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  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many schemes have benefited from the Business Premises Renovation Allowance in each of the last five years; and what the average value of such benefit was.

    Mr David Gauke

    The table below shows the number of Business Premises Renovation Allowance claims by year and the average cost in tax relief per claim for the last five years for which data is available. Some businesses may have made more than one BPRA claim for a single project and some claims may involve more than one project.

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    Number of claims

    2,050

    1,450

    1,550

    1,400

    1,400

    Average cost per claim

    £14,200

    £20,500

    £63,000

    £27,800

    £19,300

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Financial Conduct Authority has made of the effect that the GC16/2 proposal, published in February 2016, to require lenders to issue default notices before collecting from guarantors would have on (i) the number of borrower defaults subsequently reported to the Credit Reference Agencies, (ii) borrowers’ credit scores and (iii) levels of financial exclusion.

    Harriett Baldwin

    These are matters for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and relate to FCA Guidance Consultation (GC16/2) issued on the interpretation of provisions in the Consumer Credit Act 1974, regarding whether a default notice should be given to a guarantor before payment is taken from them when a borrower defaults. The FCA is currently considering responses to the consultation and will publish a response after considering the complex issues raised.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s consultation on enforcing guarantor loans, GC16/2, published in February 2016, whether his Department has received representations from the (a) Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and (b) any other organisation on the consistency of the FCA’s proposed interpretation of the word enforce in section 87(1)(e) of the Consumer Credit Act.

    Harriett Baldwin

    These are matters for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and relate to FCA Guidance Consultation (GC16/2) issued on the interpretation of provisions in the Consumer Credit Act 1974, regarding whether a default notice should be given to a guarantor before payment is taken from them when a borrower defaults. The FCA is currently considering responses to the consultation and will publish a response after considering the complex issues raised.

  • 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 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to apply the agent of change principle to pubs which play live music.

    Brandon Lewis

    Elements of the agent of change principle already exist within planning policies and guidance. The planning guidance supporting the Framework is clear that the potential effect of a new residential development being located close to an existing business giving rise to noise should be carefully considered. The guidance underlines planning’s contribution to avoiding future complaints and risks to local business like live music venues from resulting enforcement action. To help avoid such situations, local councils are encouraged to consider appropriate mitigation including designing the new development to reduce the impact of noise from the local environment and optimising the sound insulation provided by the building envelope.

  • Mark Pawsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Pawsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pawsey on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is offering to local authorities to promote the provision of electric car charging points.

    Andrew Jones

    This Government has committed to spend more than £600 million in this Parliament to support the uptake and manufacturing of electric vehicles in the UK. 61 Local Authorities have already benefitted from £12.8m of funding to deploy chargepoints across the UK. This included 253 rapid chargepoints and 587 fast chargepoints in train stations and public sector workplaces. The UK now has over 11,000 public chargepoints.

    In January Bristol, London, Milton Keynes and Nottingham were awarded funding of £35 million to promote green vehicles, as winners of the Go Ultra Low city scheme. A further £5m was awarded to the North East Combined Authority, Dundee, York and Oxford. We estimate that this scheme will deliver around 750 new publically accessible charge points. Our Local Authority-led schemes for low emission buses and taxis will also contribute towards the cost of new charging infrastructure, and we will shortly announce details of further support for the UK’s growing charging network.

    In addition to public infrastructure provision, grants of £500 are available towards the cost of installing a domestic chargepoint, with over 18,000 now installed.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish the White Paper on the BBC Charter.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government will set out its plans for the future of the BBC in a White Paper in May.

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on the future of Channel 4.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The government wants to ensure a strong and secure future for Channel 4 in what is a fast-changing and challenging broadcasting environment. The government is looking at a broad range of options, including those proposed by Channel 4’s leadership.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in Shropshire have been converted into academies.

    Edward Timpson

    Twenty-five schools in Shropshire have been converted into academies. This information is publically available on GOV.UK at: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/index.html

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  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of data that it holds about the mental health of looked-after children.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. In March 2015, The Department for Education and Department of Health strengthened the statutory guidance ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children'[1] to include information on how Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires should be used. The Department wrote to local authorities in 2014 and 2015 to remind them about the purpose and importance of SDQs. Ahead of this year’s data collection (published in September 2016), the Department will also write to Virtual School Heads and Independent Reviewing Officers about the use of SDQs for looked-after children. In addition we are considering how to utilise best practice from local authorities that have had consistently good return rates for SDQ scores in their annual children looked-after data returns.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children–2

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  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people her Department employs as statisticians.

    Nick Gibb

    As of 31st March 2016, the Department employs 129 people as statisticians.