UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of over-staging by bus companies on journeys undertaken using a concessionary bus pass in England.

    Andrew Jones

    The destination printed on a bus ticket should not have any effect on the amount of reimbursement that the bus operator receives for carrying concessionary passengers.

    This is because reimbursement paid to operators is not based on the full commercial adult fare for a typical journey, but on the average equivalent full fare – taken from a “basket of fares” – that each concessionary traveller would have paid in the absence of the scheme.

    Reimbursement payments are also subject to audits of ticket sales data and, if required, ‘on-bus’ surveys of patronage.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance has been issued to Jobcentre Plus staff on the application of benefit sanctions where a parent is unable to comply with the conditions for that benefit because of lack of suitable childcare.

    Priti Patel

    This Government spent £5bn on childcare in 2014-2015 – more than any previous administration and an increase of £1bn since 2010. We are now going further still, with a new package of support designed to improve the affordability and accessibility of childcare for working families. We are extending the free entitlement for 3 and 4 years from 15 hours to 30 hours per week for working parents, from September 2017, worth £5,000 per child per year. We are also introducing Tax-Free Childcare for working parents from early 2017, with a Government contribution of up to £2,000 per child.

    Guidance for Jobcentre Plus staff makes it clear that the Jobseeker’s Allowance requirements should be tailored to the individual circumstances of each claimant and may be varied if those circumstances change.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the spend per head of population was on mental health in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

    Alistair Burt

    We do not have comparable figures for spending on mental health for all years requested as financial information reporting systems changed after 2013 with the formation of NHS England.

    Information is available on mental health spend by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England, the North West and Lancashire for 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 only. This information has been sourced from NHS England’s financial planning and reporting systems and data weighted on CCG populations. The per head spend on mental health services is as follows:

    England wide CCG spend per head on mental health services

    2013/14

    £139

    2014/15

    £146

    2015/16

    £150

    North West CCG spend per head on mental health services

    2013/14

    Unavailable – spend data incomplete for this year

    2014/15

    £136

    2015/16

    £139

    Lancashire CCG spend per head on mental health services

    2013/14

    £135

    2014/15

    £134

    2015/16

    £137

    Source: NHS England

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the statement made by the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, advocating further EU integration, including the creation of an EU defence capability.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The EU already has a range of capabilities to build and promote security, which can be complementary to those of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The UK is working to make these more effective and to improve NATO/EU co-operation. But the Government has consistently made clear that we will oppose any measures which would undermine Member States’ competence for their own military forces or lead to competition and duplication with NATO. Complementarity with NATO is a principle that was reinforced by the European Councils on defence in June 2015 and December 2013.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of agricultural land lost to UK farm production as a result of the construction of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Approximately 2,750 hectares of agricultural land is permanently required for Phase One of HS2. 4,800 hectares will be taken during the construction period, but much of this will be returned to the existing agricultural condition following construction.

    A detailed assessment of the amount of agricultural land required for future Phases of HS2 will be undertaken alongside the deposit of the relevant hybrid Bills for these phases.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether heavy goods vehicles will use access roads in Brondesbury Villas during the construction phase of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Brondesbury Villas is not identified in the HS2 Phase One Environmental Statement as a construction route for the purposes of the HS2 scheme. However, the Phase One Bill does included powers to enable utility protection and diversion works to be undertaken along Brondesbury Villas associated with the construction of the proposed HS2 running tunnels. The implementation of these utility protection and diversion works may involve the occasional use of HGVs along Brondesbury Villas.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the Government has contributed to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ appeal for the Burundi humanitarian response in 2016; what steps she is taking to encourage international partners to contribute to that fund; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK is very concerned about the ongoing political and human rights crisis in Burundi, and the flow of refugees to neighbouring countries. DFID has contributed £21.15 million in Tanzania and Rwanda towards the UNHCR regional refugee response plan since April 2015 to support shelter, food, healthcare and livelihoods assistance for Burundian refugees. The 2016 Burundi Regional Refugee Response Plan was published in January and appeals for $313.8 million to support 330,000 refugees in Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC and Uganda. DFID is currently reviewing the 2016 allocation to this appeal and intends to release further funds in coming months. DFID is also supporting refugees in the DRC and Uganda through existing programmes and the provision of technical advice. DFID has deployed a humanitarian adviser to the region in support of the response and to monitor funding provided so far.

