The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no Minister or senior British representative attended the second global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, Brazil on 18–19 November.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The second global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, Brazil was attended by Deputy Head of Mission, Mr Wasim Mir.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Oral Statement of 25 November 2015, Official Report, column 1358, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Midlands is creating jobs three times faster than London and the South East; and if he will make a statement.
Greg Hands
The independent Office for National Statistics publishes labour market statistics for the 12 UK regions every month.
According to the latest data which covers the 3 months to September 2015, the total number of people in employment in London and the South East has increased by 53,000 since the same period one year earlier (the 3 months to September 2014). This equates to an increase of 0.6 per cent on the employment level one year ago.
According to the same data, the total number of people in employment in the East and West Midlands combined (the ‘Midlands’) has increased by 101,000 over the same period. This equates to an increase of 2.1 per cent on the employment level in the Midlands one year ago. This rate of increase is more than 3 times faster than the rate for London and the South East.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of how much fresh water will be used during each exploratory fracking operation.
Andrea Leadsom
The volume of water used will depend on the site, but estimates suggest that the amount needed to operate a fracked well for a decade may be equivalent to the amount needed to water a golf course for a month, or the amount needed to run a 1,000 MW coal-fired power plant for 12 hours.
In order to carry out hydraulic fracturing activities, an operator is required to seek an abstraction permit from the Environment Agency if more than 20 cubic metres per day of water is to be abstracted from surface or groundwater bodies. If water is instead sourced from a mains supply, the water company will need to ensure it can still meet the conditions of the abstraction permit that it will already be operating under. Whichever source an operator chooses to use, a thorough assessment will be made considering the existing water users’ needs and the environmental impact before permission is granted.
The Infrastructure Act 2015 states that the Secretary of State will only be able to issue hydraulic fracturing consent if satisfied that planning authorities have consulted the relevant water company.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the amount paid in child benefit to parents of children residing outside the UK who have died since a claim was set up in the last 10 years.
Mr David Gauke
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that the proposed changes to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 concerning the burning of waste oil do not result in an increase in unrestricted dumping of such oil.
Rory Stewart
The changes referred to do not amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. The changes made are to the ‘Environmental Guidance On Waste Incineration’, which now clarifies that small waste oil burners used to burn waste oil must meet the requirements of Chapter IV of the Industrial Emissions Directive or switch to non-waste fuels. This guidance can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-guidance-the-waste-incineration-directive/environmental-permitting-guidance-waste-incineration.
A consultation on the changes to the guidance was undertaken between 14 September and 26 October last year. A summary of responses can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487892/waste-incineration-consult-sum-resp.pdf.
The impact assessment for the changes to this guidance considered some sensitivities on the price of crude oil with regard to collection fees only. The impact assessment can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487895/waste-incineration-consult-ep-ia.pdf.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 11023, whether discussions are ongoing with EDF about proposals for two reactors at Sizewell and Bradwell; and whether she plans to include those propospals in the process for the signing off of the proposed contract for Hinkley Point C.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government routinely speaks to developers about proposed new nuclear projects. There is no commitment in the documentation for Hinkley Point C in relation to the proposed reactors at Sizewell C or Bradwell. The strike price for Hinkley Point C is £92.50/MWh, which if Sizewell goes ahead will be reduced to £89.50/MWh.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-05-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of replacing the NHS bursary with student loans on the number of healthcare students; and what steps he is taking to (a) maintain and (b) increase the number of such students.
Ben Gummer
The Government assessment undertaken to date is that nursing is consistently one of the most popular courses on University Central Administration Service with 57,000 applicants for around 20,000 nursing places in 2014. Midwifery and Allied Health Professional courses receive higher than average applications as well.
Health Education England (HEE) funding for healthcare students is currently determined at a local level based on local need and is subject to annual workforce planning. For 2016-17, HEE will fund those commissions set out in the HEE Commissioning and Investment Plan for 2016-17. HEE will set out its plans for 2017/18 training commissions in its next annual Commissioning and Investment Plan or Workforce Plan for England which is expected to be published in December 2016 prior to the start of the financial year.
We estimate that this reform will enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional nursing and other health professional training places this Parliament. This reflects estimates on the level of unmet demand for places in the current system where, as an example, for nursing, around two out of three nursing applicants who currently apply for a place are turned down.
Under the reforms full time students will have access to more upfront living cost support, typically 25% or more.
A public consultation was published on the 7 April 2016. Preliminary Equalities Impact Analysis and Economic Impact Assessment were published alongside the consultation document.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mhairi Black on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Post Office has spent on refurbishing the Crown Post Office premises in Paisley since January 2010.
George Freeman
The hon Member recently tabled a Named Day question on this matter.
In my answer of 13 June I advised that this was the operational responsibility of the Post Office and I would ask its Chief Executive, Paula Vennells, to write to the hon Member.
I understand Paula Vennells wrote to the hon Member on 21 June. This letter has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the Exchequer was of providing free television licences to people over 75 years of age in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16 for qualifying residents in (i) the North East, (ii) Country Durham and (iii) Easington constituency.
Richard Harrington
In 2014/15 the cost of providing free TV licences to those 75 and over in the North East was £26.5m and it is estimated the cost for qualifying residents in Durham County local authority and Easington constituency was £5.3m and £0.8m respectively.
The cost of the free TV licences to those aged 75 and over in the North East for 2015/16 will be published on 21 September on the Gov.uk website. Breakdowns by County and Parliamentary Constituency use that North East expenditure estimate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish its strategic plan for housing Syrian refugees.
Richard Harrington
This is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept refugees on a voluntary basis. Housing is one element they would take into consideration before participating. We are working closely with those local authorities that have indicated they wish to be involved as well as with the Local Government Associations.