Blog

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions Ministers and officials from his Department had with the Insolvency Service on Redcar steelworks prior to the announcement of SSI entering administration.

    Anna Soubry

    I can confirm that Government agencies, including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Insolvency Service discussed the situation at Redcar prior to SSI’s entry into liquidation, given the parlous state of SSI’s finances and its huge losses.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide financial support to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to compensate for the loss in business rates due to closure of the Redcar steel works.

    Greg Hands

    The Government has announced an £80 million support package for Redcar. We are working with the local Task Force to design a package that will include funding for workers to retrain, support to start their own business, and help for local businesses to grow and create jobs.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the potential costs of cleaning pollutants from SSI property in Redcar.

    Rory Stewart

    Officials in the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive have been working with the Official Receiver to ensure that the SSI Redcar site is closed down in a safe manner and with minimal impact to the environment and human health. The closure Plan which the Official Receiver is now implementing will deliver a ‘safe state’ position.

    Government continues to work closely with all relevant parties to establish the potential costs of cleaning pollutants from the site.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the rising cost of motor insurance.

    Andrew Jones

    A combination of legislative changes and working with stakeholders on reducing the frequency and cost of personal injury claims resulted in a 14% drop in average insurance premiums between 2012 and 2014.

    This Government is determined to continue working with the insurance industry to tackle uninsured driving and reduce the cost of motor insurance.

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

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to improve the quality of roads on the motorway network.

    Andrew Jones

    In 2014 we announced how we were investing £15.2bn capital between 2015 and 2021 to enhance, renew and transform the strategic network, with around £6 billion to help maintain and improve the condition of the strategic road network in England, including resurfacing around 80% of the network.

    Highways England are required to keep the motorway network in good condition as one of their key performance indicators.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason he included previously excluded expenditure such as war pensions in the latest UK response to NATO’s defence spending requirement.

    Michael Fallon

    From time to time we update our Defence spending calculations, to ensure that we are fully reflecting the NATO guidelines

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage other NATO member states to honour their commitment to spend two per cent of GDP on defence.

    Michael Fallon

    Ministry of Defence Ministers, officials and I regularly raise the two per cent commitment during discussions with Allies. I reminded my counterparts at the NATO Defence Ministers Meeting in October that we have committed to spending two per cent of our GDP on defence and security every year of this decade and we have historically been one of the few Allies to invest 20 per cent of our budget in major equipment.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department plans to take to safeguard new nuclear energy facilities constructed in the UK with Chinese involvement from future Chinese cyber attacks; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    In the UK nuclear security is overseen by the independent Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). The Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (as amended) require those holding Sensitive Nuclear Information to have in place robust security measures approved by ONR in order to protect this information. The ONR conducts inspections to ensure compliance with security requirements and has powers of enforcement in the event of a breach.

    As part of the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) DECC has funded: 1) enhanced cyber security training; 2) a rigorous cyber incident response exercising programme; 3) forums and briefings for senior industry personnel to raise awareness of cyber threats; and, 4) work to ensure new nuclear power plants will be cyber secure by design. This work is undertaken in collaboration with industry and the ONR to ensure that there is a process of continuous improvement for cyber security in the civil nuclear sector.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the battle of Agincourt; and what plans his Department has to ensure that similar anniversaries are appropriately commemorated in the future.

    Tracey Crouch

    In the March 2015 budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that £1millionmwould be allocated for the commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the battle of Agincourt.The fund is administered by the Agincourt 600 charity,providing grants for events and Agincourt related educational projects. DCMS officials have been working closely with Agincourt 600 in the run up to this important anniversary.

    TheGovernment and the Heritage Lottery Fundmade the decision towilldeliver a £10million mcontestable fund to ensure that similarhistoricanniversaries are appropriately commemorated.

  • 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 2015-10-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that employers use the correct pension classification code and pay their due amount as contributions.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes detailed guidance for employers on the GOV.UK website about National Insurance Contributions category letters.

    https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-rates-letters

    All employers with an occupational pension scheme receive a reference number (Employer Contracted-Out Number) from HMRC. This allows the employer to use specific category letters which indicate that they are paying contracted-out contributions when they make their Real Time Information returns to HMRC. There are also automated checks in place to identify if an incorrect category letters has been used and these are then followed-up with the employer.

    “