    DFID officials across the region are working closely with national and international counterparts – including UNHCR, the EU, World Bank, NGOs and other donors – to ensure that humanitarian needs in Burundi and the region are met. We are encouraging developmental donors in Burundi to re-programme funds quickly to maintain the basic functions of the state – such as health centres – and working with the international financial institutions (IFIs) to respond to the growing needs and develop programmes that support the resilience of existing systems.

    The Humanitarian Response Plan for Burundi was published in March 2016 and appeals for $62.3 million to support 1.1 million people. DFID is currently reviewing a potential contribution to the appeal, and is undertaking contingency planning should the situation deteriorate.

    DFID continues to monitor the situation closely with the FCO, and liaises regularly with interested and influential parties such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, in order to pressure the international community to act and focus attention on the crisis.

  • Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Tugendhat on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of his Department’s properties and in which locations are classified as void.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The number and locations of properties classified as void as of 24 May 2016 are shown in the table below:

    County

    Voids

    ABERDEENSHIRE

    5

    ANGUS

    20

    ARGYLL AND BUTE

    237

    AVON

    42

    AYRSHIRE

    21

    BEDFORDSHIRE

    194

    BERKS

    276

    BUCKS

    183

    CAITHNESS

    1

    CAMBS

    373

    CHESHIRE

    50

    CLWYD

    1

    CORNWALL

    46

    *COUNTY ANTRIM

    647

    *COUNTY DOWN

    397

    COUNTY DURHAM

    16

    CUMBRIA

    14

    DEVON

    202

    DORSET

    151

    DUMBARTON

    4

    DUMFRIES

    3

    DURHAM

    8

    DYFED

    45

    EAST SUSSEX

    2

    EAST YORKSHIRE

    4

    EDINBURGH

    169

    ESSEX

    155

    FIFE

    221

    GLOUCESTERSHIRE

    88

    GWENT

    45

    GWYNEDD

    53

    **HANTS

    1074

    HEREFORDSHIRE

    8

    HERTS

    176

    INVERNESS-SHIRE

    58

    ISLE OF BENBECULA

    3

    KENT

    483

    LANCASHIRE

    86

    LEICESTERSHIRE

    162

    LINCOLNSHIRE

    294

    LONDON

    86

    MIDDLESEX

    163

    MIDLOTHIAN

    43

    MORAY

    121

    NORFOLK

    209

    NORTH LANARKSHIRE

    4

    NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE

    3

    NORTH YORKS

    522

    NORTHUMBERLAND

    67

    NOTTINGHAM

    58

    ORKNEY ISLANDS

    1

    OXON

    361

    OXON

    1

    PEMBROKE

    4

    PERTH

    3

    POWYS

    64

    RENFREWSHIRE

    26

    ROSS AND CROMARTY

    1

    SHETLAND ISLANDS

    1

    SHROPSHIRE

    223

    SOMERSET

    90

    SOUTH GLAMORGAN

    111

    SOUTH YORKS

    2

    ST ANDREWS

    3

    STAFFORDSHIRE

    83

    STIRLING

    1

    SUFFOLK

    281

    SURREY

    222

    SWINDON, WILTS

    19

    TYNE AND WEAR

    12

    WARWICKSHIRE

    69

    WEST MIDLANDS

    9

    WEST SUSSEX

    14

    WEST YORKS

    2

    ***WILTS

    1294

    YORKSHIRE

    29

    (blank)

    Total Voids

    10219

    Of these properties 4623 were vacant for more than 12 months.

    *The majority of void properties in Northern Ireland are awaiting demolition while 59 have been gifted to the NI Executive.

    **Void properties in Hants have been retained due to short term Ministry of Defence requirements and plans have been made to release many of these for disposal.

    ***In the Wiltshire region a number of properties remain void to accommodate Army personnel returning to the area from Germany as a result of the Army Basing Programme.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has received from non-governmental organisations on the reported use of arms sold by Britain to Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

    Mark Garnier

    There have been no representations from non-governmental organisations on the reported use of arms sold by Britain to Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much Welsh steel will be used in the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant.

    Alun Cairns

    The UK Government does not hold the specific figures requested. The decision to proceed with the first new nuclear power station for a generation will provide a huge boost to the regional economy including South Wales. Construction at the Hinkley site will provide 26,000 jobs and apprenticeships, and 64% of the project’s costs will be spent in the UK.

    Welsh companies are already taking advantage of the opportunities this project presents, for example, Express Reinforcements in South Wales was given preferred bidder status for a £100m contract to supply 200,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel for the project.

    I would encourage businesses in Wales to register with EDF in order to take advantage of upcoming supply chain opportunities.