Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Sarah Champion – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Champion – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to raise awareness among public authorities of their statutory duty to notify her where they have reasonable grounds to believe that a person may be a victim of slavery or human trafficking under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

    Sarah Newton

    We published guidance on the Modern Slavery Act on GOV.UK and a circular was sent to all bodies who are subject to the duty. We will publish data on notifications received and carry out further awareness-raising activity later this year.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department takes to ensure that government projects are delivered on time and within budget.

    Ben Gummer

    All projects are ultimately the responsibility of individual government departments. However, with £400 billion in the Infrastructure Pipeline and £400 billion in the Major Projects Portfolio, the Cabinet Office has a central team, the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA), to support departments to deliver on time and within budget. The IPA provides expertise and practical help, a supportive environment to enable major projects to succeed, and manages an independent assurance process to ensure projects are delivered to time and within budget.

    • IPA deploys expert commercial, financial and delivery support
    • IPA delivers independent high quality assurance and oversight
    • IPA develops standards, insights and tools, developing the project leadership and project finance professions
    • IPA delivers key finance schemes (PF2 & guarantees) to enable key projects to proceed

    The IPA works with all partners in infrastructure and major projects – government departments, project teams, HMT, Cabinet Office, and the private sector – to do this. The IPA reports jointly to HMT and Cabinet Office Ministers.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have accessed the Pension Wise service through the (a) face-to-face service provided by the Citizens Advice Bureau and (b) telephone service provided by the Pensions Advisory Service to date.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government committed to providing free, impartial guidance through Pension Wise, to help people make informed and confident decisions about how they use their defined contribution pension savings in retirement. It is available online, via the telephone and face to face. As of 29 October 2015, there were over 20,000 completed appointments for face to face guidance and 9,000 completed appointments for telephone guidance as well as over 1.7 million visits to the website.

    Pension Wise runs exit surveys of those who have completed an appointment It is not mandatory for a user to complete an exit survey. The government is committed to being open and transparent with Pension Wise data and will be making core data readily available by placing it on the government performance platform this autumn. The data will be in the public domain and updated regularly. HM Treasury is working with Pension Wise delivery partners to provide the level of detail that we require for reporting purposes.

    The Financial Conduct Authority, in line with its remit to protect consumers and ensure markets function in consumers’ interests, is monitoring developments in the retirement income market closely and has committed to take action where consumers are coming to harm or where the market is not operating competitively.

    The government recognises that people may wish to consult different sources of information before reaching a decision about their retirement income. In addition to Pension Wise, The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) provides independent, impartial information and guidance about pensions, free of charge, to members of the public. The Money Advice Service also provides free and unbiased information and guidance on all money matters.

    A number of pension providers offer financial guidance. Individuals can also access regulated advice from an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority are jointly considering how financial advice could be made more accessible and affordable for consumers through the Financial Advice Market Review.

  • David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of court closures between 2010 and 2015 on access to justice.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Effective access to justice has been maintained between 2010 and 2015. Access to justice is not just about proximity to a court.

    We have secured over £700m of funding to invest in our courts and tribunals. We have worked closely with the senior judiciary to develop a plan for investing this in reforming the courts and tribunals so they can deliver swifter, fairer justice at a lower cost. This will include digitisation and modernisation of our IT infrastructure. This will mean court users can attend hearings remotely, and not be inconvenienced by having to take a day off work to come to court. It will also mean victims of crime can give evidence from somewhere they feel safe.

    We are committed to providing alternative ways for users to access our services, including the use of other civic buildings and extending video conferencing facilities.

  • Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to support the development of additional new nuclear reactors.

    Andrea Leadsom

    New nuclear power offers low carbon, affordable, and reliable energy to keep the lights on – which is our top priority.

    I can tell my Honourable Friend that the Department is focussed both on engaging with the 6 individual new nuclear proposals from developers, and also supporting the exciting future prospects for small modular reactor technology.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many sales of land of what value and to whom there have been in each health trust area in London (a) on the open market or (b) below market value in each year since 2010.

    George Freeman

    The Department has only collected data on surplus land sales since 2011. Since then the National Health Service has sold 26 London sites. The names of the sites sold are given in the following table. The Department does not hold information about whether or not sites were sold on the open market, or the final sale price. The Department does not hold information centrally about the number of housing units or affordable homes that have been built.

    NHS trust

    Site

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    69 Oakley Square

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Gunnersbury Day Hospital

    South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

    Henderson Hospital

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Manor Gate Mental Health Resource Centre

    St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust

    Wolfson Medical Rehab Centre

    Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

    St Lukes Hospital

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Broadmoor Hospital Plot 1

    South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

    Newland House, Twickenham

    South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

    Roselands Resource Centre, New Malden

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    St Bernards Wing 1

    Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

    Upney Lane Health Centre,

    Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

    16a Cleveland Street

    South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

    78 London Road, Croydon

    Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

    Ashley Road

    North East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Hedgecock Centre 1

    South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

    Hubert Grove

    South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

    Lennard Lodge

    North East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Mascalls Park

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Southall/ Norwood Mental Health Resource Centre

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    St Bernards Wing 2

    Central and Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust

    17 Paddington Green London

    North East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Stonelea (Langthorne Hospital)

    Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

    Barnet General Hospital

    Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

    Coppett’s Wood

    South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

    Part Springfield Hospital

    Barts Health NHS Trust

    The London Chest Hospital

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on military action in the south east of Turkey and the consequences of that action for Kurdish civilians.

    Mr David Lidington

    I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 February 2016 (PQ 26321) to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Catherine West).

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the illicit tobacco trade in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

    Damian Hinds

    Estimates of tax revenue losses associated with illicit tobacco are published every year. The latest estimates, for the years 2006/7 to 2014/15, are published in ‘Tobacco Tax Gap estimates 2014-15’.

    This can be accessed via the GOV.UK website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tobacco-tax-gap-estimates

    HM Revenue and Customs makes no other estimate of the value of the illicit tobacco trade.

    “

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on Scotland of the planned implementation of the Polar Code.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters as adopted by the International Maritime Organization addresses the standards and operation of ships in the Polar Regions. It is intended to provide an appropriate level of safety and environmental protection for vessels operating in these regions.

    No specific assessment has been made of the Code’s impact on Scotland. However, there was wide consultation with British stakeholders during the negotiation of the Code ahead of it being adopted in the IMO’s safety committee in 2014 and environment committee in 2015. The Government believes that UK ports and shipping industry are well placed to meet their obligations under the Polar Code when it comes into force in 2017, and to ensure that British activities in the Polar Regions continue to be undertaken in a safe and environmentally responsible way.

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of Egypt’s compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law in its counter-terrorism operations in Sinai.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made a formal assessment. In 2015 we shared NATO counterinsurgency doctrine with the Egyptian Government and we hope to discuss this further with them, through a planned upcoming Egyptian visit to the UK Centre for counterinsurgency doctrine.