The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the consultation on the UK’s first space port; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Robert Goodwill
I refer my Hon Friend to my answer of 8 March, UIN 28858 (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=28858).
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 26810, what the job titles are of those people in receipt of travel expenses, paid car allowances or subsidised health insurance.
Joseph Johnson
Individual job titles are not held centrally by the BIS HR database. Roles tend to be grouped under work areas e.g. ‘policy delivery’ or ‘human resources’ instead of job titles.
Where we are able to identify job titles, they are very specific roles carried out by individual employees, and therefore it would be possible to identify personal information of these employees. This information has therefore not been released.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) level of tariffs which UK businesses would operate in the event of the UK leaving the EU and negotiating a free trade deal with the EU equivalent to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade agreement between the EU and Canada and (b) costs of customs checks and rules of origin requirements for UK businesses in the event of the UK leaving the EU; and what the annual value to the UK economy is of the EU’s trade agreements with third parties.
Anna Soubry
At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The document “Alternatives to membership: possible models for the United Kingdom, outside the European Union”, published on 2 March, looks at the potential models for the UK’s relationship with the European Union, including negotiated bilateral agreements, such as the recent EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement. It concludes that such an agreement would bring significantly less advantageous terms for UK trade than those we currently enjoy, with particular issues for UK services losing access to the Single Market.
The estimated value to the UK of EU FTA negotiations that have already been concluded is around £ 2.5 billion.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding UK universities have been allocated under (a) the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, (b) Horizon 2020 and (c) the Erasmus programme; and what estimate of the future level of EU funding to UK universities his Department has made.
Joseph Johnson
The UK received around €7 billion under the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) and was the second highest recipient amongst Member States. Of this, €4.97 billion was awarded to UK Secondary and Higher Education Establishments. The UK had the top four Secondary and Higher Education Establishments in terms of FP7 funding received between 2007-2013 (Cambridge, Oxford, University College London and Imperial).
Under the current Horizon 2020 programme (2014-2020), UK Secondary and Higher Education Establishments have been awarded €0.89 billion up to the October 2015 release of grant data.
Under the current Erasmus+ programme, provisional figures indicate that UK Higher Education Institutions received a total of €114 million in 2014 and 2015. Approximately 220,000 students have benefitted from the Erasmus Programme since it began.
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills does not make estimates of future funding to UK participants in these programmes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the media was briefed on the contents of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information’s report prior to that report being made available to hon. Members.
Matthew Hancock
The report of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information was received on 29 February and published with the Government’s response on 1 March [Hansard ref HCWS566]
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials work in his private office.
Matthew Hancock
The government publishes information on the job titles and pay grades of senior civil servants along with the numbers of staff they manage on a twice yearly basis. Information for all my office will be published in the next set of data.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 26811, what the job titles are of those people in receipt of subsidised health insurance.
Matthew Hancock
There are fewer than 5 staff in receipt of subsidised health insurance and disclosing the job titles of those in receipt of subsidised health insurance may lead to the identification of the individuals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in his Department have policy responsibility for deregulation.
Matthew Hancock
A cross cutting team has been established to lead delivery of Governments’ commitment to cut a further £10 billion of red tape over this Parliament. The joint team consists of 53 officials from both Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in his Department have responsibility for examining the resilience of the UK’s infrastructure.
Matthew Hancock
The Cabinet Office role on infrastructure resilience is focused on providing a co-ordination and assurance function for infrastructure resilience. Other departments have staff working directly on infrastructure resilience according to sector.
There are currently fifteen officials in the Cabinet Office who spend a significant amount of their time working on infrastructure resilience.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the cost: benefit ratio of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information.
Matthew Hancock
The total expenditure of the Commission will be published in due course.