Category: Speeches

  • MiDavies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    MiDavies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many enterprise zone bid applications have been received in each region.

    James Wharton

    I am delighted to confirm that we received 54 applications in the new Enterprise Zone bidding round by the closing date of Friday 18 September. The breakdown of applications is as follows;

    Area

    Number of bids received

    East of England

    6

    East Midlands

    9

    North East

    2

    North West

    9

    South East

    9

    South West

    8

    West Midlands

    6

    Yorkshire & Humber

    5

    TOTAL

    54

    In view of the number of applications received, it will be a very competitive process and only the strongest bids will be selected.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2015-09-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many diesel power stations receiving capacity market payments have been fully or part-funded through the Enterprise Investment Scheme.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and ‎Customs (HMRC), which administers the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), does not keep a record of the number of diesel power generation companies receiving capacity market payments that have received investments under the EIS.

    HMRC does not disclose details of companies that have raised investments under the EIS.

    No estimate has been made of the number of diesel power stations taking part in the next Capacity Market Auction that may receive investments under the EIS. Whether a company qualifies for EIS depends on its individual circumstances.

    The Government keeps all tax schemes under review, to ensure that any reliefs continue to encourage investment in a well-targeted and effective manner.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the updated timescale is for certification of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 September 2015 to Questions 10383 and 10385.

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=10383

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the total renewable installed capacity was on 30 June 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    At the end of March 2015, total renewable electricity installed capacity in the UK was 26.4 GW. Figures as at end of June 2015 will be available on 24 September 2015.

    Source:

    Table 6.1, Energy Trends section 6: renewables, available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-trends-section-6-renewables.

    “

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2015 to Question 2761, if he will place in the Library a copy of the grant application received by his Department from Action on Smoking and Health.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has received a request for grant funding from Action on Smoking and Health for the 2015-16 financial year. This proposal is currently under assessment and a decision on funding has not yet been made.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of asylum seeker applications made by Syrian nationals in each of the last five years received a decision in (a) three, (b) six and (c) 12 months.

    Mr John Hayes

    The tables below shows the proportion of asylum claims from Syrian nationals which received an initial decision within 3 months, 6 months and 12 months from 2010 to 2013. This data is based on main asylum claimants who made a claim for asylum from 1 October 2010 to 31 December 2014. We aim to decide all straightforward asylum claims within six months. We recognise that asylum cases are often complex and require our full and thorough consideration, meaning that some decisions will take longer than six months. Those cases that do take longer than six months are actively managed to ensure they are concluded as promptly as possible.

    Year Application made

    Time from Application to Date of Decision

    Decision made within 3 Months

    Within 6 Months

    Within 1 Year

    More than 1 Year

    No Decision made

    2010

    117

    5

    5

    1

    0

    Grand Total

    117

    5

    5

    1

    0

    2011

    273

    36

    20

    23

    0

    Grand Total

    273

    36

    20

    23

    0

    2012

    819

    77

    64

    21

    1

    Grand Total

    819

    77

    64

    21

    1

    2013

    1130

    157

    203

    97

    29

    Grand Total

    1130

    157

    203

    97

    29

    2014

    603

    1036

    177

    34

    143

    Grand Total

    603

    1036

    177

    34

    143

    “

  • David Burrowes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Burrowes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s assessment of the risk of prosecution to Christians in Pakistan in its publication, Country Information and Guidance, Pakistan: Christians and Christian converts, published in February 2015, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding of the report commissioned by the British Pakistan Christian Association, entitled Education, Human Rights Violations in Pakistan and the Scandal Involving UNHRC and Asylum Seekers in Thailand, published in February 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office will be considering the report commissioned by the British Pakistani Christian Association alongside a range of other material to make a full assessment of the situation of Christians in Pakistan, and will revise its country information and guidance if necessary.

    The Home Office considers that the treatment of asylum seekers in Thailand is primarily a matter for the Thai authorities.

  • Kate Hollern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kate Hollern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made with the insurance industry on (a) identifying products that might be offered to drivers of mobility scooters and (b) how such products could be used to promote safety.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government is currently considering mobility scooters in the context of a European Court of Justice ruling about motor insurance known as “the Vnuk judgment”. The effect of this judgment is to broaden the circumstances in which third party insurance is required; and the range of vehicles subject to insurance requirements. We will need to amend our domestic legislation to comply with the judgment.

    In March 2015 we held a workshop to help us understand the particular issues that apply to mobility scooters and reach a decision on the position of these vehicles in the context of the Motor Insurance Directive.

    Officials are currently preparing an impact assessment which will consider, amongst other things, whether to impose compulsory insurance or derogate from insurance requirements, certain categories of vehicle. We will, of course, consult before making any changes to the legislation.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the additional cost of additional appeals to the Parking Traffic Appeals Service if a 25 per cent discount is given to motorists who lose an appeal at tribunal against the issue of a parking ticket.

    Brandon Lewis

    As recommended by the Transport Select Committee (Local authority parking enforcement, HC 118, October 2013), the Government intends to work in partnership with a local authority to assess introducing a 25% discount to motorists who lose an appeal at tribunal level. This trial will allow us to evaluate the impacts, before rolling out the policy nationally.

    The underlying policy rationale is the current lack of any discount at an appeal stage (but with a discount operating if the driver does not appeal) acts as a disincentive for drivers with genuine cases to appeal. I would remind the rt. hon. Member that parking fines are a quasi-judicial process, not a source of revenue for councils. This Government believes in fairness, in contrast to the Labour Government which actively told councils to adopt aggressive parking enforcement practices.

  • Andrew Griffiths – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Griffiths – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Griffiths on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children receive free school meals in each (a) free school and (b) local authority area where a free school has been established.

    Mr David Laws

    Information on the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals was included in the publication ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2014′.[1]

    Information on the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in individual schools, including free schools, is provided in the publication’s underlying data. This includes school type and local authority.

    Table 8a in the publication shows the percentage of pupils in state-funded nursery and primary schools known to be eligible and claiming free school meals by each local authority area. Table 8b shows the percentage of pupils in state funded secondary schools known to be eligible and claiming free school meals by each local authority area. Table 3 shows the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in free schools nationally.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014

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