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  • Chris Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Williamson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential costs and benefits of bringing forward legislative proposals similar to those in the US Servicemen’s Readjustment Act 1944.

    Anna Soubry

    We have made no assessment of legislative proposals along these lines. We have robust measures in place to prepare our Service personnel for civilian employment as well as addressing any accommodation, welfare, health and domestic needs and concerns. As Lord Ashcroft highlighted in his recent review of transition arrangements, these measures ensure that the vast majority of Service leavers make a successful transition to civilian life.

    All Service leavers are entitled to resettlement assistance from the Ministry of Defence funded Career Transition Partnership (CTP), and around 85% of those who use the CTP are employed within six months of leaving. In addition, all Service leavers are entitled to housing and financial advice and, through the Officers Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association, lifetime job finding support.

    While in Service, our personnel can receive skills, qualifications and experience accredited to nationally recognised standards to ease the transition back into the civilian work place. In addition, we provide financial support to conduct vocational as well as professional advancement.

    We also support a range of schemes to help veterans and their families secure appropriate accommodation. For information about the guidance and support the Department provides, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 April 2014, (Official Report, columns 442-3W) to the hon. Member for Windsor (Mr Afriyie).

  • Robert Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Robert Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Smith on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans his Department has to provide assistance to people with cold-related health conditions who are struggling to pay their heating bills.

    Gregory Barker

    The evidence is clear that living in cold homes can have a substantial range of negative health impacts. We have a strong package of policies already delivering assistance to those in need. These include:

    – the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which funds efficient boilers and insulation measures to low income and vulnerable households and is now guaranteed until at least 2017;

    – the Warm Home Discount scheme, which gave over 1.2m of the lowest income pensioners £135 off their electricity bills in winter 2013/14, and supported more than 2m households in total;

    – Winter Fuel and Cold Weather payments which provide support to pensioners and vulnerable low income groups; and

    – the Big Energy Saving Network which is providing outreach to consumers, helping them understand tariffs and switching options as well as how they could benefit from energy efficiency programmes available to them.

    In July 2013 DECC published the document Fuel Poverty: a framework for future action, this stated Government’s intention to continue to prioritise ‘vulnerable’ fuel poor households (i.e. those containing an elderly person, a child or someone who is long term sick or disabled) within fuel poverty policies.

    We have been discussing links between fuel poverty and health with colleagues in the Department of Health, and Public Health England, at all levels, including Ministerial, as part of our preparation for a new fuel poverty strategy.

  • Robert Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Robert Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Smith on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on support for people in fuel poverty who suffer from cold-related health conditions.

    Gregory Barker

    My rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change met my rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health in February 2014, specifically to discuss how DECC and the Department of Health can work together to tackle fuel poverty, building on previous collaboration.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information has been provided to his Department by (a) EDF Energy and (b) the Office for Nuclear Regulation on the application by EDF Energy to extend the operating life of the Dungeness B reactor.

    Michael Fallon

    In December 2013, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) received a notification from EDF Energy of the intention to extend the planned operating life of Dungeness B AGR power station (as required under the Nuclear Liabilities Funding Agreement). Information relating to this process was shared with the Department. The decision on whether in practice to extend the life of the plant will be a commercial matter for EDF Energy. This is subject to the relevant safety and security regulations.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what analysis has been carried out by the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston into the effects on (a) human beings, (b) other animals and (c) the wider environment of the use of a nuclear warhead in the UK nuclear arsenal.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The effects of the use of a UK nuclear warhead are underpinned by modelling and analysis. The effects are dependent on a wide range of variable factors including: the yield and design of the weapon; the accuracy of the delivery system; the nature and construction of the target; the geographical characteristics of the surrounding terrain; geological conditions in the target area; the height of weapon burst; and the weather conditions at the target.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of when the Afghanistan Air Force will be ready to function independently of US and UK support.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Afghan Air Force (AAF) is trained in accordance with the wider International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) development strategy. ISAF envisages that the AAF will be at full operational capability with the required trained personnel, aircraft and equipment by the end of 2017.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the Afghanistan National Army has deserted in each month since January 2010.

    Mr Mark Francois

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my predecessor, the right hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Andrew Robathan) on 13 November 2012 (Official Report, colunm 161W).

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what benefits he expects to accrue to the UK economy from the agreement signed in China on 26 May 2014 between the Building Research Establishment and the Shenzhen Municipal Government to set up a training and research and development centre on sustainable building construction in China.

    Michael Fallon

    On 26 May 2014, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) signed an agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to set up a training and R&D centre in China’s fastest growing city.

    The centre in Shenzhen will deliver training on a national scale to other cities and promote its services including certifying buildings to green construction standards.

    BRE aims to certify over 1,000 buildings across China to its standards which will generate £10 million income and could create up to £200 million of work for UK supply chain companies.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much (a) military and (b) humanitarian aid the UK provided to the Libyan government in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013.

    Hugh Robertson

    Due to our accounting structures we are only able to provide exact spending figures for financial years rather than calendar years. In this time, the UK has provided military aid to Libya in the form of the defence portion of the tri-Departmental (MOD, FCO, DfID) Conflict Pool, and core defence funding for Defence Engagement activity. This has been:

    • 2010/11 – £3000
    • 2011/12 – £200,000
    • 2012/13 – £2,173,000
    • 2013/14 – £3,521,000

    This has formed part of a total of over £25m stabilisation assistance to the Libyan government through the Arab Partnership and Conflict Pool programme during the period 2011-2013.

    During the period 2011-13 the UK provided humanitarian aid to Libya for protection of civilians, assistance for survival and effective international humanitarian coordination, especially through the UN, broken down as follows:

    • 2011/12 – £7,843,227.40
    • 2012/13 – £304,100.37
    • 2013/14 – £0

    The UK no longer provides this type of humanitarian aid to Libya but instead is providing technical support for security, justice and rule of law capacity building, through the Arab partnership and Conflict Pool.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of MINURSO in implementing its role in Western Sahara.

    Hugh Robertson

    MINURSO is effective in implementing its role in Western Sahara. MINURSO is mandated to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the POLISARIO: the situation in Western Sahara is generally calm and the ceasefire continues to hold.