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  • 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 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many strikes were made using the Brimstone missile during Operation HERRICK.

    Penny Mordaunt

    68 Brimstone missile weapon releases occurred during Operation HERRICK.

    A detailed statistical breakdown by year is contained in Table four of the publication: Op HERRICK (Afghanistan) Aircraft Statistics dated 29 October 2015 available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-herrick-afghanistan-aircraft-statistics

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the contribution of the Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy of 3 December 2015, Official Report, column 510, what the purpose was of the two one-off grants paid to MG Alba.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The two one-off grants to MG Alba were provided to support the production of high-quality Gaelic language content, including original drama, and to continue its valued services for Gaelic speakers.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with regard to fixed odds betting terminals, what steps are being taken to (a) ensure that the player protection measures introduced from April 2015 are effectively evaluated and (b) independently assess whether the £50 threshold for supervised play is set at an effective level.

    Tracey Crouch

    The Government, along with the Gambling Commission, is in the process of evaluating the effects of ending unsupervised stakes over £50 and I hope to publish the results early in the new year.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of whether the Code of Conduct for bookmakers is meeting the aims for which it was drawn up.

    Tracey Crouch

    All betting shop operators are required by the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Code of Practice to have social responsibility policies and processes in place. In addition, the industry trade body the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) has a mandatory code of conduct in place, which is reviewed regularly to evaluate its effectiveness.

    I have explained to the industry that I expect them to demonstrate that they are improving existing player protection initiatives and evaluating the effects of previous initiatives. As I said at the recent RGT harm minimisation conference, government and industry should never feel that there is an end point to social responsibility. Industry owes a duty of care to its customers.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to assist bookmakers in reducing (a) crime on their premises and (b) the incidence of malicious damage to fixed odds betting terminals.

    Tracey Crouch

    With support from Government, and by working directly with police forces across the UK, the gambling industry is committed to tackling and reducing crime and bringing those who commit crimes against shop staff, customers and property to justice.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what additional funding allocations have been provided to each local authority as a result of declared claw back from BT under the National Broadband Scheme.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Thanks to the way we have constructed the contracts, BT has announced £129 million of clawback funding. This is available to the local authorities to support further broadband deployment without any additional funding being added to it by either the government or by the local authorities.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the total declared claw back from BT under National Broadband Scheme contracts has been reallocated to local authorities for additional roll-out under the Scheme.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    All of the£129 million clawback funding that has been announced by BT is available to the local authorities to support additional roll-out, subject to suitable deployment opportunities being identified which ensure value for money.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will encourage the use of the customer services centre at Kettering Borough Council as an example of good practice for other local authorities to follow.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is keen to encourage all local authorities to look at how they work more effectively and efficiently with services providers and partner organisations in their area to ensure that their residents receive high quality and cost effective services.

    I am aware of the progress made by Kettering Borough Council in this area including the significant savings made and increased customer satisfaction and I am happy to encourage other authorities to look at its customer service centre as an example of good practice.

  • Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to establish a statutory levy on greyhound racing to help support the welfare of retired greyhounds.

    Tracey Crouch

    I recently wrote to the betting industry to underline the importance that the government attaches to the existing voluntary agreements between betting and greyhound racing through which funding is provided towards areas including animal welfare.

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is currently undertaking a review of the effectiveness of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010. In addition, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Parliamentary Select Committee is undertaking an inquiry into greyhound welfare to feed into Defra’s review. My Department has submitted written evidence to EFRA and we will want to consider any recommendations put forward by them as part of Defra’s review of the 2010 Regulations.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average weekly rent and service charge for supported accommodation including (a) foyers, (b) direct access hostels, (c) supported housing for older people and (d) other supported housing has been in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area in the last three years.

    Brandon Lewis

    Average rents for supported housing are provided by private registered providers to the Homes and Communities Agency’s Statistical Data Return. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistical-data-return-statistical-releases

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