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45359

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept id	36
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2013, Official Report, columns 455-6W, on the Electoral Register, for what reasons the electoral commission has no plans to undertake a direct assessment of registration rates in specific university towns and cities.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	193834
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Electoral Commission informs me that it will undertake analysis of the impact of the transition to IER for all local authorities, which will include all university towns and cities, throughout the transition period. This will include publishing data by local authority, and in some cases by electoral ward, at several points during the transition period.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Devon answering member printed Mr Gary Streeter question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 234 label Biography information for Sir Gary Streeter
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

45360

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept id	36
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2014, Official Report, columns 622-3W, on the Electoral Register: fraud, what comparative assessment he has made of the level of concern about electoral fraud in the UK and other EU countries.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	193833
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Electoral Commission informs me that it regularly monitors comparative international research on electoral matters. Comparing the UK with other countries around the world, Gallup polls place the UK in the top third of countries in terms of confidence in the honesty of the electoral process.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The most recently available Gallup data from 2007-08, showed that 40% of UK respondents said they did not have confidence in the honesty of elections in the UK. This was slightly lower than the findings from Germany (44%) and Italy (43%), but significantly higher than those from Denmark (5%), Finland (8%) and Sweden (8%).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Full findings are at the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/111691/Worldwide-Views-Diverge-About-Honesty-Elections.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.gallup.com/poll/111691/Worldwide-Views-Diverge-About-Honesty-Elections.aspx</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Devon answering member printed Mr Gary Streeter question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 234 label Biography information for Sir Gary Streeter
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

45361

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept id	36
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2013, Official Report, columns 455-6W, on the Electoral Register, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Electoral Commission's review of public engagement strategies.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	193835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Electoral Commission informs me that its Report, titled ‘Readiness for the transition to Individual Electoral Registration' was published on 31 March with a copy placed in the House Library. The Commission's report includes the conclusions of its assessment of all Electoral Registration Officers' (EROs') public engagement strategies, which found that all EROs have the right plans in place to identify the challenges for their particular local area and what mechanisms they will use to engage with residents to maximise registration. The Commission has also written to the honourable member with a copy of its report.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Devon answering member printed Mr Gary Streeter question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 234 label Biography information for Sir Gary Streeter
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

45362

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the expanded Air Development Fund announced in the Budget Statement 2014 will apply throughout the UK: and how that fund will operate in the devolved jurisdictions.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Dr William McCrea
uin	193868
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>The Chancellor announced in this year's Budget that funding to maintain existing air connectivity to London – first announced in the 2013 Spending Round last June – will increase from £10million to £20million per year, and would be expanded to include provision for start-up aid for new air routes from UK regional airports, including those in the devolved administrations, which handle fewer than five million passengers per year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union State aid guidelines on start-up aid for new air routes, and explain how the funding process will operate across the UK.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

45363

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government or the Official Opposition on Barnett consequentials for Wales resulting from future High Speed 2 expenditure.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	193879
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>Ministers in the Department for Transport are in regular contact with the Welsh Assembly on a variety of matters; however, Ministers have not received representations from the Welsh Government or the Official Opposition regarding HS2 and Barnett consequentials.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-transparency-data#meetings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-transparency-data#meetings</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

45368

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish and place in the Library all correspondence sent in the last five years between the Welsh and UK Governments on electrification of the mainline between Swansea and London.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	193785
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>My officials will collate the key correspondence sent in the last five years between Ministers in Welsh and UK Government on electrification of the mainline between Swansea and London and deposit this in the Libraries of the House.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

45371

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department and the Highways Agency are taking to reduce the risk of death or serious injury to road workers on the motorway network.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Dr William McCrea
uin	193978
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>As part of its Aiming for Zero safety programme, the Highways Agency established a Road Worker Safety programme designed to reduce risk exposure to road workers, a particular focus of which is to reduce the incidences of carriageway crossing by road workers. Within this programme, a number of projects have been commissioned to test simplifications and other changes to temporary traffic management arrangements to reduce road worker exposure to live traffic whilst maintaining standards of safety for road users. Some of these projects have been completed already; for example Signs Simplification, implemented December 2011, and Offside Signs Removal techniques, implemented November 2012.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The introduction of these innovative changes has already enabled a very substantial reduction in the number of carriageway crossings, leading to a proportionate reduction in road worker risk exposure. In March 2014 the Highways Agency published further guidance on the Offside Signs Removal technique, allowing it to be used to close a four lane carriageway. The Highways Agency is continuing to work with its supply chain to take forward further projects within this programme with the aim of further reducing road worker risk.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

