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  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of damage caused by floods in winter 2015-16.

    James Wharton

    The Government submitted an initial EU Solidarity Fund application on Friday 26 February. We are in the process of refining our cost estimates and figures.

    The United Kingdom’s Permanent Representation to the European Union submitted the initial application to the European Commission on the UK Government’s behalf and will continue to engage with them and the Department on the development of the application.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.

    George Eustice

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not received any funding from the European Social Fund.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2016 to Question 30208, whether she plans to give Ministerial approval to relax the restrictions of the public sector exit cap on employees of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority who leave work after 1 October 2016.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The proposed public sector exit payment cap will apply to organisations classified as being within the public sector by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This includes the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s sites, which are funded by the UK taxpayer.

    It is envisaged that there will be discretion to relax conditions of the cap in exceptional circumstances, for example where there are genuine cases of hardship. This discretion, which would be considered on a case by case basis and which would be subject to Ministerial approval, will be provided for in the exit cap regulations.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to her speech of 18 November 2015, at the Institution of Civil Engineers, when her Department plans to publish the terms of reference and timescales for the consultation on closing all unabated coal-fired power stations.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in her speech that the Department will be launching a consultation in the spring, and that remains the intention.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department for Energy and Climate Change received no funding from the European Social Fund between 2007 and 2014, nor subsequently.

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment she has made of which of her Department’s agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Under the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which will be transposed into national law by June 2017, a politically exposed person is one who has been entrusted with a prominent public function domestically or by a foreign country. The Government’s view is that the Directive permits a risk-based approach to the identification of whether an individual is a politically exposed person and, when identified, the Directive enables the application of different degrees of enhanced measures to reflect the risks posed. We will be setting out this view in our consultation which will be published shortly.

    This change should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. We encourage financial institutions to take a proportionate risk-based approach when applying these measures.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential of small modular reactors as a heat source.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The techno-economic assessment of small modular reactors, which is due to conclude at the end of March at the earliest, will consider applications for SMRs in the UK context including how they could operate within the energy system.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when the techno-economic assessment of small modular reactors is expected to be completed and published.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The techno-economic assessment of small modular reactors does not conclude until the end of March at the earliest. We will then need to thoroughly review the reports. We will consider publishing at the appropriate point.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether Heysham and Hartlepool are being considered as sites for large nuclear or small modular reactors.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Nuclear National Policy Statement, approved by Parliament in July 2011, identified eight potentially suitable sites for new nuclear power stations. The Government welcomes proposals for development at all eight sites. No proposals for development have so far been made for two of the sites – Heysham and Hartlepool.

    During the Budget, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the launch of phase one of a competitive process to identify which Small Modular Reactor designs could feasibly be delivered in the UK. Government also made a commitment to publish an SMR delivery roadmap to clarify the UK’s plan for addressing SMR related siting, regulatory approvals and skills issues.

    The Government will address the issue of site identification for SMRs, but no potential sites or siting criteria have been identified at present.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance and training Ofsted inspectors receive on applying the criteria for a good Ofsted grading in settings involving children with special education needs and disability.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.