The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has carried out a rural proofing assessment of the likely effects of measures contained in the Bus Services Bill.
Andrew Jones
The general and specific impacts of the Bill’s provisions are included in a number of Impact Assessments, which will be published shortly. The impact assessments include a ‘rural proofing assessment’.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff vacancies remain to be filled in his Department.
Mr David Jones
The department now has over 180 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and is still growing rapidly with first class support from other government departments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to work with the waste and coatings industries on making better use of leftover paint.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
The Government has been engaging constructively with the British Coatings Federation on making better use of leftover paint, including identifying potential regulatory barriers to its recycling and remanufacture and how these might be overcome.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) encourages consumers to recycle and re-use household paint by providing information through the Recycle Now website. This includes a postcode locator which helps pinpoint local Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) that accept leftover paint. The Government’s Innovation in Waste Prevention Fund has also supported a pilot paint re-use project in Cheshire involving local charities, working with HWRCs and housing associations to increase paint donation and minimise disposal. WRAP will publish a summary of the project, lessons learned and a video case study later in the year.
In terms of public procurement, it is for each Government department to consider sustainability and put this into practice in its own procurement activity. Government Buying Standards do not currently include remanufactured paint. WRAP has recently published a guide on ‘How to Include Re-use in Local Authority HWRC Procurement’.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce the finalised route phase two of the High Speed 2 rail line; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Robert Goodwill
We have committed to setting out the Government’s plan for the HS2 Phase Two route in an update to the House before the end of this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (a) what obligations exist on search engine providers registered as data controllers with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (including those with offices outside the jurisdiction) to ensure that any data processing by them complies with the Data Protection Principles and (b) what steps the ICO (i) has taken and (ii) is planning to take to ensure that such principles are complied with.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Search engines are data controllers if they process information about living, identifiable people, for example within a search result based on a person’s name.Data controllersmust comply with the data protection principles, for example by explaining to customers how their information is collected and used. Although the main search engines are international operations, if they have an establishment in the UK, then their activities will be subject to UK data protection law.
The ICO ensures thatdata controllerscomply with the lawfor example by investigating complaints and carrying out enforcement or liaison work. The ICO will continue to engage with the search engines to ensure that the right balance is struck between online access to information and individuals’ privacy rights.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from (a) landfill operators and (b) environmental bodies on the proposed removal of third party contributions from the Landfill Communities Fund; and whether he plans to change that proposal in response to those representations.
Damian Hinds
Since its introduction in 1996, the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) has contributed over £1.4bn to community projects in areas affected by a local landfill site and the government acknowledges the positive impact of this funding for communities. However, as the LCF is a tax credit scheme, it reduces tax revenues and we therefore have a responsibility to seek value for money for the taxpayer.
Despite difficult decisions on spending, the government has decided to retain and reform the LCF. Following representations on the issue of contributing third parties, the government softened proposals in this area at Budget 2016, and the requirement for a 10% landfill operator contribution has not been set in legislation. However, the government wants landfill operators to make a greater contribution to the LCF, and the regulator of the scheme, ENTRUST, has published guidance setting out this expectation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) funding and (b) personnel support was provided by her Department to the European Asylum Support Office in each year since 2009-10; how many (i) missions and (ii) expert days the UK provided for that office in each such year; and what her plans are for (A) funding, (B) personnel support, (C) missions and (D) expert days provided in 2015-16.
James Brokenshire
The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is funded directly by the EU budget.
The first EASO operating plan to support the reconstruction of the Greek asylum system was signed on 1 April 2011. Support from Member States to support missions commenced after this date. We do not hold a precise record of personnel support provided to EASO from this period but in the last three years EASO advises that the UK has contributed over 1,000 expert working days in deployments to Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and Cyprus.
During the current financial year the UK has provided EASO with 11 asylum experts and an interpreter in over 16 separate deployments. This includes one UK expert on long term deployment to Greece to assist Greek authorities with European funding matters and an expert to support the Italian country of origin information unit for six months followed by one week a month until March 2016.
So far we have provided EASO with four experts to assist with their coordination and operation of ‘hotspots’ in Greece and Italy. These measures are due to continue until the end of 2017 and we envisage that we will continue to contribute for this duration. On 28th January the Government announced further initiatives to assist unaccompanied children in the region which include further resources to EASO to help identify and register children at risk on first arrival in the EU in “hotspots” such as Greece and Italy. We are working closely with EASO to monitor the situation and provide expertise as necessary.
Deployment lengths vary according the task but typically personnel providing support to a hotspot mission will be released for a month’s duration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in standardising the border control queue measurement system across airports, ferry ports and rail terminals.
James Brokenshire
Guidance on how queue measurements should be taken at UK border controls was updated in November 2015, following a review. This standardises the approach required for measuring queues. This guidance will be placed in the House Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-22.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the total contribution from the public purse to Lifetime ISAs in financial year (a) 2017-18 (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20; and if he will make a statement.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government is creating a new Lifetime ISA, providing savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time. From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to open and save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government, paid annually after the end of the tax year.
People can make full withdrawals from their Lifetime ISA accounts for a first home purchase (subject to a house price cap of £450,000 UK-wide) or from age 60. These withdrawals will be tax free.
An estimate of the Exchequer impact from this policy was set out in Table 2.1 of the Budget 2016 document. For further information, please see page 9 of the Budget 2016 Policy Costings document: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508147/PU1912_Policy_Costings_FINAL3.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the funding of research into the use of laser treatment for cancers from the science budget in the next five years.
Joseph Johnson
Research into cancer involving proton therapy and laser treatment falls within the remit of the Research Councils.
I have asked the Chair of the Research Councils UK Strategic Executive to write to the hon. Member and I will place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.