Author: admin

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which tenants will be exempt from the Government’s proposed phasing out of lifetime tenancies.

    Brandon Lewis

    The provisions restricting the use of lifetime tenancies are intended to ensure we get the best use out of our social housing stock – ensuring that social housing is focussed on those who need it the most for as long as they need it. This is essential with 1.24 million households on council waiting lists. The changes will apply to new tenants, but will not apply to existing lifetime tenants who remain in their own home.

    If tenants are required to move home by their landlord, for example to allow demolition and regeneration work to take place, they will be granted a tenancy with no less security in their new home.

    Where existing lifetime tenants seek to transfer, local authorities will retain a discretion – in limited circumstances – to offer the tenant a further lifetime tenancy in their new home. We will set out the circumstances in which local authorities may exercise this discretion in regulations. We expect these will include where tenants downsize into a smaller home, move for work or to escape violence.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the letter to his Department from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West of 5 May 2016 on neighbourhood plans, reference ZA3476.

    Brandon Lewis

    I replied to the hon. Member on 11 July 2016.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the definition of statutory homelessness in preventing rough sleeping.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The homelessness legislation (part 7 Housing Act 1996) provides a strong safety net for all those who are vulnerable and homeless through no fault of their own. Homelessness is defined at section 175 of the Act. Broadly speaking somebody is statutorily homeless if they do not have accommodation that they have a legal right to occupy, which is accessible and physically available to them (and their household) and which it would be reasonable for them to continue to live in. It would not be reasonable for someone to continue to live in their home, for example, if that was likely to lead to violence against them (or a member of their family).

    We have protected homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, totalling £315 million by 2020. In doing so, we expect local authorities to meet their statutory duty to provide advice and assistance to all those that approach them for help. Since 2010, this funding has allowed local authorities to prevent more than a million households from becoming homeless. We are determined to ensure that we prevent more people from becoming homeless in the first place so we are working with local authorities, homelessness charities and across departments to consider options to prevent more people from becoming homeless.

    We have also increased central funding to tackle homelessness to £139 million over the next four years, which will include targeted funding for rough sleeping. This includes a new £10 million fund to support and scale-up initiatives to prevent and reduce rough sleeping, and a £10 million Social Impact Bond to support the most entrenched rough sleepers off the streets.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many works of art from public collections were loaned to institutions in Redcar and Cleveland in each year since 2010.

    Matt Hancock

    The Department does not hold information about loans made from public collections. The national museums and galleries have responsibility for their specific loan arrangements and information about their loans is not held centrally.

    All Government funded museums and galleries are encouraged to loan works from their collections to institutions across the UK.Sponsored National Museums actively support and partner regional museums, which includes touring and large scale loans. In 2014/15 the national museums and galleries loaned items to 1,629 venues, including regional museums and historic houses.

    A new tax relief for museums and galleries will be introduced from 1 April 2017 to encourage them to develop creative new exhibitions and display their collections across the country. The relief will be available on qualifying costs for temporary and touring exhibitions.

    An independent report by Lord Heseltine, published in June, makes recommendations to further develop the Tees Valley area. The report called Tees Valley: Opportunity Unlimited has strong arts and cultural content and says the area hosts public art of national significance. The report also highlights the strengths of museums and galleries in the region, which include the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MiMA), the MOD funded Museum of the Royal Navy’s HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool, the "Head of Steam" Railway Museum in Darlington and the Science Museum Group’s Locomotion branch at Shildon near Darlington.

    MiMa is a Tate Plus partner and has strong links with Tate Modern. It receives funding from Arts Council England as a Visual Arts Gallery. The Government is also funding £500k towards the development of a new Captain Cook exhibition resource at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum in Middlesbrough.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure that new investment in the Primary PE and Sport Premium directly benefits (a) the least active children and (b) children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds.

    Edward Timpson

    We want all pupils to be healthy and active. We have ring-fenced over £450 million to improve PE and sport in primary schools (2013/14 – 2015/16), and committed to doubling the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy. Schools have the freedom to decide how to use the funding based on the needs of their pupils, and can choose to target funding on the least active and children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Schools are accountable for their spending through Ofsted inspections and are required to report plans and impact online.

