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  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the French Foreign Minister’s visit to Iran, they plan to use the UK’s political and official diplomacy to promote Airbus products and make clear that they are not solely French products, but contain significant components from the UK.

    Lord Maude of Horsham

    We will continue to promote the UK interests in Airbus in support of their global sales campaigns. We work closely with the Company and the governments of France, Germany and Spain on these campaigns given the shared economic benefits that arise from sales of Airbus aircraft. Because of the significant level of UK products on Airbus aircraft, the company is frequently represented on UK trade missions; it also enjoys the financial support of UK Export Finance and the commercial support of UK Trade & Investment’s overseas network.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to tackle cyber attacks originating in Russia and China.

    Matthew Hancock

    For security reasons we do not comment on specific details of cyber security attacks. The Government takes cyber security very seriously; from 2011 to 2016, we have invested £860 million in a National Cyber Security Programme.We plan to almost double investment in cybersecurityto £1.9bn over the next five years.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their policy is for ensuring that the UK continues to participate strongly in the design, research, manufacture and financing of Airbus products.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We work closely with the aerospace industry, through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP), to help raise the productivity and competitiveness of UK supply chain companies at all levels, includingAirbus at Filton and Broughton and their UK suppliers. This work includes supporting industry’s research, design, development, manufacturing and financing of products. A key aim is to help ensure that UK remains Europe’s leading aerospace nation by securing future work with the world’s large aircraft manufacturers including Airbus.

  • Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to ensure that GOV.UK is accessible by Welsh speakers in the Welsh language.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government is enthusiastically committed to the Welsh language and to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.

    The Cabinet Office is improving the quality of service for Welsh speakers through user research, conducted jointly by the Wales Office and the Government Digital Service (GDS), as well as feedback from subject matter experts in governmental Welsh Language Units.

    GDS has liaised with government departments on a user needs-based review of current Welsh-language content on GOV.UK. The content in Welsh will be more prominently promoted from the equivalent English-language pages.

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  • Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that cost-effectiveness in spending improves as the International Climate Fund scheme expands.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) report published in December last year assessed the ICF as Green-Amber, meaning that it “performs relatively well overall against ICAI’s criteria for effectiveness and value for money”, noting that it “built up significant momentum and is now well placed to deliver on its ambitious objectives”.

    The Government’s response to the report was published in November 2014 and sets out the steps that we are taking to improve further the impact and cost-effectiveness of the International Climate Fund (link attached).

    We will continue to learn from and improve the robust approach to programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation within the ICF to ensure continued cost-effectiveness as the ICF expands in the next Spending Review period.

  • Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to ensure that civil servants respond to comments in the 2014 report on the UK’s International Climate Fund (ICF) by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact that pressure to spend ICF funds quickly has not always been conducive to effective delivery.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The Government’s response to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s review is available online. We accepted or partially accepted all of ICAI’s recommendations and we are on track to implement or have already implemented the actions set out in this response.

  • Roger Mullin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Roger Mullin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what change there has been in the number of part-time higher education students in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in the last five years for which figures are available.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects and publishes statistics on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions. The information requested is published in table 1a of the annual Statistical First Release “Enrolments and Qualifications in Higher Education”, which is available at the following link: https://hesa.ac.uk/sfr210.

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  • Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in 2014, what percentage of the International Climate Fund was spent on (1) low carbon development, compared to the original target of 30 per cent, and (2) adaptation, compared to the original intention of 50 per cent.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The original thematic splits for the International Climate Fund (ICF) were revised in 2013 as part of a strategic review of the Fund. The revised goals are for a 50:50 split over the 2011/12 – 2015/16 Spending Review period between low carbon development and adaptation, with forestry contributing equally to both themes.

    As reported in the International Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI) report in 2014, at the end of the 2013/14 financial year, the ICF had spent 45% of its budget (£1.75bn), with 56% going towards mitigation, 28% on adaptation and 16% on forestry. In 2014 the International Climate Fund spent a total of £880m, with 41.8% on low carbon development and 42.3% on adaptation. The remaining spend was mainly directed at forestry programmes, with a small amount categorised as cross-cutting.

  • Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was paid by the Department for International Development to green energy campaign groups between 2010 and 2015 (1) in the UK, and (2) internationally, both as a total and as a percentage of the Department for International Development’s development expenditure.

    Earl of Courtown

    DFID does not fund any green energy campaign groups in the UK. DFID’s Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA) funding to Civil Society enables organisations to achieve international development outcomes. Some organisations may choose to use DFID funding for advocacy efforts, including on climate, within the countries in which they work

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the value of trade was between the UK and Israel in each of the last five years.

    Anna Soubry

    This information can be found in the United Kingdom Balance of Payments – The Pink Book 2015 which can be found on the ONS website.