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  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budgets and programmes have been established since 2014 to help the regeneration of council housing estates.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    A total of £290 million of loan funding has been allocated by the Government to help the regeneration of local authority housing estates. The first tranche of this funding was announced jointly between the Greater London Authority and the Department for Communities and Local Government on 13 June 2014, and the second was announced by the my rt. hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 11 January 2016.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment, consultation and other work was carried out to establish the Pay to Stay thresholds at £30,000 and £40,000, outside and in London, respectively.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The starting gross income threshold of £30,000 nationally is above the median average household income figure, which is just over £26,000 based on evidence from the Family Resources Survey – this figure represents gross income of the ‘household reference person’ plus a partner. It is only fair that social tenants who can pay more should pay more. There are more than 40,000 tenants in social housing who benefit from subsidised rents but where the annual household income is over £50,000. The Government consulted in October 2015 on a proposal for a taper which, if introduced. would ensure that rent rises are affordable for those households above the thresholds and protect the incentive to find and keep work.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the loan guarantee facility offered by his Department to EDF Energy for construction of the twin Hinkley Point C nuclear power plants will be conditional on the prior successful operation of the same model elsewhere in the world before entering into force.

    Greg Hands

    The Chancellor announced in September 2015 an initial guarantee of £2 billion of bonds which must be repaid by December 2020 by the shareholders of the project company. There is no further obligation to issue guarantees after that date.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 903457, when the Spending Review settlement to her Department will be fully allocated.

    Rory Stewart

    Budgets for 2016/17 to 2020/21 have not yet been finalised. Defra’s internal business planning process is still underway, and it would not, therefore, be appropriate at this time to comment on how particular policy areas may be affected.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ban the use of whips for encouragement in horse racing.

    George Eustice

    The Government considers that the British Horseracing Authority’s rules on use of the whip during horseracing, which were drawn up in consultation with the RSPCA, together with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 provide protection for the welfare of racehorses.

    There are, therefore, no proposals to ban the use of the whip during horseracing.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effect on employment levels in the Syrian textile industry of the application of sanctions on Syria; and if he will estimate the number of Syrian textile workers and their families who have left Syria due to the loss of employment arising from application of economic sanctions.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    International sanctions restrict the regime’s ability to wage war against the civilian population and pressure the regime to engage in negotiations with the opposition. The UK fully supports EU sanctions against Syria which are rigorously assessed to ensure restrictive measures are targeted and proportionate. We are mindful of the humanitarian impact of sanctions.

    There are no EU sanctions specifically on the Syrian textile industry and we are not aware of any direct impact of sanctions on employment levels in the textile industry.

    The high number of civilians fleeing Syria is a direct consequence of the regime’s brutal five-year war against the civilian population. The regime has repeatedly employed siege tactics, indiscriminately attacked densely populated areas and targeted civilian infrastructure. Therefore, only by securing a political solution to the Syrian conflict will it be possible to provide stability for Syrian workers and their families, and stop the current levels of people leaving Syria.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made on the test launch by North Korea of a long-range ballistic missile on 7 February 2016; and what representations the Government has received on the UK maintenance of the its long-range Trident ballistic missile system since 7 February 2016.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I have strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s satellite launch of 7 February, which used ballistic missile technology in clear violation of a number of UN Security Council Resolutions. On 8 February I summoned the DPRK’s Ambassador to make clear the UK’s strong condemnation of the launch. In addition, I issued a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 11 February, setting out the UK’s response to the satellite launch. The DPRK’s actions are a further threat to regional security and the stability of the Korean peninsula. It is clear that the DPRK continues to prioritise its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes over the welfare of its people.

    The government has not received any representations on the Trident long-range missile system since 7 February 2016.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans her Department has to ensure that the smart meter roll-out is used as an opportunity to engage with householders on the issue of carbon monoxide safety.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Energy suppliers are responsible for installing smart meters in their domestic customers’ premises. It is, a condition of their licence that energy suppliers must comply with the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice, which is regulated by Ofgem:

    http://www.smicop.co.uk/SitePages/Home.aspx

    The Code states that the installer should inform the customer about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and the need to regularly have all gas appliances serviced and checked by a Gas Safe Registered engineer.

    “

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to require private landlords to fit carbon monoxide alarms in any property that contains a fuel-burning appliance.

    Brandon Lewis

    Since 1 October 2015, landlords have been required to install carbon monoxide alarms in any room used as living accommodation which contains a solid-fuel burning appliance.

    We regulated for rooms with these appliances as they are responsible for a disproportionate number of carbon monoxide deaths and injuries compared to other combustion appliances.

    The Government therefore has no current plans to regulate further. These regulations are still very new and need time to bed in. A full review will be conducted in October 2017.

  • Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received on the implications for aid of the 1955 tax treaty between the UK and Malawi.

    Mr David Gauke

    No such representations have been received. Discussions with Malawi over a new tax treaty have already taken place. We are hopeful the new treaty can be concluded shortly.