Category: Speeches

  • Lord Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sheikh on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what humanitarian support and assistance they have (1) provided, and (2) plan to provide, for South Sudanese refugees in Sudan.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Since 2014, DFID Sudan has provided £10.4 million to address the humanitarian needs of South Sudanese refugees arriving in Sudan. The assistance has been in the areas of emergency food distribution, water and sanitation, education, and protection activities in the areas of White Nile State and Kordofan states. We are currently discussing with humanitarian partners in Sudan further contributions of approximately £3 million to be disbursed in the coming months.

    We will continue to monitor the situation and provide further support if required.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has made representations to the Department of Transport on negotiations on the bilateral agreement regulating direct flights between the UK and the People’s Republic of China.

    David Mundell

    On Tuesday 11 October, following successful negotiations in London, the UK Government announced an agreement between the UK and China to more than double the number of flights allowed to operate between the two countries, lifting all limits on cargo services and the number of destinations that can be served. Transport Scotland and representatives from both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports were present at these negotiations, and the agreement will provide economic opportunities right across the UK, including Scotland.

    Visits from China to the UK are on the increase, with 2015 figures up 46% on 2014 to almost 270,000, and spend rising by 18% to £586 million during that same period. This moves China into the UK’s top 10 most valuable inbound markets, and provides yet another positive example that it is a strong United Kingdom with a strong global voice that is the union which matters to Scotland.

  • Jim Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dowd on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much central funding has been provided to further education establishments in (a) London, (b) the London Borough of Lewisham, (c) the London Borough of Southwark and (d) the London Borough of Bromley in each of the last five years.

    Nick Boles

    Adult skills funding allocations to further education providers are published on the Skills Funding Agency website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2015-to-2016

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2014-to-2015

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2005-to-2013

    Funding to further education providers for learners aged 16-18 is provided by the Department for Education.

    Information on the number of learners participating in English and maths courses by geography from 2005/06 onwards is published in a supplementary table (first link) to a Statistical First Release at the FE Data Library (second link). Information on the number of learners participating in further education and skills by geography from 2005/06 onwards is published in a second supplementary table (third link).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/382085/englishandmaths-participation-by-geography-learner-demographics.xlsc

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fe-data-library

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/378262/feandskills-participation-by-geography-learner-demographics.xls

    “

  • John Mc Nally – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    John Mc Nally – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mc Nally on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans the Government has to (a) provide financial support and (b) conclude and sign long-term contracts prior to construction in order to achieve the capital investment in energy storage technology necessary to reach the 27.4 gigawatts identified in the Technology Innovation Needs Assessment.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Technology Innovation Needs Assessment Summary Report on Electricity Networks and Storage, published by the Low Carbon Innovation Coordination Group in 2012, included an estimated range of 7 – 59GW for the potential level of energy storage which might be deployed in the UK by 2050.

    The Government recognises the potential for storage to help use energy more flexibly and to decarbonise the UK energy system cost effectively, alongside other flexible solutions such as interconnection and demand-side response (DSR). In light of this, more than £80m public sector controlled support has been committed to energy storage research, development and demonstration activities since 2012. Innovation is expected to help drive storage costs down further.

    DECC is investigating the potential barriers to deployment of energy storage and possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory barriers but also considering whether more needs to be done to stimulate investment in energy storage. DECC will be publishing a call for evidence on this area shortly.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK ceramics industry of China being granted Market Economy Status.

    Anna Soubry

    We are awaiting a European Commission proposal on granting Market Economy Status (MES). We understand that the Commission will also be undertaking a detailed assessment of the economic impacts of granting MES as part of their consideration of this issue. We will examine any proposal and assessment carefully. In considering the Commission’s proposal it will be important to take into account the wider trade and international context including China’s compliance with international commitments. If China is granted MES, the Commission will still be able to pursue anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases and impose measures where evidence of dumping or subsidy is found; this is the case with the US and Russia, both of whom have MES status.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons the process for including Citizens Advice as the statutory consumer watchdog differs for changes to Crown post offices outside compared with those within the Crown Transformation Programme.

    George Freeman

    The arrangements in place for the Crown Transformation Programme were specific to this significant programme which encompassed the entire Crown network and which was a directly government funded investment programme. How Post Office handles business as usual changes to its branch estate is an operational matter for it. Post Office has a Code of Practice for changes to the network (such as relocations of branches) and this includes a role for Citizen’s Advice.

  • Lord Stunell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Stunell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stunell on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they propose to publish the next biennial review of progress in sustainable building regulations required by the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government will publish the next biennial review of progress in sustainable Building Regulations in early 2017, as required by the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

  • Luke Hall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Luke Hall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luke Hall on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department is making available to the South Gloucestershire Unitary Authority for completion of new road projects.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department’s funding for major road projects sits within the Local Growth Fund. The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, which includes South Gloucestershire, has already been allocated £230.7m from the Local Growth Fund from 2015/16 to 2020/21 to take forward their growth priorities, including transport projects. Up to a further £1.8bn from the Local Growth Fund will be awarded competitively to LEPs later this year, with an additional £475m available for exceptionally large transport projects.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents in the Cumbria Constabulary area were responded to by a single officer in each year since 2012.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not collect this information. The manner in which police officers are deployed is an operational decision for chief officers, in line with local priorities and held to account by police and crime commissioners.

  • Lord Inglewood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Inglewood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Inglewood on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether Brexit will increase, decrease, or have no material impact on, the need for more housing in England.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    It is too early to say. Whatever the impact, this government remains committed to increasing the supply of homes for the 86 percent of people who aspire to own their own home. The Spending Review doubled the housing budget and set out the most ambitious affordable housing programme since the 1970s, which will help us to achieve our ambition of delivering one million homes.