Category: Speeches

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure on the provision of English courses for speakers of other languages (1) in further education colleges and other public sector bodies, and (2) in other ways, in each of the last 10 years, including the current academic year; which bodies will deliver the extra language tuition to be provided from the £20 million announced by the Prime Minister; and when that extra tuition will commence.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The table below shows estimated funding for adult skills budget ESOL provision from 2009/10 onwards. We do not hold data before 2009/10 or collect data by the status of the providers.

    BIS funding for ESOL is allocated by the Skills Funding Agency as part of a provider’s adult skills budget. In addition, there are a number of ESOL courses funded through the Agency’s community learning budget, but we do not collect data which enables us to provide a breakdown of the expenditure on these. SFA-funded providers which deliver ESOL include Further Education colleges, local authorities and a few other providers. The Department for Communities and Local Government funds a range of organisations contracted to deliver their current community-based English language projects.

    Our new £20 million community-based English language training offer will be informed by the findings of Louise Casey’s Review and the learning from the six community projects we have funded as part of our current integration programme. In particular, we will work with Louise Casey to identify the most isolated communities in England to make sure this programme is targeted at those women who need it most and on the detail of how it will be delivered. We are working towards as early a launch date as possible for the programme in 2016-17.

    YEAR

    BIS ACADEMIC YEAR ESTIMATED FUNDING* (Adult Skills Budget)

    DCLG FINANCIAL YEAR FUNDING FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROJECTS

    09/10

    £203m

    10/11

    £169m

    11/12

    £117m

    12/13

    £128m

    £0.12m

    13/14

    £120m

    £2.14m

    14/15

    £104m

    £3.66m

    *Funding values are estimated using data from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). Estimated funding provides an indication of the level of government funding and should not be treated as actual spend.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have undertaken any analysis to determine why there has been an increase in the number of homeless people; and, if so, what assessment they have made of the impact of the Homeless Prevention Fund provided to local authorities and increased funding of programmes for the homeless.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    This Government has always been clear that we are committed to supporting the most vulnerable people in our society. One person without a home is one too many. That is why we have protected the homelessness prevention funding local authorities receive, totalling £315 million by 2019-20. This builds on our commitment to increase central government funding for homelessness programmes to £139 million over the next four years.

    We are working with homelessness organisations to consider other options, including legislation, to ensure those at risk of homelessness get earlier and more effective support. Through a series of roundtables we have already started conversations to help shape and inform our future approach to tackling homelessness and deciding our investment priorities.

    During the last Parliament the Homelessness Prevention Grant and our investment in homelessness programmes helped prevent 935,800 households from becoming homeless.

    We will continue to use the information provided to us by local authorities to assess the causes of homelessness and the extent of homelessness prevention and relief activity, in order to help shape future policy and investment.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6235), what assessment they have made of whether a procurement process where there are only two genuine bidders complies with the EU rules and procedures for public contracts, which state that a minimum of three bids are required, and whether they have sought from the EU a derogation from that rule.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Rail franchising competitions are governed by Regulation 1370/2007 and not the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Therefore, although the Department fully applies the EU treaty principles of transparency, equal treatment and non-discrimination, it is not obliged to follow the processes and procedures set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

    Where a competition is to be held, Regulation 1370/2007 requires a fair competitive procedure, but does not stipulate the minimum number of bidders that is required to evidence this.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of tax refunds to large businesses as a result of decisions from the European Court of Justice in the last 10 years.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs holds data about tax repayments to business, but does not record whether repayments are linked to CJEU decisions.

    The amount repayable is often the result of decisions in both the UK courts and CJEU and it would be impossible to accurately disaggregate how much was linked to the decisions of an individual court.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with the Rail North Board.

    Andrew Jones

    Since the start of the new Northern and TPE franchises on 1st April 2016, the Rail North Partnership Director (who is responsible for the management of those franchises on behalf of Rail North and the Department) has had one meeting with the Board of Rail North Ltd at which he presented his monthly report.

  • Scott Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Scott Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress has been made on the UK’s bass management plan.

    George Eustice

    We continue to work closely with the recreational angling sector and others interested in the long term sustainability of bass stocks, to help inform the future policy of bass management measures.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 19 September (HL1467), how much they will pay Ecorys for the production of their report evaluating the Troubled Families Programme; and whether that fee will be reduced in the light of the reported problems with methodology and the consequent delay in the completion and publication of that report.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The evaluation, published on 17 October, comprises several different strands including longitudinal case studies in twenty local authorities, in-depth longitudinal research with families, a face-to-face survey of over 800 families, an impact study using national administrative datasets, the development of a cost savings calculator for local authorities, and a local monitoring system for all local authorities to record family problems. The total value of these strands amount to £1.16 Million (0.2 per cent of the total programme budget).

  • Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the proposed byelaw changes for the waters between the Scottish mainland and the Island of Raasay.

    Mark Lancaster

    In accordance with the byelaws review process the Ministry of Defence has engaged with the Scottish Government Criminal Justice Division regarding the proposed new British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre Byelaws.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the timetable for the proposed change of status of the Land Registry before a public consultation on that matter takes place; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    In the Spending Review Autumn Statement 2015 the Chancellor announced the Government’s intent to consult on options to move operations of the Land Registry into the private sector from 2017.

    We intend to launch the consultation in the New Year setting out Government’s proposals. Final decisions on the options to be included in the consultation have not yet been made.

    No decisions on the options will be taken until after the consultation, but, if Government chose to proceed we would look to then introduce any legislation required.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the legal Transfer Agreement between Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust and Circle 33 Housing Trust for the transfer of the Tredegar, Monteith and Lefevre estates in Bow to Old Ford Housing Association.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We are not able to place a copy of the document in the Library of the House; the transfer took place in 1999 and records are not kept that long.