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  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any of the successor organisations to the Money Advice Service will have a specific remit to promote financial education amongst young people.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government is committed to improving financial capability among the public and recognises that increased financial capability for consumers will lead to better outcomes for both individuals and the wider economy. Helping hard-working people achieve their aspirations at every stage of their lives is at the heart of our long term plan. That is why we launched the Public Financial Guidance consultation in Budget 2016 to seek input on what role the government should play in promoting financial capability, and how the public provision of free-to-client, impartial financial guidance should be structured to give consumers the information they need to make financial decisions. The consultation closed on 8 June. The government is currently considering the responses and will respond in the Autumn. The government recognises the importance of giving young people the skills they need to make financial decisions, which is why financial education has been on the national secondary school curriculum in England since September 2014.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any successor organisations to the Money Advice Service will have a remit to promote financial capability amongst the public.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government is committed to improving financial capability among the public and recognises that increased financial capability for consumers will lead to better outcomes for both individuals and the wider economy. Helping hard-working people achieve their aspirations at every stage of their lives is at the heart of our long term plan. That is why we launched the Public Financial Guidance consultation in Budget 2016 to seek input on what role the government should play in promoting financial capability, and how the public provision of free-to-client, impartial financial guidance should be structured to give consumers the information they need to make financial decisions. The consultation closed on 8 June. The government is currently considering the responses and will respond in the Autumn. The government recognises the importance of giving young people the skills they need to make financial decisions, which is why financial education has been on the national secondary school curriculum in England since September 2014.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-06-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 18 January 2016 to Question 20373, what criteria he has used to assess the level of competitiveness in the motor insurance market.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is committed to ensuring that insurance markets operate on the basis of fair and open competition.

    The Government has established the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to promote competition for the benefit of consumers and investigates any issues that may arise in this respect, including in insurance markets.

    In 2014, the CMA investigated the competitiveness of the UK private motor insurance. It found evidence that there was strong price competition for motor insurance sold via price comparison websites (PCWs), which are responsible for over half of insurers’ new motor insurance business, and that PCWs had increased competition between private motor insurance providers overall.

    Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) data on “net combined ratios” of motor insurers provides further indication that there is strong competition in the private motor insurance market.

    The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills also found that the private motor insurance has high switching rates compared to other markets, providing another indicator of strong competition.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2016 to Question 39850, what proportion of the senior civil servants in the Cities and Local Growth Unit of his Department are working on devolution issues are based in London.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Cities and Local Growth Unit is a joint BIS-DCLG team that supports places in developing and agreeing devolution deals with the Government. Six Senior Civil Servants out of ten in the Unit are based in London.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39850, what the (a) location and (b) number at each location is of the 60 officials based in six local teams across the country.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The current numbers and location of Cities and Local Growth Unit officials based in the six local teams are set out in the attached table.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 7 on page 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published in March 2012 whether his Department has made an assessment of the extent to which the UK’s carbon budgets and 2050 climate target is taken into account by planning authorities when making planning decisions.

    Brandon Lewis

    The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that sustainable development should be at the heart of planning, and should be pursued in a positive and integrated way. It makes it clear that policies set out in paragraphs 18 to 219, taken as a whole, constitute the Government’s view of what sustainable development in England means in practice for the planning system – both in preparing local plans and taking decisions on individual planning applications. It is for the decision-maker to take these policies into account when considering applications for development.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will wait until the Committee on Climate Change report on the compatibility of UK onshore petroleum with meeting UK carbon budgets and the Government’s response is published before taking any decision to reverse (a) the planning decision against fracking made by Lancashire County Council and (b) any other planning decisions that are made by local authorities concerning the extraction of shale gas.

    James Wharton

    Secretary of State planning casework decisions are taken on the basis of the material considerations before the Secretary of State.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what requirements his Department places on local authorities to demonstrate that their Local Plans will meet identified national house-building need.

    Brandon Lewis

    This Government does not set national housing targets. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that Local Plans should meet the full, objectively assessed needs for housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the Framework. As part of this, local authorities should identify, and update annually, a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years of housing against their housing requirements. Local authorities also have a duty to cooperate on strategic planning priorities such as providing the homes that are needed.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to tackle nuisance calls and text messages.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government is taking forward a range of legislative measures to tackle nuisance calls and text messages, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law. Specific actions include; strengthening the ICO’s direct marketing guidance by giving it statutory status; and exploring extending the ICO’s powers of compulsory audit to more of the organisations that generate nuisance calls. This is in addition to action the Government has already taken against nuisance calls, including lowering the legal threshold for ICO action against nuisance callers and lifting the cap on fines ICO issue to companies breaking the rules. Recently a record high £200,000 fine was issued, and between the 2010 – 2015, the average fine has been £85,000 – considerably higher than in 2010, when fines were capped at £5,000.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he met the Minister for the Cabinet Office to examine the options for extracting greater public value from Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport did not meet with the Minister for the Cabinet Office to discuss Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.