The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-06-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will conduct a review into the effect of the use of payment intermediaries on pay transparency before the end of 2016.
Nick Boles
This is a complicated issue and we are considering the most appropriate way to ensure more transparency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Vauxhall on safety standards of the Zafira model; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Jones
I have not had any recent discussions with representatives from Vauxhall about the Zafira. However, the DVSA is leading on this and has met, corresponded with and continues to work with Vauxhall on the Zafira issue. The DVSA has overseen two safety recalls and corresponding actions to protect consumers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions the Government has had with (a) the Egyptian authorities, (b) airlines and (c) other national and international bodies on changes to the allocation of slots for flights arriving and leaving Sharm el-Sheikh airport.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Both the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have been in regular liaison, and worked in partnership, with the Egyptian authorities to agree the allocation of slots for UK aircraft at Sharm-el-Sheikh since the temporary resumption of UK-bound flights on 6 November. As is the usual practice, UK airlines have agreed the slot timetables directly with the Egyptian authorities for the flights being arranged. Both the FCO and DfT spoke with other national bodies at Sharm-el–Sheikh on the overall initial allocation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2015 to Question 18390, if she will include within the scope of character education referred to teaching on the dangers of problem gambling.
Edward Timpson
All young people need strong academic skills as well as a complementary set of character attributes to be successful in life. That is why we have invested £5 million in character and resilience and made it very clear that schools should teach personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).
The non-statutory PSHE programme of study, published by the PSHE Association, includes teaching about all forms of gambling and its psychological and financial impact. The programme of study is available online at:
https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/
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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 information her Department holds on (a) how much methane gas an average shale gas drilling site releases into the atmosphere and (b) what technology reduces the amount of methane gas so released.
Andrea Leadsom
Research has shown that the carbon footprint of shale gas extraction and use is likely to be comparable to conventional sources of gas and lower than the carbon footprint of imported Liquefied Natural Gas. [1]
In order to make sure emissions are minimised, the Environment Agency has made ‘Green Completions’ to capture emissions from operations a requirement for Environmental Permits for shale gas production.
Additionally, operators must develop a Waste Management Plan setting out how waste gases including fugitive methane emissions will be minimised, managed and monitored, which is submitted to the Environment Agency with permit applications. The Environment Agency will also consider an enclosed flare to provide the best environmental performance for treatment of waste gases from onshore oil and gas operations during exploration.
We have one of the most robust regulatory regimes in the world for shale gas and we insist on high standards of health safety and environmental protection.
[1] Mackay-Stone report (requested by DECC), Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Shale Gas Extraction and Use, Sept 2013 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/237330/MacKay_Stone_shale_study_report_09092013.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2016 to Question 25816, what the ceiling trajectory on agency spend is as a proportion of expenditure on nursing staff for all NHS trusts in England.
Alistair Burt
The information requested is not currently available centrally. It could only be obtained from Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) arrested and (b) prosecuted for shining laser pens at (i) road transport, (ii) train, (c) air transport drivers in each of the last five years.
Mike Penning
The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of arrests made for shining laser pens at road transport, train, or air transport drivers. The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of arrests broken down by offence group and police force area. These data cannot be broken down to identify those arrested for misuse of a laser pen.
The Ministry of Justice holds data relating to prosecutions. Data held centrally at the Ministry of Justice cannot be broken down to the level of detail requested. It is not possible to identify if a defendant was proceeded against for the misuse of a laser pen.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of using energy storage to ensure that intermittent renewable sources of energy can be part of the UK’s energy mix.
Andrea Leadsom
Renewable energy technologies have successfully been part of the UK energy mix for many years.
Storage could help maximise the benefits and minimise the costs of low carbon energy. It is one of a number of flexible solutions which could be used, for example, demand-side response, interconnection with other countries and dynamic use of networks.
We are investigating the potential barriers to deployment of these technologies, including energy storage, and possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory and policy barriers. We will be publishing a call for evidence on a smart systems route map, including storage, shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support issuances of land titles and registration of land in Rwanda.
Mr Nick Hurd
DFID has supported the Government of Rwanda’s Land Tenure Regularisation (LTR) programme since 2009. This ambitious programme is supporting the issuance of a registered land title to every landholder in Rwanda as well as establishing systems for maintenance of those titles to facilitate investment and support women’s rights to land. To date, the programme has delivered 7.1 million registered titles, out of a target of 8 million.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-14.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any successor organisations to the Money Advice Service will have a remit to promote financial capability amongst the public.
Harriett Baldwin
The government is committed to improving financial capability among the public and recognises that increased financial capability for consumers will lead to better outcomes for both individuals and the wider economy. Helping hard-working people achieve their aspirations at every stage of their lives is at the heart of our long term plan. That is why we launched the Public Financial Guidance consultation in Budget 2016 to seek input on what role the government should play in promoting financial capability, and how the public provision of free-to-client, impartial financial guidance should be structured to give consumers the information they need to make financial decisions. The consultation closed on 8 June. The government is currently considering the responses and will respond in the Autumn. The government recognises the importance of giving young people the skills they need to make financial decisions, which is why financial education has been on the national secondary school curriculum in England since September 2014.