    We have evaluated the impact and schools’ use of the premium through the independent research company, NatCen. Evidence indicates the funding is having a positive impact and schools reported almost universally that the PE and sport premium had had a positive impact on physical fitness (99%), healthy lifestyles (99%), skills (98%) and behaviour of pupils (96%).[1].

    We are currently exploring options for future evaluation once the premium is doubled. Further details will be announced in due course.

    [1] Evidence from the 2015 report, based on findings of a two year study between 2013 – 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools

    “

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the effect on children’s fitness and activity levels of the Primary PE and Sport Premium.

    Edward Timpson

    We want all pupils to be healthy and active. We have ring-fenced over £450 million to improve PE and sport in primary schools (2013/14 – 2015/16), and committed to doubling the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy. Schools have the freedom to decide how to use the funding based on the needs of their pupils, and can choose to target funding on the least active and children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Schools are accountable for their spending through Ofsted inspections and are required to report plans and impact online.

    We have evaluated the impact and schools’ use of the premium through the independent research company, NatCen. Evidence indicates the funding is having a positive impact and schools reported almost universally that the PE and sport premium had had a positive impact on physical fitness (99%), healthy lifestyles (99%), skills (98%) and behaviour of pupils (96%).[1].

    We are currently exploring options for future evaluation once the premium is doubled. Further details will be announced in due course.

    [1] Evidence from the 2015 report, based on findings of a two year study between 2013 – 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools

    “

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if Sport England will take steps to ensure that children’s fitness and activity levels do not decline from their term-time levels in the summer holidays.

    Tracey Crouch

    We want to ensure that all children, regardless of background, ability or where they live, are able to engage in sport and physical activity in a way that interests and benefits them. Through the Government’s sports strategy Sporting Future, published in December 2015, Sport England will now invest in sporting provision for children aged five and over – previously the starting age was 14 years old.

    In addition, Sport England’s new strategy, Towards an Active Nation, published in May 2016, sets out their plans to make a major new investment of £40 million into projects which offer new opportunities for families with children to get active and play sport together. Sport England will continue to work with organisations across the sport sector as it implements its strategy.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many full-time equivalent staff of his Department (a) have moved and (b) are planned to move into the EU Unit.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    A new Europe unit is being set up in Whitehall, bringing together officials and policy expertise from across government. This unit will be led by and staffed by the best and brightest from across the civil service, including DCMS.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the actual cost of replacing Trident does not exceed the current estimated cost.

    Harriett Baldwin

    As set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we are taking steps to manage the defence nuclear enterprise and ensure the Successor submarines are delivered to time and budget. As part of this, we have established a new Director-General Nuclear to act as single and accountable focal point within the Ministry of Defence for all aspects of the defence nuclear enterprise. We are also establishing a new submarine delivery body for the procurement and in-service support of all nuclear submarines, including the Successor submarines. We have deliberately moved away from a traditional single ‘Main Gate’ approach, to a staged investment approach with multiple control points. This will enable us to better regulate and control programme funding and delivery.

    The rollout of the Successor submarines supports the programme to maintain a Continuous at Sea Deterrent.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the rollout of the new submarines for the replacement Trident programme does not disrupt the Government’s commitment to having a constant at-sea deterrent.

    Harriett Baldwin

    As set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we are taking steps to manage the defence nuclear enterprise and ensure the Successor submarines are delivered to time and budget. As part of this, we have established a new Director-General Nuclear to act as single and accountable focal point within the Ministry of Defence for all aspects of the defence nuclear enterprise. We are also establishing a new submarine delivery body for the procurement and in-service support of all nuclear submarines, including the Successor submarines. We have deliberately moved away from a traditional single ‘Main Gate’ approach, to a staged investment approach with multiple control points. This will enable us to better regulate and control programme funding and delivery.

    The rollout of the Successor submarines supports the programme to maintain a Continuous at Sea Deterrent.