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  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, he will take steps to ensure that for future generations the Cumbrian coast is not contaminated by radioactive waste; what plans he has to ensure the resilience of nuclear waste sites to rising sea levels and flood risk; what steps he plans to take in response to the Environment Agency document of 9 January on the site of the Drigg Low-Level Waste Repository; and if he will place a copy of the document in the Library.

    Michael Fallon

    Radioactive waste management activities are subject to permitting by the Environment Agency under legislation introduced by the Department.

    The Agency requires radioactive waste management sites to prepare and maintain an Environmental Safety Case (ESC). Its purpose is to demonstrate that any impacts now and into the far future resulting from disposals of radioactive waste at the site are acceptable in accordance with relevant UK legislation, standards and guidance. This assessment must consider all reasonable futures for the site, including coastal erosion and flooding scenarios. The Environment Agency will only permit further disposals at the site if it is satisfied that the operator has demonstrated that the short and long term impacts of disposals are in accordance with this legislation, standards and guidance.

    The January document referred to is “Advice to Environment Agency Assessors on the Disposal of Discrete Items, Specific to the Low Level Waste Repository, Near Drigg, Cumbria” was prepared to support the Environment Agency in assessing the ESC for the LLWR, submitted by LLW Repository Ltd in May 2011. The agency conducts such assessments independently and therefore I do not plan to respond to this document.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ben Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he plans to take to ensure that consumers benefit from green deal incentives.

    Gregory Barker

    The Green Deal Incentives are being designed to be straightforward for customers to understand and take up.

    We will launch a consumer engagement campaign to begin once the incentives become available.

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether his Department has any plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.

    Gregory Barker

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State reviewed the situation on 23 January 2014 and was content for no action to be taken on this matter.

  • David Anderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will place in the Library a list of the land and property owned by UK Coal and its subsidiaries that was previously owned by the National Coal Board and British Coal.

    Michael Fallon

    No. A portfolio of land and property was transferred to a predecessor company of UK Coal Production Ltd (“UK Coal”) in 1994. It would be for UK Coal itself to clarify what from that portfolio remains in its ownership.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment he has made of the potential risks posed by (a) flooding and (b) rising sea levels at the Drigg Low-Level Waste Repository in Cumbria.

    Michael Fallon

    Radioactive waste management activities are subject to permitting by the Environment Agency under legislation introduced by the Department.

    As part of the environmental permitting process for radioactive waste disposal the Agency has required the operators of the Low-Level Waste Repository (LLWR) to consider long term coastal erosion at the site and the need for and feasibility of providing sea defences. These issues are assessed within an Environmental Safety Case submitted to the Environment Agency in May 2011 which has been subject to review by the Environment Agency over the last two to three years and also the subject of a public consultation between November 2013 and February 2014.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, what proportion of the anticipated generating capacity of onshore wind projects at appeal stage in the planning system on 1 October 2013 related to applications subsequently recovered by him.

    Kris Hopkins

    As I have said in my earlier answer, my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.

    As at the 1 October 2013, there were 255 onshore wind farm appeals, of which 32 were or have subsequently been recovered.

    I can confirm that 17 onshore wind farm appeals were recovered in 2013. This amounts to 6% of the number of onshore wind farm appeals received (280) during that period.

    2013

    Appeals Received

    Appeals Recovered

    Jan

    23

    4

    Feb

    37

    1

    Mar

    28

    2

    Apr

    19

    1

    May

    25

    1

    Jun

    27

    1

    Jul

    19

    2

    Aug

    26

    Sept

    24

    1

    Oct

    14

    3

    Nov

    17

    1

    Dec

    21

    Total

    280

    17

    I also refer the hon. Member to the written statement of 9 April 2014, Official Report, Column 12-13WS, which explains the background to the recovery of these planning appeals.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, what proportion of the anticipated generating capacity of onshore wind projects at appeal stage in the planning system related to applications recovered by him in each month of 2013.

    Kris Hopkins

    As I have said in my earlier answer, my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.

    As at the 1 October 2013, there were 255 onshore wind farm appeals, of which 32 were or have subsequently been recovered.

    I can confirm that 17 onshore wind farm appeals were recovered in 2013. This amounts to 6% of the number of onshore wind farm appeals received (280) during that period.

    2013

    Appeals Received

    Appeals Recovered

    Jan

    23

    4

    Feb

    37

    1

    Mar

    28

    2

    Apr

    19

    1

    May

    25

    1

    Jun

    27

    1

    Jul

    19

    2

    Aug

    26

    Sept

    24

    1

    Oct

    14

    3

    Nov

    17

    1

    Dec

    21

    Total

    280

    17

    I also refer the hon. Member to the written statement of 9 April 2014, Official Report, Column 12-13WS, which explains the background to the recovery of these planning appeals.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data his Department collects on children missing education; what information schools are expected to record in the Lost Pupil Database, part of his Department’s school2school site; and how many pupils’ records were held in the Lost Pupil Database on 1 February (a) 2014, (b) 2013, (c) 2012, (d) 2011 and (e) 2010.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Department for Education does not collect data on children missing education. Section 436A of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to have arrangements that enable them to establish the identities of children in their area who are not registered pupils at a school, and are not receiving suitable education through a means other than at a school. Local authorities may decide as part of this duty to collect information on children who may be missing education or at risk of doing so. The Department’s statutory guidance to local authorities advises that they must have robust procedures in place to fulfil their legal duty.

    The ‘lost pupils database’ (LPD) records the transfer records of pupils whose correct destination is not known. Files are retained whenever a child leaves a school for a destination outside the maintained school sector. Examples of these destinations include ‘gone to an independent school’, ‘gone sick’, ‘moved abroad with parents’ or ‘moved on without reason’.

    The LPD is not used by Children Missing Education (CME) officers to record CME data. The primary function of the Department’s School to School (S2S) secure data transfer website is to provide schools and Local Authorities (LAs) with a mechanism for the secure and ongoing transfer of thousands of statutory child-level data files per week to new schools/LAs when children move school.

    The details required for the Lost Pupil Database are:

    File Name
    Source school
    Source LA
    UPN
    Surname
    Forename
    DOB
    Gender
    Former UPN
    Former Surname
    Middle Names
    Ethnicity
    FSM eligibility
    In Care
    Care Authority
    SEN status
    Start Date
    Postcode
    Sessions Possible
    Sessions Attended
    Sessions Unauthorised
    First Language

    LPD records are stored for a minimum of 12 months. The last ‘clear down’ took place in October 2013 which means monthly additions are only held back to October 2012. At 1 February 2014, 15,128 records were held on the system. Records are not removed from the system until the general ‘clear down’, so the figure does not represent pupils missing from education at any given time.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, columns 787-88W, on pupil exclusions: autism, whether his Department plans to employ further exclusion advisors.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education does not employ any exclusion advisors.

    The exclusion adviser referred to in the answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, columns 787-88W, on pupil exclusions: autism is employed by the National Autistic Society using a grant provided by the Department under the National Prospectus Grants Programme 2013-15.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of sixth form colleges on the effect of recent changes to sixth form funding for students who have severe or complex disabilities.

    Matthew Hancock

    Last year’s funding changes for students with severe and complex needs were introduced following extensive consultation with local authorities and all types of institutions, including sixth-form colleges.