Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the value was of charitable donations made through energy bill tariffs in 2013.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The value of charitable donations made available through each energy tariff with such an arrangement is commercially sensitive information between the supplier and the charity. Neither DECC nor Ofgem collect or hold this information.
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many children under the age of three died from entanglement in looped blind cords in the UK in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.
Answered by Jo Swinson
The latest figures available from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents are that there were three reported deaths in 2012, and two reported deaths in 2013 of children under the age of three from entanglement in looped blind cords.
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what guidance he plans to give to employers following the recent ruling by the Employment Appeal Tribunal on holiday pay.
Answered by Jo Swinson
The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling on holiday pay is a significant judgment for employers and workers. Government is urgently working through the detail, including with the Taskforce of business representatives and Government departments convened by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Employers may wish to check their current arrangements for holiday pay and overtime/sales commission, and seek legal advice when necessary. Employers and workers can contact the ACAS helpline on 0300 123 1100 for free and confidential advice.
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has any plans to amend the Highway Code.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Highway Code was last revised in September 2007. When we carry out the next revision to the Code we will as usual undertake a consultation on proposed changes.
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times cold weather payments have been made to residents of the KY13 postcode area in each of the last five years.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as postcode level. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area, which may change between years. Cold weather payments are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0oC or below over seven consecutive days.
The postcode areas of FK10, FK11 and KY13 have been assigned to the Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations as follows:
FK10: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station
FK11: assigned to the Strathallan weather station
KY13: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station in the years 2009/10 to 2012/13 and to the Strathallan weather station in 2013/14.
Table 1 gives the number of triggers for the last five years at these weather stations. All eligible recipients will have received a Cold Weather Payment following a trigger at the relevant weather station.
Table 1: Triggers and Payments at Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations: 2009/10 to 2013/14.
Weather Station | Number of triggers in each year | |||||
2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | ||
Edinburgh Gogerbank | Number of triggers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Strathallan
| Number of triggers | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times cold weather payments have been made to residents of the FK10 postcode area in each of the last five years.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as postcode level. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area, which may change between years. Cold weather payments are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0oC or below over seven consecutive days.
The postcode areas of FK10, FK11 and KY13 have been assigned to the Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations as follows:
FK10: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station
FK11: assigned to the Strathallan weather station
KY13: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station in the years 2009/10 to 2012/13 and to the Strathallan weather station in 2013/14.
Table 1 gives the number of triggers for the last five years at these weather stations. All eligible recipients will have received a Cold Weather Payment following a trigger at the relevant weather station.
Table 1: Triggers and Payments at Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations: 2009/10 to 2013/14.
Weather Station | Number of triggers in each year | |||||
2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | ||
Edinburgh Gogerbank | Number of triggers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Strathallan
| Number of triggers | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times cold weather payments have been made to residents of the FK11 postcode area in each of the last five years.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as postcode level. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area, which may change between years. Cold weather payments are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0oC or below over seven consecutive days.
The postcode areas of FK10, FK11 and KY13 have been assigned to the Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations as follows:
FK10: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station
FK11: assigned to the Strathallan weather station
KY13: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station in the years 2009/10 to 2012/13 and to the Strathallan weather station in 2013/14.
Table 1 gives the number of triggers for the last five years at these weather stations. All eligible recipients will have received a Cold Weather Payment following a trigger at the relevant weather station.
Table 1: Triggers and Payments at Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations: 2009/10 to 2013/14.
Weather Station | Number of triggers in each year | |||||
2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | ||
Edinburgh Gogerbank | Number of triggers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Strathallan
| Number of triggers | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) drivers' organisations, (b) driver training organisations and (c) accident prevention organisations on the mandatory carrying in motor cars of high visibility jackets and warning triangles.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There have been no discussions with these groups on the mandatory wearing of high visibility clothing for cyclists.
There have been no discussions with these groups on the mandatory carrying in motor cars of high visibility jackets and warning triangles.
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) drivers' organisations, (b) driver training organisations, (c) accident prevention organisations and (d) cycling organisations on the mandatory wearing of high visibility clothing for cyclists.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There have been no discussions with these groups on the mandatory wearing of high visibility clothing for cyclists.
There have been no discussions with these groups on the mandatory carrying in motor cars of high visibility jackets and warning triangles.
Asked by: Gordon Banks (Labour - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to introduce mandatory regulation of B+E driving instructors.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) consulted recently on proposals to modernise and, as far as possible, reduce any potential burden that the current regulatory framework could place on approved driving instructors (ADI); it will publish the response to consultation shortly.
The consultation's proposals were designed to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses, therefore, the consultation document proposed that DVSA would not mandate the voluntary fleet driver trainer register.
The pass rate for the B+E practical test is 67%, one of the highest pass rates for any category of test; unlike learner drivers people seeking B+E instruction must already hold a full category B driving licence. Most BE instruction is already carried out by vocational trainers who are competent to provide this service given their expertise in delivering training in category C vehicles and CE. Therefore, DVSA current has no plans to extend the regulation of paid driving instruction in a motor car to BE training; neither does it have plans to extend the regulatory framework for ADIs to cover paid vocational driver training.