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  • David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which areas of Wales (a) have access to 4G and (b) are planned to receive access to 4G by 2016-17; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Improving mobile coverage is a priority for Government. Government reached a landmark agreement with mobile network operators in 2014 to provide coverage to 90% of UK landmass, and the licence obligation on Telefonica (O2) will provide indoor 4G coverage to at least 95 per cent of premises in Wales by 2017. Ofcom is responsible for monitoring and enforcing this requirement and publishes coverage information on its online maps available at www.maps.ofcom.org.uk

    “

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of his proposed changes to business rates on (a) Merseyside and (b) the UK.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government intends to move to 100% business rates retention in England by the end of this Parliament. We have confirmed that as part of the new system there will continue to be redistribution of local tax revenue between authorities and protections in place for authorities that see their business rates income fall significantly. Over the coming months we will be working with local government on the details of the scheme.

    Ahead of final decisions it is too early to assess what the impact will be on individual areas or authorities, but before the start of the financial year, local authorities in Merseyside estimated that the total business rates income for 2015-16 would be £413.3 million.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the activities of organisations and bodies fully funded by local authorities are subject to the conditions of the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The code applies in relation to all decisions by local authorities relating to paid advertising and leaflet campaigns, publication of free newspapers and newssheets and maintenance of websites – including the hosting of material which is created by third parties.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date the £75 million Mayoral Investment Fund pledged as part of the Liverpool City Region Deal was paid to Liverpool City Council.

    James Wharton

    The Department for Communities and Local Government contributed £75 million in economic development funds as part of the Liverpool City Deal, with payments to Liverpool City Council on 30 April 2013 (£60 million) and 1 May 2014 (£15 million).

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress has been made on the application by Romford Football Club to build a stadium on Westlands playing field; and when she expects a decision on that application will be reached.

    Edward Timpson

    School playing fields are protected by Section 77 of the SchoolStandards and Framework Act 1998. Schoolsand local authorities must obtain the Secretary of State’s approval beforethey can dispose of their land. Applications to dispose of schoolplaying fields are considered by the independent school playing fields advisory panel, and are approved only when it is demonstrated that the application meets published criteria.

    We are aware of an application by Havering Local Authority to seek approval to dispose of part of Westlands Playing Field to Romford Football Club. The application is currently being processed by officials at the Education Funding Agency, who are seeking further detail from the local authority about the proposal. The application will only be considered when sufficient information is available to assess the overall benefit of the scheme against the needs of pupils and existing community users. The Secretary of State will consider the panel’s recommendation before making her final decision.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the document Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation Cm 9098, what the evidential basis is for proposed reforms to tax credits increasing productivity.

    Damian Hinds

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on [20] November 2015, PQ 16701.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the air quality benefits of using liquefied petroleum gas in transport to inform its taxation policies.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government recognises that there are environmental benefits to Liquefied Petroleum Gas and other road fuel gases compared to petrol and diesel, and as a consequence fuel duty on such fuels is much lower than the main rate – with a 39.79 pence per litre duty differential.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hypothecate revenue generated from Vehicle Excise Duty to local roads maintenance from 2017.

    Greg Hands

    All revenue generated through English VED from 2020-21 onwards will be used to fund the English strategic road network. This will ensure the Government can issue a second Roads investment Strategy for the period 2020-25, to follow the first strategy published at Autumn Statement 2014. Investment in our local road network will be set out as part of the Spending Review.

    In the period before 2020-21, VED revenues will continue to go to the Consolidated Fund which support general expenditure on public services including spending on local roads.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gavin Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ringfence spending on the Homelessness Prevention Grant until 2020 in the Spending Review.

    Greg Hands

    From 2013-14 support for preventing homelessness has been included in the annual Local Government Finance Settlement, split between Revenue Support Grant and estimated retained business rates.

    Revenue Support Grant and retained business rates are not ring-fenced. It is up to individual authorities to decide how grant funding should be spent in order to deliver local services.

    The Chancellor will set out full details of the Spending Review on Wednesday 25 November.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on the UK economy of the 0.3 per cent reduction in eurozone economic growth in quarter 3 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Euro area GDP grew by 0.3% (quarter-on-quarter) in the third quarter of 2015. The UK is one of the most open economies in the world, with significant trade and financial links with other countries. UK export performance is highly dependent on the economic performance of the euro area, the UK’s largest trading partner. The global economic recovery remains uneven and the risks from the world economy, not least from within the euro area, demonstrate the need to continue to fix the economy to ensure the UK can deal with risks from abroad.