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Tag: 2014

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much he allocated to the Illegal Money Lending Unit in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last four years up to the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Jenny Willott

    Since 1st April 2012 the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) has been responsible for the Illegal Money Lending Units in England and Wales, and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) has been responsible for the Illegal Money Lending Unit in Scotland. The NTSB and TSS decide what proportion of their total grant funding (provided by BIS) should be allocated for delivery of these functions. Before April 2012 Government directly funded all three of the Illegal Money lending Teams.

    Below are the budgets allocated to the Illegal Money Lending teams over the last four years.

    England

    Wales

    Scotland

    2014/15

    £3.60m

    £0.63m

    £0.4m

    2013/14

    £3.91m

    £0.67m

    £0.4m

    2012/13

    £4.13m

    £0.59m

    £0.38m

    2011/12

    £4.07m

    £0.65m

    £0.48m

    2010/11

    £4.07m

    £0.65m

    £0.48m

    Trading Standards is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and so it is not possible to provide comparable data.

  • Mark Durkan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Durkan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2014-06-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of cutting the rate of tourism VAT on the tourism balance of payments.

    Mr David Gauke

    No such assessment has been made. There is no single rate of tourism VAT. The VAT rate paid on goods and services bought by tourists in the UK is exactly the same as that which applies to UK residents. This means for example, that tourists can benefit from the UK’s zero rates of VAT on certain foods, children’s clothing and certain transport. But it also means they are charged VAT on things like catering services (the supply of meals, alcohol, snacks and drinks) sold by restaurants, pubs, cafes and canteens.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the (a) number and (b) location of memorials to commemorate the war dead in the (i) First World War and (ii) Second World War; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    DCMS holds no records on the number or location of memorials to commemorate the war dead. Information about war memorials throughout the UK is held by both the Imperial War Museum and the War Memorials Trust. The Imperial War Museum is working with its partners to make this information more easily accessible to the public.

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2013-14.

    Anna Soubry

    This information is not yet available.

  • Bill Esterson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Bill Esterson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance published by his Department on 25 March 2014, on Sure Start centres: local authority duties, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the core purpose of Sure Start children’s centres.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Sure Start children’s centres statutory guidance was published in April 2013; the web page containing it was last reviewed on 25 March 2014.

    The statutory guidance states the core purpose of Sure Start children’s centres is to improve outcomes for young children and their families, with a particular focus on those in greatest need. The Department extensively consulted on draft statutory guidance, including the core purpose, in 2012. The response was positive, with 85% of respondees (local authorities, children’s centre managers, voluntary sector bodies and others) finding the document clear on statutory duties.

    As I said to the Education Committee on 18 June, Ofsted is going to be moving to a local-authority-based inspection regime for children’s centres and I am very happy to look at the core purpose, particularly in the light of what Ofsted put out as their inspection regime, if there is a lack of clarity.

  • Dan Byles – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dan Byles – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Byles on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 593W, on electricity, what recent discussions he has had with the Independent Renewables Generators Group on the timing of the introduction of auctioning; what assessment he has made of independent generators’ ability to raise project finance against the Offtaker of Last Resort before October 2014; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    I met with the Independent Renewable Generators Group on 24th February 2014 and discussed the introduction of auctioning for Contracts for Difference (CfDs).

    The Offtaker of Last Resort will support independent renewable generators by providing for the worst-case route-to-market, allowing generators to raise project finance without necessarily having to enter long-term PPAs. As a result, such generators are likely only to need short-term PPAs in order to maximise their secured revenue and level of gearing. We are on track to deliver the final policy and introduce enabling regulations ahead of first allocation of CfDs. CfD applicants will, therefore, have a high degree of clarity about the arrangements for OLR in advance of the first auctions.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterparts in Egypt and Libya lessening the threat along the borders of those countries caused by terrorist networks in Libya.

    Hugh Robertson

    The National Security Adviser visited Egypt on 10-11 June and Libya on 16 June, and discussed the situation on the Libyan-Egyptian border with the then Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmy and Libyan PM Al Thinni. We will continue to discuss means to lessen the threat along Libya’s borders with the Government of Libya and those of neighbouring states.

    The UK is providing direct support to strengthen Libya’s borders. We have a Border Security Adviser embedded with the Libyan Border Security HQ, and provide four UK experts to the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM), including the Deputy Head of Mission. The UK’s Defence Advisory Training Team provides advice and training to the Libyan Ministry of Defence and institutions, including the Border Security Force.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the briefing notes issued by the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights dated 20 June 2014, on the legislative amendment before the Israeli Knesset relating to force-feeding and medical treatment of prisoners on hunger strike, what steps he is taking to ensure that international human rights and international humanitarian law human rights are upheld by all parties.

    Hugh Robertson

    Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met with an official from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office on 17 June and expressed our concern over the bill. We are continuing to monitor developments.

  • Adrian Sanders – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Adrian Sanders – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adrian Sanders on 2014-06-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to further the provision of high speed broadband in the Heart of the South West area.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Devon and Somerset has already received nearly £32 million to provide superfast broadband to 95% of premises by early 2016. We have recently announced a further £22.75 million to extend coverage to 95% by 2017 . Devon and Somerset will also be the location for one of the pilots looking at the potential to go beyond 95% coverage.

  • Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-06-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 675W, on Mapeley, how many years the Private Finance Initiative contract between HM Revenue and Customs and Mapeley Steps Contractor Limited has left to run.

    Mr David Gauke

    As explained in the answer I gave on 1 July 2014, Official Report, Column Reference 581W, a copy of the contract, which runs until April 2021, can be viewed on the National Archive website at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/freedom/steps-contract.htm

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