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  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission since the publication of the EU Aviation Strategy in December 2015; what assessment he has made of the effect of taxes and levies applied by member states on connectivity and competitiveness; what his Department’s response to that strategy’s conclusion on the effects of such taxes and levies conclusion is; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Treasury takes note of the European Commission’s 2015 Aviation Strategy.

    The UK has the third largest aviation network in the world and a strongly performing aviation sector – passenger numbers grew 4% in 2014 compared to 2013 and are expected to show similar growth for 2015.

    In the absence of any taxation of international aviation fuel and no VAT on international or domestic flights, the Government levies air passenger duty (APD) on the carriage of passengers from UK airports. APD ensures that the aviation sector contributes its fair share in taxation towards reducing the deficit.

    However, like all taxes, APD is kept under review with any changes announced at fiscal events.

  • Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total annual costs to local authorities were for public health funerals in each year between 2010 and 2015.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect the information requested. Figures on local authority expenditure on, and income from, the provision of cemetery, cremation and mortuary services, including closed churchyards and post-mortem services within mortuaries, are collected on the Revenue Outturn form and are available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2014-to-2015-individual-local-authority-data-outturn

    “

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to monitor whether the number of refugee places for victims of domestic violence is increasing or decreasing.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We have invested over £280,000 in UK Refuges on Line (UKROL) to monitor the number of refuge bedspaces around the country to ensure that victims get the support that they need. It will also ensure victims calling the National Domestic Violence Helpline looking for refuge get additional help in finding the support they need.

    Domestic abuse is a devastating crime that shatters lives. That is why we are committed to ensuring that no victim is turned away from the support they need. To support this ambition, we have committed long term fund of £40 million over the next four years which will offer support to victims of domestic abuse. This increased funding, which triples our funding in the last spending period, complements Government’s wider approach and support for violence against women and children’s services, which will be set out in the forthcoming refresh of the Strategy.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to introduce independent checks to ensure that rented properties are genuinely abandoned within the provisions of the Housing and Planning Bill.

    Brandon Lewis

    The new abandonment procedure will enable landlords to legally regain possession of their property where it has been abandoned, without the need to obtain a possession order. We have introduced a number of safeguards to ensure that tenants are adequately protected against potential misuse of the procedure. These include a requirement that at least 8 weeks or 2 months rent is unpaid and requiring the landlord to serve at least 3 warning notices before they can repossess the property.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what specific funding has been allocated to provide support for rough sleepers in each year since 2010.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. Over the last Parliament, we invested over £500 million to enable local authorities and the voluntary sector to support the most vulnerable in society, including rough sleepers, by preventing and tackling homelessness in their local areas.

    Some specific initiatives that targeted rough sleeping includes:

    • Rolling out No Second Night Out across England through the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund(2011-12 to 2013-14). Over two-thirds of rough sleepers in 20 key areas outside London did not spend a second night on the streets.
    • Investing £5 million in the world’s first homelessness Social Impact Bond(2013-14 to 2016-17), run by the Greater London Authority to turn around the lives of 830 of London’s most entrenched rough sleepers. Over half have achieved accommodation, employment or reconnection outcomes.
    • Investing £1 million to support the StreetLink service(2012-13 to 2015-16), a website, app and telephone line that allows members of the public to connect rough sleepers into local support services. Over 17,000 rough sleepers have been found and helped since December 2012.
    • Investing £8 million in the Help for Single Homeless Fund (2014-15 to 2015-16) to improve services for vulnerable single homeless people, including rough sleepers. 34 successful projects in 168 local areas are supporting around 22,000 individuals.
    • Supporting local areas to improve the quality of hostels through the Homelessness Change Programme(2012-2015), which provided £42.5 million of capital funding for new and refurbished bed spaces and facilities to provide meaningful activities to support pathways to independent living.

    But one person without a home is one too many, which is why we will increase central investment over the next four years to £139 million for innovative programmes to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping. We also want to help local authorities provide advice and assistance to those at risk of homelessness which is why we have protected the homelessness prevention funding for local authorities through the provisional local government finance settlement, totalling £315 million by 2019-20.

    The Government will continue to work closely with the voluntary sector and local authorities on how we improve the impact of homelessness services and break the cycle of homelessness.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of people who will no longer be able to live in supported accommodation as a result of the application of the cap on local housing allowance for people in such accommodation.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not available.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when 100 per cent of residents in St Albans will have access to superfast broadband; and when ultrafast broadband will be rolled out in St Albans.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Based on current delivery plans, it is estimated that 98% of premises in the St Albans constituency will have access to superfast broadband by the end of June 2018. Additional funding sources, including Herts & Bucks share of the £129 million of early gainshare funding that BT will return in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, could allow coverage to be extended further in St Albans and the rest of the area covered by the Herts & Bucks broadband project.

    Virgin Media already provides services over 100Mbps in many urban areas, including extensive network coverage in St Albans.

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) UK and (b) other maritime patrol aircraft are currently based at RAF Lossiemouth; and how much longer he anticipates this will be the case.

    Penny Mordaunt

    There are no Maritime Patrol Aircraft currently based at RAF Lossiemouth.

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Philip Dunne) to question 17832 from the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle) on 3 December 2015.

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) range and (b) maximum flying time of the Boeing P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft is.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Range and endurance will vary significantly depending upon the profile of the mission being flown, however the P-8A Poseidon’s range and endurance may be characterised as 4,000 plus nautical miles and over eight hours of endurance.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether overtime for Ministry of Defence Police stationed at HM Naval Base Clyde is (a) voluntary or (b) compulsory.

    Mark Lancaster

    All Ministry of Defence Police officers can be asked to work beyond their normal conditioned hours if there is an unavoidable operational need to do so. Where there is a requirement to cover essential duties by the use of overtime working, volunteers are sought in the first instance in order to minimise the need for compulsory overtime working