Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Zephyr 8 UAVs his Department plans to buy; what the estimated cost per unit is of that equipment; what the programme through life cost is of that equipment; and where he plans units of that equipment will be based.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As part of our commitment to providing next-generation battlefield intelligence capabilities to the UK Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence is planning to contract for the demonstration of two Zephyr Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This contract will allow the UK to understand whether Zephyr can fulfil the requirement for a high-altitude persistent surveillance capability, as announced in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

    The £10.6 million contract, due to be signed imminently with Airbus Defence and Space, is for an operational concept demonstration rather than individual platforms, so unit costs are not held. Furthermore, as the Zephyr demonstrators will not be in-service, they will not be based at a particular location and there will be no related support or through-life costs.

    Tests are due to take place in 2017 to assess Zephyr’s capabilities and explore its potential.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.

    Alun Cairns

    Cleaning services within the Wales Office are undertaken by outsourced providers under Ministry of Justice contracts.

    Rates of pay for cleaners are determined by their respective employers and not held by the Wales Office or Ministry of Justice.

    All employers are obligated to pay at least the National Minimum Wage and the new National Living Wage from April 2016.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the introduction of the next BBC Royal Charter; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government will set out its plans for the future of the BBC in a White Paper in May.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2016 to Question 37198, how many of the leaflets entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK have been returned to her Department; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister’s response of 25th May 2016. This information is not collated centrally by the Department.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of occasions on which bailiffs have seized operational equipment from private providers of NHS services; what the details are of each such occasion; and what steps his Department takes to prevent this happening.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Department does not hold this information. The National Health Service body commissioning a service from the private sector should ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to ensure access to essential operational equipment in the event of one of its suppliers getting into financial difficulties.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England has made an assessment of the effect of the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund on the fabric of English cathedrals.

    Dame Caroline Spelman

    The First World War Centenary cathedral Repairs Fund has currently allocated £3.45million of the £40million total, this has as so far enabled 116 vital repair and restoration projects across 57 Anglican and Catholic cathedrals to be undertaken.

    Lincoln Cathedral has received £1.18 million for repairs to turrets and roofs, typical of the costs faced for high-level cathedral repairs involving extraordinarily complicated scaffolding. These repairs have gone a long way to complete the major repairs but with any building of this size and age constant maintenance is needed.

    The final grants are currently being processed, as the grants scheme comes to a close there will be a programme of formal evaluation to assess the wider social and economic benefits the projects have contributed, such as increased employment, training, volunteer opportunities and tourism. A copy of this evaluation will be made available to all Members early in 2018 so as to ensure it covers all works the Fund has invested in.

  • Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Ellman on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make representations to his Danish counterpart on reopening the inquest into the death of commercial diver Stephen O’Malley in 2012.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Under powers in the Coroners Act 1988 (as amended) a new coroner investigation may be ordered by the High Court, with the authority of the Attorney General, where it is in the interests of justice to do so because of fraud, rejection of evidence, irregularity of proceedings or insufficiency of inquiry in the original inquest or new facts or evidence have come to light. It therefore falls outside the responsibility of the Secretary of State.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many officials in the Department for Transport were working as part of the team dealing with rail franchising in 2014–15 and 2015–16.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The information is not held in the format requested. Staff working in franchising sit in Passenger Services, with other staff carrying out much wider roles.

    The number of people (permanent and temporary) working in Passenger Services as at 31st March 2015 was 221.

    The number as of 1st December 2015 is 235.

    Our forecast requirements for future years are as follows:

    2016/17 246.25 Full-Time Equivalents

    2017/18 246.25 Full-Time Equivalents

    2018/19 234.25 Full-Time Equivalents

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what costs Commissioning Support Units have incurred in spending, or have committed to spend, on external management consultancies in 2015–16, for (1) internal business support, and (2) providing support to Clinical Commissioning Groups, the NHS Commissioning Board and others.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    As of December 2015, Commissioning Support Units spend on external consultancy for 2015/16 was £8.4 million with a further £1.4 million identified as future known commitments, by the end of the financial year.

  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the proportion of students who left school with work experience in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) the South East in each year since 2010.

    Nick Boles

    The Department does not collect data on the proportion of students that have left secondary education having undertaken a work experience placement.

    Most students aged 16-19 benefit from work experience to inform career choices, develop the relevant occupational skills and help instil the attitudes and behaviours expected at work. Work experience can take many forms including work tasters, participation in social action projects, or a work placement.