Category: Speeches

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Written Statement of 11 February 2016, HCWS540, on HM Courts and Tribunals Service estate, whether his Department’s plans for updating the technology of that estate have been revised following that announcement of additional court closures; and if he will publish his plans for technology investments in the Calderdale Local Justice area over the next four years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The overall investment plans have not been changed following the recent announcements of court closures. No new technology equipment will be installed into courts that are now planned to close.

    In regards to the Calderdale local justice area, the HMCTS Reform programme is designed to deliver an improved service nationwide. There is no intention to publish plans specifically for technology investments in the Calderdale Local Justice area.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the establishment of co-operative schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government’s ambition is to provide an excellent education for all, through an autonomous, self-improving system. Good co-operative schools with strong governance are and will continue to be a part of this system.

    As increasing numbers of schools are opting to become academies, we have worked with the Society for Co-operative Schools (SCS) to update our model articles of association for co-operative trusts. This will ensure that co-operative schools are able to convert to academy status and form multi-academy trusts (MATs) using a model based on robust governance structures that also reflects co-operative principles.

    The new co-operative model articles will be published shortly.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals his Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Department for Communities and Local Government is not leading on EU negotiations, legislative or otherwise for the Government in the Council of the EU.

  • 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 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Amazon’s testing of parcel delivery by drone has begun; and what arrangements have been agreed for safety, insurance and data protection during this trial.

    Mr John Hayes

    Amazon is currently testing a developmental‎ drone delivery system in the UK, within a defined and contained test site area on private land. Trials involving customers are not part of this testing. Prior to the current trials starting, an operational safety case was assessed and approved by the Civil Aviation Authority, which ‎took into consideration the risk and mitigation of damage to other aircraft and infrastructure in the test area. The trial is designed in compliance with all regulatory and legal requirements.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the role of stakeholder banks in supporting regional growth.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Each quarter the British Bankers Association and the Council for Mortgage Lenders publish data showing the outstanding stock of lending in each postcode. This allows challenger banks, smaller building societies, credit unions and community development finance institutions (CDFIs) to find areas where there is a lack of lending so they can offer finance to those customers and support growth in that regional area.

    The Government recognises the important role that stakeholder banks play in supporting their communities. We more commonly refer to stakeholder banks as credit unions, building societies and mutually-owned savings banks.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Tornado aircraft (1) the RAF possess which are (a) available for operation, (b) maintained at each of the various defined levels, and (c) in storage; and (2) the RAF intend to fund for each of the above categories in each of the years from 2015–18.

    Earl Howe

    The information is not available in the format requested. The number of aircraft available varies day-to-day according to normal fleet management activities.

    I am withholding further information on the number of serviceable aircraft available for operations on the grounds of safeguarding national security.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the likely change in the number of projects being funded through the Landfill Communities Fund if the Contributory Third Party element is removed.

    Damian Hinds

    The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) is a tax credit scheme into which landfill operators contribute voluntarily. Since its introduction in 1996, the LCF has contributed over £1.4bn to community projects in areas affected by a local landfill site. However, as the LCF is a tax credit scheme, it reduces the Government’s tax revenues. We therefore have an ongoing responsibility to seek value for money for the taxpayer.

    Our reforms aim to encourage LCF money to get to communities more quickly and use the savings to address other significant issues like waste crime. The LCF will provide £39.3 million of additional funding in 2016-17 alone. We also hope more unspent funds, which this year totalled £118 million, will reach projects as soon as possible.

    The impact of the changes to the LCF announced at Autumn Statement 2015 is set out in Reform and value of the Landfill Communities Fund. This document can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund

    “

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure that jobs created by the (a) new nuclear project at Moorside and (b) the Solway Firth Tidal Lagoon project are available to local people.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government is working with the energy industry to maximise economic benefits from new electricity generation projects and is providing support to enhance the competitiveness of the supply chain, including improving the skills and employability of the construction workers in the industry.

    In addition Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has identified nuclear and energy excellence as a key priority contributing significant growth opportunities for the Cumbria economy. The Local Enterprise Partnership has strong ambitions to drive growth across the Cumbria area by improving the delivery of skills, infrastructure, environmental sustainability and business support.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has put incentives in place to encourage uptake of apprenticeship schemes from private companies.

    Nick Boles

    There have been over 2.4 million apprenticeship starts over the previous parliament, and 153,100 between August and October 2015, demonstrating the continued expansion of the apprenticeships programme.

    We are taking action to support and encourage the growth of apprenticeships in all sectors to meet our commitment to reaching 3 million starts by 2020. The UK-wide levy will be introduced in April 2017 for all employers in public and private sector with a pay bill of £3m or more, to help fund the increase in quantity and quality of apprenticeship training in England. All employers that hire apprentices will benefit from the levy.

    Our apprenticeship reforms are giving employers the opportunity to create new apprenticeship standards. More than 1300 employers are involved with 204 new standards published (of which over 60 are Higher and Degree Apprenticeships) and more than 150 are in development. So far there have been over 1,000 starts on the new standards.

    We are continuing to support small employers to hire apprentices through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), which provides eligible employers with a £1,500 grant per apprentice (aged 16 to 24) for up to five new apprentices currently. The AGE will continue to operate until the apprenticeships levy is introduced in April 2017. From April 2016, all employers will not be required to pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under age of 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what methodology his Department measures the proportion of UK transport using renewable fuels.

    Andrew Jones

    The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) requires larger fossil fuel suppliers to demonstrate that sufficient renewable fuel has been supplied to meet their obligation. The obligation is set as a proportion of a supplier’s overall fuel supply by volume.

    Renewable fuels supplied for use in transport in the UK are also reported under the RTFO on a volume basis, in litres or kilograms. The energy content of renewable fuels used in transport is calculated using the default energy values set out in Annex III of the Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC).

    Officials from the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy and Climate Change are in regular contact on the development of proposals to meet EU renewable energy targets, under the Directive.