Tag: Tim Loughton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been paid in fines by Govia Thamelink Railway to his Department to compensate for poor performance in each of the last three years.

Claire Perry

Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR’s) provision of services for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise only began on 14 September 2014, with Southern services included from 26 July 2015.

There is an incentive/penalty regime in place and this has seen just over £2 million levied against GTR in respect of their Cancellation and Short-Formation performance benchmarks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage young deaf people to take part in the National Citizen Service.

Mr Rob Wilson

In order to encourage young people with sensory disabilities to take part NCS, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport is working closely with NCS Trust, the independent organisation which delivers NCS, to ensure that NCS is accessible.

Many NCS providers already reach out and offer support to those with disabilities, including deaf young people. The largest provider, The Challenge, has worked with the National Deaf Children’s Society, and adapted the programme for deaf young people, including providing dedicated support workers.

The NCS Trust is currently developing a detailed inclusion strategy to ensure that over the longer term there is consistent and high quality provision for young people with disabilities to take part in the programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that archaeology continues to be offered as an A-level subject.

Nick Gibb

The AQA exam board has taken the decision no longer to develop specifications for A and AS level archaeology. Whilst we are disappointed with this outcome, AQA is an independent organisation and is therefore free to make its own decisions on which qualifications to offer. In 2015/16, there were 340 entries for A level archaeology, including 332 in state-funded schools and Further Education colleges.

We published content for archaeology AS/A level in January 2016. The option for AQA or another exam board to develop a specification in future will remain open.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2015 to Question 8120, what the sensor capability is of the C-130 Hercules; and what the full extent is of its search and rescue resources.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Hercules C-130 aircraft is fitted with radar which can be used to locate vessels in the water. Night vision goggles allow aircrew to conduct visual searches at night. The aircraft is able to provide situational awareness of shipping in the area by interrogating maritime transponder transmissions.

The Hercules C-130 is also able to drop air sea rescue apparatus containing life-rafts and survival equipment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which children’s services departments have (a) been judged as inadequate by Ofsted and (b) had outside commissioners take over responsibility for those services from local authorities in each of the last five years.

Edward Timpson

Since December 2010, Ofsted has inspected local authorities under the following frameworks: Safeguarding and Looked after Children; local authority arrangements for the protection of children; local authority arrangements for children looked after; local authority adoption agencies; and single inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, looked after children and care leavers, including a review of the Local Safeguarding Childrens Boards (LSCB).

During this period, the following local authorities have been rated as ‘inadequate’:

Barnsley, Bexley, Birmingham, Blackpool, Buckinghamshire, Calderdale, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Coventry, Cumbria, Darlington, Devon, Doncaster, Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Kingston upon Thames, Knowsley, Lambeth, Lancashire, Leicester City, Manchester, Medway, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Slough, Somerset, Sunderland, Surrey, Sutton, Torbay, Walsall, Waltham Forest, West Berkshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire.

Commissioners have been appointed in Birmingham, Doncaster, Rotherham, Slough, and Sunderland. Depending on the needs in each Council, commissioners have played a range of roles, including establishing chidren’s social care Trusts; exercising executive control over services; and ensuring effective improvement plans are in place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what contingency arrangements his Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

Anna Soubry

I refer my hon Friend to the reply given on 14 January by my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister’s answer to UIN 21952.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will support the UK’s wine and spirit industry with further duty cuts in 2016.

Damian Hinds

The government continues to keep all taxes under review and decisions on tax policy are made by the Chancellor as part of the Budget process. Any changes to alcohol duties would need to take account of a wide range of factors, including the Exchequer impact, the impact on businesses, public health and the distributional impact of reform.

The government is committed to supporting the UK wine andspirits industry. The duty onspirits was cut by 2% at March Budget 2015, building on the duty freeze at Budget 2014. The duty on wines below 22% abv has been frozen since March Budget 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on options relating to the future of Channel 4.

Mr Edward Vaizey

My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and sport on a wide variety of issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by what method his Department assesses the financial returns of the National Citizenship Service; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Rob Wilson

National Citizen Service (NCS) Trust receives an annual grant from Cabinet Office. In line with National Audit Office recommendations, the NCS Trust delivers an Annual Reconciliation Statement setting out how funds have been spent. The Cabinet Office publishes details of NCS funding in its Annual Report and the programme is independently evaluated to assess impact and value for money.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on the powers of appointment of university vice-chancellors for staff working in Confucius Institutes on their university campus.

Joseph Johnson

Universities are autonomous from Government and responsible, by law, for all decisions about who they appoint as staff.