The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2016-01-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much accrued to the public purse through VAT on domestic fuel in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr David Gauke
The information requested is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT accruals from particular goods and services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children aged up to three years old were taken into care in the last five years; and what assessment she has made of the reasons why those children were taken into care.
Edward Timpson
The number of children aged 0-3 years, that started to be looked after in the last five years ending 31 March, and the main reason why they entered care, is shown in the table below. This information is for England only.
|
Category of need |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Abuse or neglect |
6,880 |
7,350 |
7,430 |
7,380 |
7,270 |
|
Child’s disability |
50 |
50 |
60 |
50 |
50 |
|
Parents illness or disability |
520 |
550 |
480 |
500 |
460 |
|
Family in acute stress |
690 |
710 |
740 |
740 |
670 |
|
Family dysfunction |
1,460 |
1,560 |
1,710 |
1,840 |
1,730 |
|
Socially unacceptable behaviour |
50 |
40 |
70 |
70 |
60 |
|
Low income |
20 |
20 |
10 |
20 |
20 |
|
Absent parenting |
260 |
210 |
190 |
150 |
160 |
|
Total number of looked after children aged 0-3 years, in England |
9,910 |
10,500 |
10,690 |
10,740 |
10,420 |
Source: SSDA903
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government plans to take to mitigate the costs of and time taken for International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) applications related to the UK spaceport in order to facilitate investment and involvement from the US; and what steps the Government is taking to work with the US to ensure that ITAR is applied in a way that precludes a need for multiple applications to be made for discrete systems and single vehicle types.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The 2014 Government Spaceplane Review provided the groundwork for enabling spaceplane operations from the UK, including identifying key criteria for locating a UK spaceport, and identifying potential locations based on these. The Government tested the conclusions of this review through consultation and published its response in March 2015. This confirmed Campbeltown, Glasgow Prestwick and Stornoway in Scotland, Llanbedr Airfield in Wales and Newquay in England as potential spaceport locations.
Further information on the Spaceplane review and the Government consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/spaceport-locations-and-criteria
Commercial spaceflight is a complex, international, and evolving market. The Government is considering a range of options on next steps that would best deliver our ambition of a spaceport, and the supporting regulatory environment for spaceflight, within this Parliament.
The Government is in discussion with the US Government on ITAR-related issues. However, ITAR applications are not a factor at this stage for potential spaceport locations but may become so if a US spaceplane operator seeks to operate from the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value was of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance sanctions imposed by his Department in each of the last five years.
Priti Patel
The Department does not make an estimate of the value of benefit withdrawn as a result of benefit sanctions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what has been the change in sea bass stocks available to the UK fishing industry since the Council of European Fisheries Ministers meeting in 2014.
George Eustice
Updated scientific advice is expected from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea at the end of June this year, which will provide the latest assessment. However, the overall estimated reductions of the EU bass measures for the main gear groups in the commercial sector are set out in the Table below (calculated for the UK fleet). These are estimates which take into account the effects of the initial six-month moratorium, related derogations and the subsequent monthly vessel catch limits.
Those parts of the industry that use hook-and-line and fixed gillnets benefit from derogations in the form of higher monthly catch limits and a moratorium of two, rather than six, months.
More in-depth analysis, also taking into account additional factors such as the effects of the 2015 increase in the minimum conservation reference size for bass, and reduced availability, will be undertaken.
|
Gear type |
Previous average tonnage, 2011-13 |
Estimated tonnage catch potential for 2016 |
Estimated reduction from 2011-13 average (%) |
|
Bottom Trawl |
131 |
37 |
72 |
|
Nets |
378 |
224 |
41 |
|
Hook and line |
171 |
167 |
2 |
|
Purse seine |
56 |
21 |
63 |
|
pelagic trawl |
77 |
11 |
86 |
|
Totals |
813 |
460 |
43 |
Table. Estimated reductions in catch potential for UK bass stocks (%).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, HCWS30, whether his Department carried out an equality effect assessment on the effect on the public of the decision to centralise policy functions in his Department’s London office.
Joseph Johnson
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has carried an Equality Analysis to consider the impact of the decision on staff with protected characteristics, in compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Porter of Spalding on 2016-09-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the emerging findings of the Local Government Association’s Housing Commission report Building our Homes: communities and the future.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We welcome the work which the Local Government Association is doing to meet our shared aims of delivering the homes which communities need, and creating a housing market that works for everyone. Many of our existing measures will help to achieve those aims.
The government has already doubled the housing budget to help deliver a million homes and double the number of first time buyers. We have allocated £8 billion to deliver 400,000 affordable homes, including shared ownership, starter homes and homes for affordable rent. This government and its predecessor have pursued a wide range of actions to improve the speed of the planning process, and we are taking steps to diversify the market.
We look forward to reading the full report, and engaging with the Local Government Association on existing and future policies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-10-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new members of staff appointed to work in the Department for International Trade have been recruited from outside the civil service; and what proportion of those staff are consultants on fixed-term contracts.
Lord Price
Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF) and Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes. The transfer of functions order (No 2016/ 992) laid on 19 October 2016 will come into effect on 9 November 2016.
As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the residence requirements are for (a) existing right-to-buy entitlements and (b) the proposed extension of right-to-buy to housing association tenants for (i) non-EU foreign nationals, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) UK citizens.
Brandon Lewis
Before 2006 all applicants for Government supported home ownership had to have indefinite leave to remain in the UK. The last Labour Government changed these rules in 2006.
Subject to EU Treaty negotiation, we will introduce a residency test for social housing, requiring European Economic Area nationals to have lived in the UK for 4 years. This means that European Economic Area nationals would not be eligible for Right to Buy until they had lived in this country for a minimum of seven years.
A tenant must have had a public sector tenancy within the UK for three years before qualifying for Right to Buy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-12-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding Pension Wise to include consideration of housing wealth as a source of retirement income.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government is committed to ensuring that individuals are equipped and empowered to make informed decisions about how to use their pension savings through the Pension Wise service.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) standards for the service state that guidance should provide the consumer with information about long-term care needs, sustainability of income in retirement and life expectancy, to the extent that they are relevant. Pension Wise guidance therefore prompts consumers to think about their retirement objectives and wider financial circumstances when deciding on what to do with their pension pot. As part of this consumers are asked about whether they receive any benefits, other retirement income, outgoings in retirement, and plans to continue working. The guidance is designed to equip consumers to consider questions about their situation as a whole, and directs them to further sources of information as suitable. Where it is clear that consumers need specialist help, they are directed to the appropriate source of guidance and information.
Pension Wise is constantly assessing and evaluating the service to ensure that user needs are met. As such, it is currently actively considering a number of developments, as part of our continuous service improvement, to make Pension Wise even more useful to consumers, including tailoring session content more closely to individual circumstances.