The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-28.
To ask the Prime Minister, what receptions were held in 10 Downing Street on each day in the week commencing 21 April 2014; and what the occasion was of each reception.
Mr David Cameron
Details of official and charity receptions held at Downing Street are published on a quarterly basis. Details can be accessed via the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the acceptable body mass index requirement is for an applicant to the Royal Navy.
Anna Soubry
The recommended Body Mass Index (BMI) guidelines for entry into service in the Royal Navy are attached.
Further assessment is by measurement of waist circumference: males with a BMI over 28 may join if their waist circumference is less than 94cm; females may join if their waist circumference is less than 80 cm.
The standards do not change during the application process but BMI is measured as part of the medical assessment, and results may differ from a candidates’ individual declaration and/or the outcome of the initial BMI check.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he will announce (a) additional funding for and (b) a help and advice service to schools on universal free school meals.
Mr David Laws
The Chancellor announced in his Autumn Statement on 5 December that we would be providing over £1 billion of additional revenue funding over the next two financial years, and £150 million of capital funding in 2014-15, to support the introduction of universal infant free school meals.
On 6 March we published a departmental advice document which sets out further information about the funding available and about the support available to schools. This document is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-infant-free-school-meals
On 6 March we also launched a support service, which consists of a telephone and online advice service for schools, local authorities and caterers and a direct-support service for schools facing significant challenges. The service is being provided by school food experts, the Children’s Food Trust and the Lead Association for Catering in Education, in conjunction with a number of delivery partners. More information is available at: http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/Root/schools/schoolfoodplan
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any increase in remuneration of senior managers in the Highways Agency will have to be agreed by him when the Agency is transformed into a government-owned company.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government intends to transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, as confirmed in the response to consultation published on 30th April. In accordance with TUPE principles, we expect the pay and terms of employment of all staff to remain unchanged once transferred except for the necessary technical amendments to reflect the change to company status.
Staff management arrangements for the company following transition, including pay and reward, are still being worked through within government. We aim to establish appropriate conditions to allow the company to fulfil its functions efficiently and effectively, whilst keeping costs down for the taxpayer. This will reflect the Government’s pay policy, as well as support the delivery of a substantially increased investment programme.
There is no intention to encourage or create opportunities for legal tax reduction schemes as part of Highways Agency transformation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether applicants to the Royal Navy who meet an initial body mass index requirement of 28 face a different check at any other stage of the process.
Anna Soubry
The recommended Body Mass Index (BMI) guidelines for entry into service in the Royal Navy are attached.
Further assessment is by measurement of waist circumference: males with a BMI over 28 may join if their waist circumference is less than 94cm; females may join if their waist circumference is less than 80 cm.
The standards do not change during the application process but BMI is measured as part of the medical assessment, and results may differ from a candidates’ individual declaration and/or the outcome of the initial BMI check.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking on the decision to allow the sale and consumption of alcohol in a motorway service area.
Norman Baker
The Licensing Act 2003 bans the sale of alcohol at certain motorway service areas but this ban does not extend to all of them. At motorway service areas which are not covered by the Act, the grant of premise licences for the sale of alcohol in any particular case is at present a matter for the local licensing authority.
The Government included motorway service areas as part of the public consultation on the Alcohol Strategy in 2012/13. The Government’s response to this consultation was published in July 2013 and stated that this issue would be considered further, and it is under active consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether senior managers in the Highways Agency will be able to enter into legal tax reduction schemes when the Agency is transformed into a government-owned company.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government intends to transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, as confirmed in the response to consultation published on 30th April. In accordance with TUPE principles, we expect the pay and terms of employment of all staff to remain unchanged once transferred except for the necessary technical amendments to reflect the change to company status.
Staff management arrangements for the company following transition, including pay and reward, are still being worked through within government. We aim to establish appropriate conditions to allow the company to fulfil its functions efficiently and effectively, whilst keeping costs down for the taxpayer. This will reflect the Government’s pay policy, as well as support the delivery of a substantially increased investment programme.
There is no intention to encourage or create opportunities for legal tax reduction schemes as part of Highways Agency transformation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects his Department’s review of unpublished datasets to be completed.
Stephen Hammond
The Department of Transport completed a comprehensive review of datasets held in August 2013 and this was made available via www.data.gov.uk on 2nd September 2013. This included details of 470 datasets including full metadata for all unpublished datasets.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of speed awareness courses; and what information her Department collects on speeding and driving offences committed by drivers who have undertaken such a course.
Karen Bradley
The number of drivers that opted for a National Driver Offender Retraining
Scheme (NDORS) speed awareness course rather than accept penalty points on
their driving licence in 2010 is 447,833, in 2011 is 772,180, 2012 is 926,155 and in
2013 is 953,464. These reflect the latest updated figures.
The offer of a speed awareness course is at the discretion of the police. To be
deemed eligible there must be no excessive speed or other offences committed at
the same time. Information on previous motoring convictions is not taken into
account.
The Department for Transport and the police are in advanced stages of
commissioning a long term study to assess the effectiveness of speed awareness
courses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Highways Agency will be subject to the Government’s public sector pay policy when it is transformed into a government-owned company.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government intends to transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, as confirmed in the response to consultation published on 30th April. In accordance with TUPE principles, we expect the pay and terms of employment of all staff to remain unchanged once transferred except for the necessary technical amendments to reflect the change to company status.
Staff management arrangements for the company following transition, including pay and reward, are still being worked through within government. We aim to establish appropriate conditions to allow the company to fulfil its functions efficiently and effectively, whilst keeping costs down for the taxpayer. This will reflect the Government’s pay policy, as well as support the delivery of a substantially increased investment programme.
There is no intention to encourage or create opportunities for legal tax reduction schemes as part of Highways Agency transformation.