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Tag: Richard Burden

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 238W, on driving: licensing, what proportion of new drivers obtaining driving convictions were offered speed awareness courses in each year since 2010.

    Damian Green

    I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 27th March 2014, Official Report,
    column 372W.

    The number of drivers who opted for a speed awareness course rather than
    accept penalty points on their driving licence in 2010 is 447,724, 2011 is
    772,430, 2012 is 926,101 and 2013 is 953,428. 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.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the demolition on 2 and 3 April of EU-funded projects in Area C near the E1-settlement bloc; and whether he has demanded compensation following these actions.

    Hugh Robertson

    We have not made representations in response to the specific demolition cited, nor demanded compensation. However, Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised the issue of demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu on 1 May. We regularly make clear, publicly and privately, to Israel our serious concerns about the demolition of Palestinian homes and infrastructure and forced transfer of population in Area C and East Jerusalem.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 8 May 2014, Official Report, column 298W, on Highways Agency, what the (a) criteria and (b) procedures are for considering the extension of the provisions of section 41(3) of the VAT Act 1994 to a new body.

    Mr David Gauke

    Section 41(3) of the VAT Act 1994 applies to Government departments and health authorities. It is governed by a Treasury Direction. Any extension of the provisions is a matter for Treasury Ministers.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new drivers had their licences revoked as a result of insurance offences in each year since 2010.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 requires that drivers who accumulate six or more penalty points during their probationary period will have their licences revoked. The accumulation of offences can be for any reason. The table shows the number of drivers whose licences were revoked under the New Drivers Act who committed at least one insurance offence:

    Year Number of licences revoked
    2010 4,372
    2011 5,921
    2012 5,897
    2013 5,606
    2014 (up to 29 March) 1,118
    Total 22,914
  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department gives alongside UK non-governmental organisations operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to assist in obtaining compensation from the Israeli authorities for projects demolished in Area C.

    Hugh Robertson

    We have not provided support to non-governmental organisations operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) to assist in obtaining compensation from the Israeli authorities for projects demolished in Area C. However, we continue to support Palestinians facing demolition or eviction orders in the OPTs through support to the Norwegian Refugee Council legal aid programme, which helps individuals to challenge these in the Israeli legal system.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what definition is used by HM Passport Office of a straightforward application for passports for the purpose of setting internal targets; and if this definition has been amended since 2010.

    James Brokenshire

    A straightforward application is one where all the required information,
    including supporting documentation, is provided, the application is signed and
    no further enquiries are required in order to progress the application.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to work with affected hauliers to avoid the increased cost caused by the reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty introduced as part of the Heavy Goods Vehicle User Levy.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    We have worked closely with the UK road freight sector throughout the development of the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Road User Levy to ensure that the cost to UK business as a result of paying a combined charge for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and HGV levy from 1st April 2014 is minimised, whilst working within the minimum levels of Vehicle Excise Duty set out in the Eurovignette Directive. Furthermore, to keep the administrative burden to UK operators to a minimum, the Levy will be paid at the same time as VED and in a single transaction.

    Where costs do rise as a result of the combined Levy and VED payment, hauliers have the option to lower the plated weight of the vehicle and thereby reduce the VED they need to pay.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress departments have made on implementing the Guidance on Customer Service Lines published in December 2013.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The guidance we published in December 2013 set out that departments should use prefixes offering a geographic call rate as a default policy position for the provision of core public services. This was not the case in the past.

    My officials are working with the cross-Whitehall group on customer service lines.

    We will publish information from departments on their customer telephone lines later in the summer.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s policy is on (a) the frequency of periodic roadworthiness tests for old vehicles and (b) the stringency of technical roadside inspections for commercial vehicles in line with European Union roadworthiness package adopted by the European Parliament on 12 March 2014.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department will be consulting widely on the changes required by the new Directive relating to old vehicles with a view to supporting road safety and minimising unnecessary burdens for vehicle owners. This engagement will start in coming months. The new Directive regarding technical roadside inspections will be very close to existing practice in Great Britain, if any changes to processes are required these will be adopted after consultation.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve access to free to use cash machines.

    Andrea Leadsom

    95 per cent of communities in the lowest quartile of the government deprivation index now have free-to-use ATMs within their area or less than two thirds of a mile from the area’s centre. This has brought access to free-to-use ATMs to over 1.5 million people and progress towards covering even more communities continues.

    LINK has established a Financial Inclusion Programme to provide free-to-use ATMs where they are needed, by installing ATMs that are subsidised to make their operation commercially viable for operators. The cost of this subsidy is shared out among LINK member banks. 1,400 target areas now have access to an industry subsidised ATM through the programme.

    I am aware Toynbee Hall is due to complete research on this issue shortly.