45372

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what commercial products his Department or the Highways Agency has mandated for use in road traffic management on the motorway network in the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Dr William McCrea
uin	193979
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>There are no products used by the Highways Agency which have been mandated in terms of what is used for road traffic management. These products are used by staff and contractors for the Highways Agency and such items are procured using a specification via a tender arrangement and not directed by the Department for Transport, or Ministers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

45373

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department and the Highways Agency have made in delivering the Government's small and medium-sized enterprise procurement policy in road traffic management on the motorway network since 2010; what goods and services have been procured from which companies; at what cost; and what processes were used for the procurement of those goods and services.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Dr William McCrea
uin	193980
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Highways Agency has made the following progress in supporting the Department in delivering Government Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) procurement policy:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>made the use of Project Bank Account a default position on all contracts awarded since October 2011. This considerably speeds up payment times to the supply chain, including any SMEs. Highways Agency contracted business now accounts for over 80% of the overall government target for directing spend through project bank accounts,</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>increased visibility of SME supply chain spend through contracts using a combination of strengthened contract reporting requirements, project bank account data and supply chain survey. It is now the case that over 30% of supply chain spend on HA contracts is with SMEs, and in some cases this can be as high as 50% of overall spend. The SME spend through the Agency's planned collaborative delivery framework, currently being tendered, is expected to range between 30-50% of overall spend,</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>attended and presented at ‘Meet the Buyer' events around the country, with the two most recent of these being in Sheffield and Reading in late 2013. The opportunity was taken further to reduce barriers for SMEs by helping them identify sources of information on potential direct opportunities (HA website, Contracts Finder, Tenders Electronic Daily (TED)), plus providing attendees with advice on how to seek extended supply chain opportunities in relation to larger contracts,</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>launched a new page on their website targeting and providing information for SMEs, linked here- <a title="http://www.highways.gov.uk/about-us/procurement/supplier-selection-and-development/small-medium-entrprises-smes" href="http://www.highways.gov.uk/about-us/procurement/supplier-selection-and-development/small-medium-entrprises-smes" target="_blank">http://www.highways.gov.uk/about-us/procurement/supplier-selection-and-development/small-medium-entrprises-smes</a>,</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>increased use of Open procedure through the procurement process, with the Agency now looking, where feasible, to breakdown lot structures in framework agreements to increase attractiveness to a broader and deeper supply chain,</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>amended its Instruction for Tenderers (IFT) in 2013 to state that “The Highways Agency is committed to removing barriers to SME participation in its contracts and this includes sub-contracting opportunities. If you are proposing to sub-contract part of this contract, you should provide assurance that you have considered how SMEs could play a part and details of the measures you have put in place to encourage and enable their participation as your sub-contractors. If you are awarded the contract, we will ask you to provide regular information about your spend with SMEs under the contract and may publicise good practice on our websites and report such expenditure to other Government Departments'', and</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>become an active member of a cross government Cabinet Office led SME Champions Group looking at strategic alignment, sharing best practice and promoting behavioural change towards SMEs</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Highways Agency awarded a Temporary Traffic Management framework (TTM) in March 2013 (estimated value £660 million over 4 years). Breaking down the lot structure for this encouraged application/interest from SME suppliers, resulting in one of the eight successful suppliers being an SME (Forest Traffic Services Ltd).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>More broadly, since January 2010, 93 SME companies, names of which appear below, have been awarded HA contracts and/or task orders via frameworks, for the procurement of a range of goods, services and works with a total award value of just over £193m.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill attachment 1 file name 193980 - table.docx title SME companies awarded HA contracts
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

45438

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision.
tabling member constituency	Leicester South
tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
uin	194034
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>As I indicated in my answer of 13 September 2013, <em>Official Report, </em>Column 884W, Ministers in this Department do not believe it is appropriate for public resources to be used to support the collection and administration of membership subscriptions and believe is an outdated and unnecessary 20<sup>th </sup>century practice.</p><p> </p><p>It is also unsatisfactory that some trade unions collect the political levy via check-off, but make no attempt to inform would-be members that the political levy is optional, or even mention the right to opt out on their membership forms. It is the view of Ministers that this is a misleading and dubious marketing practice through omission.</p><p> </p><p>I can confirm that we are taking further steps to review such practices.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth