Blog

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what criteria his Department uses to determine who receives Start-Up Loans; and what processes are in place to ensure that people with mental health problems have their applications considered fairly.

    Anna Soubry

    The Start-Up Loans programme provides loans and mentoring support to enable entrepreneurs aged 18 and over from all parts of society and based in the UK to start a business. So far, over 34,300 entrepreneurs have received support from the programme, which in turn has facilitated over £187 million worth of lending to date.

    The programme operates through a network of Delivery Partners, who make individual lending decisions based on criteria set by the Start-Up Loans Company. Delivery Partners are required to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. A condition of this authorisation is that they adhere to the FCA’s Treating Customers Fairly principles, which include reference to the treatment of customers with mental health issues.

    A full list of principles is available on the FCA’s website

  • James Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    James Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Berry on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what arrangements his Department has in place to ensure that organisations are not able to provide both training for and assessment of the standards for the same apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    The Department is fully committed to the principle that end point assessment should either be delivered by an independent third party, or in such a way that no party involved in the management or training of an apprentice can make the sole decision on competence and passing the end-point assessment.

    We are working to ensure the Register of Assessment Organisations and Register of Training Providers, which govern who can conduct training and assessment, support this principle.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Leader of the House, what progress the Government is making on reform of the Estimates process.

    Chris Grayling

    Estimates are formal requests for authorisation of expenditure proposed to the House by the Government. Scrutiny of these, which are effectively departmental budgets, is undertaken in a variety of ways including debates selected by the Liaison Committee and it is open to select committees to examine these budgets.

    The Procedure Committee has recently announced that it will examine the House’s procedures for examining the Estimates and the passing of legislation which authorises this expenditure through the Supply and Consideration Bill.

    The Committee is accepting written submissions until 25 March 2016.

  • Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with bookmakers on the single-staffing of high street betting shops.

    Tracey Crouch

    I meet with the betting industry, Gambling Commission, and other interested organisations regularly. I am aware of the concerns around single-staffing of high street betting shops but expect bookmakers to adhere to their statutory requirements and minimum voluntary standards to protect staff from risk.

  • Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he plans to take to improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    UK superfast coverage is now almost 90 per cent of premises and we have made it available to 3.5 million homes and businesses and that will rise to over 5 million by the end of 2017.As the Prime Minister announced in November, the Government also intends to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation.

  • Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that football supporters from all nations of the UK have equal free access to their national team games aired on television.

    Tracey Crouch

    I share the enthusiasm of all supporters to be able to watch their home nation on TV. Where home nations compete in the European Championship and World Cup final tournaments, fans can watch them on free to air television as they are Listed Events. Beyond that it is a matter for the Scottish FA to negotiate with UEFA, under a central sales strategy, who broadcasts Scotland qualifying or friendly matches.

  • Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the second report on the IAAF of the Independent Commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency, published on 15 January 2016.

    Tracey Crouch

    The findings of the report are disturbing. The government is committed to tackling corruption in sport and we will continue working with UK Anti-Doping and sport stakeholders to ensure that our athletes can compete in a clean sport environment.

  • Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to improve diversity in public service broadcasting.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    This Government is committed to improving diversity in public service broadcasting. We have continued to push on this agenda and keep the spotlight on all major broadcasters. I am encouraged by the steps they have began to take to improve the levels of diversity in the industry but I continue to press them to do more.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the BBC Charter Renewal process.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Good progress is being made on the BBC Charter Review programme.

    The consultation launched in July received an incredible 192,000 responses. We are committed to reading and analysing all of the responses and reached 150,000 earlier this month.

    In addition, I have commissioned further reviews and research, including an independent review of governance and regulation led by Sir David Clementi.

    In the coming months my department will work towards publishing proposals for the future of the BBC.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that football supporters from all nations of the UK have equal free access to their national team games aired on television.

    Tracey Crouch

    I share the enthusiasm of all supporters to be able to watch their home nation on TV. Where home nations compete in the European Championship and World Cup final tournaments, fans can watch them on free to air television as they are Listed Events. Beyond that it is a matter for the Scottish FA to negotiate with UEFA, under a central sales strategy, who broadcasts Scotland qualifying or friendly matches.