The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s Costing and Cost Management Strategy.
Mr Mark Francois
Costing and Cost Management Strategy is an internal Ministry of Defence document and is not for external publication.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Curran on 2013-05-08.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the total loss to the economy as a result of underemployment in Scotland.
Chloe Smith
This is not a matter for Cabinet Office Ministers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the skills gap in Cumbria.
Nick Boles
It is not for central government to assess local skills needs. Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are working in collaboration with local authorities, colleges and providers in the area to jointly agree key local skill needs and develop a local skills offer that is responsive to local labour market conditions and contributes to improving our productivity.
Cumbria LEP and the Cumbria Employment and Skills Commission are currently refreshing the area skills strategy and this will be finalised in December 2015. It will include a review of the skills needs of the four key sectors denoted in the Cumbria Strategic Economic Plan: Nuclear and Energy; Advanced Manufacturing; Rural and Visitor Economy; and, Infrastructure Improvements. The Skills Commission has noted that the future skills needs of the nuclear sector and BAE Systems Submarine will create significant pressure for skilled labour, particularly in advanced manufacturing and engineering. This will create displacement challenges in other manufacturing businesses in the area.
In September the government announced a programme of area reviews, which will be locally led and will involve key stakeholders. They will be based on the best available evidence of skills requirements and establish a local post-16 education and training offer which is high quality and responsive to employer need. The reviews will support local involvement in the ongoing commissioning of provision, putting responsibility in the hands of people who are best placed to tailor provision to local economic needs. Cumbria will be included in the area review process, due to be completed by March 2017 and an announcement on the date for the review will be announced in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to publish the socio-economic status of entrants to the Senior Civil Service, Fast Stream and Fast Track Apprentice Scheme.
Matthew Hancock
To govern modern Britain, the Civil Service needs to look and sound likemodern Britain. We need access to the broadest possible pool of talent, drawing on peoplefrom all backgrounds and all parts of the country.
The Civil Service is implementing a number of initiatives to recruit individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds onto the Fast Stream and Fast Track Apprenticeship schemes, including internship programmes, schools and colleges mentoring and discovery days, work experience programmes and engagement with universities with a high representation of lower socio-economic students.
Information on the socio-economic status of recent appointees to the SCS was published in 2014,and the socio-economic status of Fast-Stream applicants has been published since 2011.
In 2015 16.8% of new joiners to the Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme were from lower socio-economic backgrounds, up from 8.5% in 2013/14. From 2015 this data will be published as part of the Fast Stream applicants publication.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the provisions of the Housing Bill on the supply of affordable housing for rent in each of the next five years; and if he will publish the data on which that assessment is based.
Brandon Lewis
The Government will continue to assess the impacts of the Housing and Planning Bill as it progresses through Parliament. We will publish our assessments on Parliament’s website at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning/documents.html.
These will be updated as further assessments are undertaken.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what instructions have been issued to medical or other staff in any of the armed forces regarding the consumption of alcohol while Mefloquine is being taken as medication.
Mark Lancaster
Neither the Patient Information Leaflet for mefloquine issued by the manufacturer, nor the British National Formulary (which provides information on all medicines generally prescribed in the UK), mention alcohol consumption when using mefloquine for the chemoprophylaxis of malaria. Guidance is, however, provided for patients with severe liver problems and other medical conditions that would preclude the use of the drug, and would be part of the clinical risk assessment prior to prescription.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many In Home Displays have been installed in households to date; and how many such displays are still in operation 12 months after installation.
Andrea Leadsom
It is not possible to give an accurate figure on the number of In Home Displays (IHDs) installed as while energy suppliers are required to offer their domestic consumers an IHD where they install a smart metering system, domestic consumers can choose not to accept one.
Data from the Early Learning Project1 (ELP) which covered the very early part of the rollout at time when energy suppliers were trialling and testing approaches to consumer engagement, found that six in ten (61%) smart meter customers who had received an In Home Display (IHD) reported that they still had their IHD plugged in. These consumers had had their smart meters over a period of between six months and two and half years. The research also found that smart meter customers who had received their installation more recently were no more likely than those who did so around two years ago to still have their IHD plugged in.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to prepare for the implementation of the proposed General Data Protection Regulation; which non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and agencies overseen by her Department will be affected by that regulation; and what estimate she has made of the potential liability of her Department, its agencies and NDPBs in connection with that proposed regulation.
George Eustice
Negotiations on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation are still continuing, led by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Defra is working closely with DCMS on this issue.
A high level assessment of the current draft proposals has been completed but we have not looked specifically at which bodies will be affected or the potential liabilities.
Once the outcome of trilogue negotiations between the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the Commission are complete, and the Regulation has been adopted, the impact and liabilities will be assessed for Defra and its NDPBs and agencies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2015 to Question 11184, on China: nuclear power, what guarantees are in place to ensure that details of the operation of nuclear power stations that represent a potential threat in the hands of a foreign power do not reach the Chinese government; what access the Chinese government will have to the details of (a) operational information and (b) security regulations relating to those UK nuclear power stations with Chinese (i) investment and (ii) involvement in construction; whether input will be sought from Chinese (A) investors and (B) government officials for reviews of the regulatory framework for security in the civil nuclear industry; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
The Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (as amended) require those holding Sensitive Nuclear Information to have in place robust security measures approved by the Office for Nuclear Regulation in order to protect this information. The Nuclear Industries Security Regulations are in the public domain.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation conducts inspections to ensure compliance with security requirements and has powers of enforcement in the event of a breach.
All employees and contractors in the civil nuclear industry are subject to robust personnel security and vetting arrangements in line with policies set out by Government in the annual Security Policy Framework.
The Department keeps the regulatory framework for civil nuclear security under review. It may from time to time consult on possible changes to the regulatory framework. It maintains a dialogue with investors on issues relating to nuclear new build, but has no plans at present to consult investors in new nuclear build specifically on any changes to the regulatory framework.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential of introducing tax on sugar-sweetened drinks to improve liver disease health outcomes in England.
Jane Ellison
There are no plans to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks. However all taxes are kept under review, with decisions being a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget process.
Public Health England’s (PHE) report Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action was published on the GOV.UK website on 22 October. We continue to work very closely with PHE and this evidence is integral to our ongoing policy development. We will publish our childhood obesity strategy in the new year.
Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action is available at:
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