate and reliable record for the future. This process could delay completion of the works, causing additional congestion to traffic and adding cost to the job. These consequences conflict with the aims of minimising disruption and cost in carrying out street works. The range of methods used to maintain records, and inconsistency in how the information could be conveyed raised concerns about the feasibility of doing this, and future liability issues.
No further consideration has been given to this matter recently.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Afghan interpreters, and (2) members of their immediate families, have been relocated to the UK under (a) the ex gratia redundancy scheme, and (b) the intimidation policy.
Lord Bates
Up to the end of November, 230 Afghan locally engaged civilians along with 297 members of their families have been relocated to the UK under the ex gratia redundancy scheme.
No locally engaged civilians have been relocated to the UK under the current intimidation policy. One former staff member was relocated to the UK under a previous version of the policy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 23 November 2015 to Questions 16300 and 16301, what proportion of cases with a current liability the 110 non-compliant cases that have been closed as part of the CSA case closure programme represent.
Priti Patel
The 110 non-complaint cases represent 0.02% of the cases with a current liability as at the quarter ending September 2015.
Notes
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK military personnel trained in, or dedicated to, cultural protection have been involved in liaison with Saudi Arabia regarding its intervention in Yemen.
Earl Howe
All UK Service personnel receive mandatory annual training in the Law of Armed Conflict and this includes training in cultural protection. They will also receive further training prior to their deployment.