Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has spent on redundancy payments for special advisers since May 2010.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), to today's Parliamentary Question 200473.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of redundancy payments for special advisers in her Department has been since May 2010.
Answered by Karen Bradley
No redundancy payments have been made to special advisers in the Home Office since May 2010.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will include small and medium-sized enterprises in the procurement process for its contract to manage direct debit payments for vehicle tax discs.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will deliver direct debits for vehicle excise duty in two phases. Initially, the DVLA will partly use its existing contract for IT service provision with elements being subcontracted via an open competition which will include small/medium enterprise interest.
The full strategic solution will be pursued in an open competition which will start in 2015. This open competition will also invite interest from Government frameworks which support small/medium enterprise involvement.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency meets the deadline of 1 November 2014 for enabling payment for vehicle tax discs by direct debit.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has in place a dedicated project team which is working on the systems and other changes needed to deliver direct debits for vehicle excise duty. Progress is being monitored in line with departmental governance procedures.