Tag: Parliamentary Question

Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what proportion of trade union members in (a) Great Britain and (b) Northern Ireland pay the political levy.

Nick Boles

The latest Annual Report of the Certification Officer shows that 4,954,606 union members in Great Britain paid the political levy in the period 2013-2014. This represents 70.67% of the total number of individuals who were union members in the same period.^{^[1]}

Employment law is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and I am not able to respond to the questions relating to Northern Ireland.

[1] Political Funds of Trade Unions, 2013-2014, Annual Report 2015/2016 of the Certification Officer, page 68-69, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449387/CO_Annual_Report__2014-2015_.pdf

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01/01/2023
Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential for driverless cars to increase energy efficiency.

Andrew Jones

Connected and autonomous vehicles could potentially have significant impacts on factors that affect the overall energy consumption and energy efficiency of road transport. The Department for Transport is currently conducting research to explore the energy impacts of connected and autonomous vehicles. This work is ongoing, and forms part of a much wider programme of research and development that the Government is supporting to examine the issues associated with these technologies. The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles also plans to do further research in this area.

01/01/2023
Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-04-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assistance his Department provides for homeless people unable to provide documentation and information on previous tenancies to help them secure new tenancies.

Mr Marcus Jones

Our ‘How to Rent’ guide, updated in February 2016 sets out the types of documents landlords and agents often ask from tenants when looking for new properties. They include confirmation of a tenant’s identity, immigration status, credit history and possibly employment status. Private landlords and letting agents operate on a commercial basis and they will decide which documents to request from prospective tenants based on their individual circumstances.

The Government has provided a wide range of documents which can be accepted in Right to Rent checks in order not to disadvantage people who lack access to standard forms of identification such as passports and residence permits. Special consideration has been given to what documentation is available to people trying to escape homelessness, those fleeing domestic violence, ex-service people, and those leaving the prison system.

Victims of domestic abuse who are staying in a refuge or hostel are exempt from the Right to Rent scheme. Those not in a hostel or refuge can also use a number of less standard documents to prove their right to rent. Acceptable documents include documents which should be accessible without having to return to a previous address, such as a letter from either their employer, a British passport holder, or local authority.

01/01/2023
Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-06-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Ivory Coast about the number of prisoners being held for political reasons following the elections of 2010; what responses, if any, they have had; and whether they are in touch with local Roman Catholic bishops about that issue.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK has worked closely with the UN Special Representative for Côte D’Ivoire, and international partners to ensure that, as part of the national reconciliation process, those held in detention since the 2010/11 post-electoral crisis without formal criminal charges, or no charges to answer, were released. We welcome President Ouattara’s release of the final 3,100 such prisoners in January 2016. A further 265 prisoners remain on remand: all have been charged with criminal offences committed during the crisis. Following the visit of the UN Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Abidjan Prison on 10 June and subsequent meeting with President Ouattara, the Justice Minister has given an assurance that the trials will be completed by the end of December 2016. The UK continues to urge for the trials to be held in a timely manner.

To promote national reconciliation, the UK and other international partners continue to press for the Government of Cote d’Ivoire to ensure that all parties responsible for human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law are brought to justice, no matter what their political affiliation. Whilst local Roman Catholic bishops have not directly contacted us, officials from our Embassy in Abidjan will engage with them on this issue.

01/01/2023
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 2016-07-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the scope of the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurements working group has shifted from its original purpose, and if so, why.

Lord Prior of Brampton

No, the Terms of Reference have not changed.

01/01/2023
Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many households in (a) Scotland and (b) the Highland area of Scotland have their electricity supplies controlled by dynamically teleswitched meters.

David Mundell

We do not hold information on how many households in Scotland and the Highland area of Scotland have their electricity supplies controlled by dynamically teleswitched meters. In Ofgem’s response to the Competition Markets Authority’s Notice of Remedies published in August 2015, it was estimated that there were 160,000 households across Great Britain with dynamically teleswitched meters in operation at the end of 2014.

The Competition Markets Authority’s Notice of Remedies is available online at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/561e1fbaed915d39bc000013/Ofgem__revised_with_additional_material_.pdf.

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01/01/2023

John Spellar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) passenger vehicles, (b) vans, (c) public service vehicles and (d) heavy goods vehicles are licensed; and how many vehicles in each such category (i) use petrol, (ii) use diesel and (iii) are hybrid.

Andrew Jones

The numbers of licensed vehicles in the categories requested are shown in the table below.

Licensed vehicles of selected types of propulsion type in the UK as at 30 June 2015

Vehicle Body Type	Petrol	Diesel	Hybrid	Other	Total
Passenger Vehicles	1906892	11592134	22382	5956	30944434
Vans	1414	3518023	122	14328	3673873
Public Service Vehicles	4851	164107	1	504	169463
Heavy Goods Vehicles	2537	498816	0	1085	502438

Notes:
1. Vehicle types shown are based on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency vehicle body type definitions:
Passenger vehicles = cars; Vans =Light Goods with a gross weight of up to and including 3.5 tonnes; Heavy Goods Vehicles = Goods vehicles with a gross weight of over 3.5 tonnes;
Public Service Vehicles = Buses and Coaches (including minibuses with 9-16 seats)
2. Hybrid vehicles may be under-recorded for Public Service Vehicles and Heavy Goods Vehicles: other includes gas and electric

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01/01/2023

Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people in the social housing sector in Scotland will be affected by changes to the levels of housing benefit; and what the cost of such changes will be to the average household in Scotland.

Justin Tomlinson

This policy was introduced because in some areas, increases in social rents have outstripped the increase in private rents.

The policy to cap social sector rents at the relevant Local Housing Allowance rate for the area from April 2018 only applies to a new tenancy or a tenancy that is renewed after April 2016. As such it isn’t possible to accurately estimate the proportion of those in receipt of Housing Benefit in the social sector that will be affected by this policy, as it relies on the choice of those taking out new tenancies.

The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme will be available to Local Authorities to protect the vulnerable.

01/01/2023
David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the previously published Carbon Price Support rates of £30t/CO2 in 2020 and £70t/CO2 in 2030, at 2009 prices, remain in place.

Damian Hinds

CPS rates have been capped at £18/tCO₂until 2019/20. An announcement on the rates beyond 2019/20 will be made in due course.

01/01/2023
David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will update its travel checklist to include advice and warnings about the danger posed by carbon monoxide when travelling abroad.

James Duddridge

While the number of consular cases involving British nationals affected by carbon monoxide poisoning overseas is low, this remains a concern. The travel industry has an important role to play in addressing this issue, including through communications, although care must be taken to ensure the onus is not placed entirely on the traveller. Holiday providers should provide a safe environment without requiring holidaymakers to, for example, carry carbon monoxide alarms. In the UK, the energy industry is providing important advice to the public on carbon monoxide poisoning through its ‘Be Alarmed’ campaign. Our foreign travel checklist on the GOV.UK website signposts travellers to their advice.

01/01/2023