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  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will ensure that the final determination on fracking applications is made by local authorities.

    James Wharton

    Local authorities lead the process for the consideration of planning applications for shale gas exploration under the Town and Country Planning regime. Under this regime an applicant has a right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in clearly specified circumstances. The Government has taken steps to ensure this locally led regime is effective, as set out in Written Ministerial Statements of 16 September, HCWS201 and HCWS202. Community involvement in planning applications and people’s safety and the environment will remain paramount.

  • Phillip Lee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Phillip Lee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phillip Lee on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to promote the development of small modular reactors.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Small modular reactors (SMRs) are nuclear reactors with power outputs of 300MWe equivalent or less. They are modular, this means that the bulk of the design and plant can be fabricated in a factory environment and transported to site.

    Government recognises the potential of SMRs to offer potential for both economic growth and energy security.

    My Department is overseeing a £250m nuclear R&D programme, including a competition to identify the best value SMR design for the UK and £30m for an SMR enabling advanced manufacturing programme. Phase one of the SMR competition has been launched.

    An economic and technical assessment of SMRs is due to conclude soon. We will consider publishing at the appropriate point.

  • Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of the UK’s energy was generated from renewable sources in the last 12 months.

    Amber Rudd

    In 2014, the latest full year for which data is available, 7 per cent of the UK’s energy came from renewable sources, and 19 per cent of the UK’s electricity. This is a 15 per cent increase from the level of electricity generated from renewable sources in 2010.

  • Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Pow on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which coal mining projects in Russia have been supported by UK Export Finance since 2011.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Export Finance has supported five coal mining projects in Russia since 2011, as follows:

    Exporter name

    Buyer name

    Financial year in which support agreed

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    2011/12

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Mechel Mining OAO

    2011/12

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    2012/13

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    2012/13

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    2012/13

  • Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Pow on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which coal mining projects are being supported by UK Export Finance.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Export Finance is currently providing support to five coal mining projects, as follows:

    Exporter name

    Buyer name

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Mechel Mining OAO

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of UK firms was owed money for late payments in each of the last ten years.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department does not hold the information required to make an estimate of proportion of UK firms owed money for late payments in each of the last ten years. As late payment affects so many different types of business in different ways, no single survey gives a full picture of the impact of late payment on businesses. The three sources that we look to as an indicator of late payment are the SME finance monitor, the regular BACs survey and Experian’s late payment index. BACS data shows that small and medium businesses were owed a total of £26.8 billion as at June 2015, and the average small business is waiting for £31,900 in overdue payments.

    The Government recognises that late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK and is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts. This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors. Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to give general advice and to help small businesses resolve disputes relating to payment matters with larger businesses.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department has invested in (a) large facilities and (b) other (i) national and (ii) international capital projects managed by the Research Councils in each of the last ten years.

    Joseph Johnson

    This Government a record £6.9 billion in new equipment, new laboratories and new research institutes across the UK from 2015/16 to 2020/21.

    Details of investments in large facilities and national and international capital projects by the Research Councils is held by the Councils themselves, in line with the delivery responsibilities placed on the Partner Organisations that BIS funds. We do not hold this level of information for the period you request centrally, however, aggregate capital expenditure for each of the seven Research Councils is available through their individual delivery plans, which are published and available online.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average penalty awarded against employers who failed to pay the national minimum wage was in each year since 2012.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reviews all complaints that are referred to them.

    Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay arrears of wages at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to £20,000 per underpaid worker. A further increase in penalties will come into force in April 2016 and will increase the penalty percentage from 100% to 200% of the underpayments owed to each worker, up to the existing maximum.

    In 2014/15, HMRC issued 705 penalties totalling £934,660. I refer the honourable member to the answer provided at UIN 205613 for information on previous years.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 27866, what powers EEA states which are not EU members have to (a) terminate and (b) change the terms of the membership of the EEA of another EEA state which is not a member of the EU.

    Anna Soubry

    As set out by the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), the contracting parties of the Agreement are the EU, the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Agreement does not set out what powers Contracting Parties have over the termination or change of others’ engagement with the Agreement. The only mention in the Agreement of termination is that each Contracting Party may withdraw from this Agreement provided it gives at least twelve months’ notice in writing to the other Contracting Parties. Meanwhile, the Agreement states that any European State becoming a member of the EU or of the European Free Trade Association may apply to become a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and that the terms and conditions for such participation shall be the subject of an agreement between the Contracting Parties and the applicant State.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of individual voter registration.

    John Penrose

    The transition to IER is now complete and has been a great success. Over 14 million applications have been made to register since the introduction of IER, almost three quarters of them online. Ghost entries have been removed, which means the electoral registers are more accurate and less vulnerable to fraud than before. The Electoral Commission is expected to publish its assessment of the completeness and accuracy of the first full electoral registers under IER, published in December 2015, this summer.