Tag: Tulip Siddiq

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to amend the Cycle to Work scheme to incorporate a higher maximum allowance for disabled cyclists requiring specialist cycles.

Andrew Jones

We are in the process of reviewing the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance published on GOV.UK and are engaging with other Departments, such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), HMRC and HMT to get a firmer view on any possible changes that could be made. As part of this review, we will consider the level of the maximum allowance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities receive a 50 per cent discount from the public purse on the costs to them of reduced business rates since the Minister for Childcare’s address at the launch of the NDNA Annual Nursery Survey in January 2015.

Caroline Dinenage

The Government does not collect data on particular types of premises that might have benefited from local discretionary relief.

Central Government has given local authorities wide-ranging, discretionary powers to grant business rates discounts as they see fit – they are best placed to serve the needs of their community. All local authorities which grant a local discount will receive 50% of the cost from central Government funds.

The Minister for Childcare wrote to all local authorities in November 2014 to encourage them to apply business rates relief to nurseries and reminded them that central Government will meet 50% of the costs involved. He also encouraged nurseries to follow up with their local authorities themselves. The Department for Communities and Local Government wrote to local authorities in January 2015, reinforcing this message. This letter is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/395333/BRIL_1__-_2015__-__General_-_14_Jan.pdf

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 11 December 2013 to Question 178321, if he will place in the Library copies of all of Lord Green of Hustierpoint’s updates to the European Scrutiny Committees of both Houses and the APPG for EU-US Trade and Investment on significant developments in negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Anna Soubry

The most recent update to the Committees, dated 6 August, has been deposited in the Libraries of the House. We will continue this practice for subsequent updates to the Committees.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many complaints the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has heard since the establishment of the inspectorate.

Nick Boles

The Employment Agency Standards inspectorate was established in 1995, following the abolition of licensing for employment agencies and employment businesses. It was previously known as the Employment Agency Licensing Office, which was established in 1981/82.

The table attached sets out the number of complaints in relation to employment agencies in Great Britain from 1985 onwards. Figures are not available prior to 1985/6.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) jobseekers’ allowance and (b) universal credit claimants have been (i) referred for an assessment of the their English language skills, (ii) mandated to undertake learning following such an assessment and (iii) sanctioned for failing to attend such learning sessions.

Priti Patel

In the 2013/14 academic year, there were 57,200 starts to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) training aims by JSA and ESA (WRAG) claimants, and 72,700 in total by all claimants (excluding UC) in England only. This includes starts to training as part of the English Language Requirements (ELR) policy. DWP does not currently hold data on the number of claimants starting ESOL under UC.

DWP does not hold specific data on the number of sanctions for failing to attend ESOL training.

Information on the number of starts to DWP-funded ELR training in Scotland Wales is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. DWP is exploring publishing these statistics in summer 2016 as an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many appeals on practical driving tests were (a) heard by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and (b) found (i) in favour of and (ii) against the appellant in each year since 2009-10.

Andrew Jones

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has a complaints procedure, which is published on GOV.UK.

Current law does not allow the test result to be overturned; the examiner’s decision is final.

Complainants have the right to appeal if they think the examiner did not carry out their practical test in line with regulations.

If the complainant lives in England and Wales, they have six months after the test date to appeal to the Magistrates court about the way the test was conducted. The Magistrates court can look at whether the test was carried out in accordance with regulations; however, it cannot change the result of the test. Should the Magistrates court find that the test was not conducted in line with regulations, it may offer a compensation payment or free retest.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2016 to Question 21066, if she will provide matching data for each other region of the UK.

Mike Penning

Regional information relating to service standards for each year since 2012 cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

However, information relating to DBS performance at police force level is held on the Gov.UK website and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbs-performance

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which local authorities have contacted their local regional strategic migration partnerships to provide support for Syrian refugees.

Richard Harrington

We do not routinely disclose which local authorities participate in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

Participation in this scheme is voluntary and it is often the case that local authorities do not wish to have their participation published. The relocation of refugees can be a sensitive issue for some local areas who have agreed to participate. It is a matter for each local authority to decide whether they want to publish the fact of their participation and the numbers of refugees they take.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 24387, whether the proposed changes to mitigate the effect of lorry traffic on the hedgehog population in the area of Regent’s Park will require an amendment to the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The identified impact on the Regent’s Park hedgehog population is from the provision of replacement car parking for the Zoological Society of London rather than from lorries accessing the proposed lorry holding area. The measures being considered to mitigate this effect in the Regent’s Park area do not require an Additional Provision to the Bill. Any mitigation measures outside the limits of the Bill would be delivered with the cooperation of The Royal Parks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 26570, on planning permission, which local authority made each of those article 4 directions; and what modifications his Department made to eight of those directions.

Brandon Lewis

The Department has been notified of Article 4 directions for basement developments made by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster.

The Secretary of State has modified Article 4 directions which remove office to residential permitted development rights for:

– the London Borough of Richmond; the London Borough of Sutton; Brighton and Hove City Council and Oxford City Council: to exclude those properties which had secured prior approval for the change of use from office to residential before the date the Article 4 directions took effect;

– London Borough of Camden: to reduce the geographical coverage of the Article 4 direction;

– Broxbourne Borough Council; the London Borough of Islington and the London Borough of Merton: to exclude those properties which had secured prior approval for the change of use from office to residential before the date the Article 4 directions took effect and to reduce the geographical coverage of the Article 4 directions.