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Tag: 2014

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase the manufacture of electronic components in the UK.

    Michael Fallon

    The Government recognises that electronic components and systems are key enabling technologies which underpin many key industrial sectors both in the UK and worldwide. In line with the Industrial Strategy, the Government is working with the industry-led Electronics Systems Community (ESCO) Council to support its aims of achieving sustainable growth within the sector. This Council is co-chaired by myself and Warren East, formerly Chief Executive of ARM, and is made up of senior business leaders from within the electronics systems sector.

    The ESCO Council is working within the UK electronics community, with government, with academia and is building close ties with leadership groups from other industries in taking forward the industry’s blueprint for transforming the electronic systems sector in the UK. The Council’s aims and priorities are set out in the ‘Electronic Systems: Challenges and Opportunities’ report, which the industry published in summer 2013. The ESCO Council has set itself the goals for 2020 of increasing employment in the electronics systems sector from 850,000 to 1,000,000, and the contribution that electronics makes to the economy from around £80bn to £120bn per year.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce human rights abuses in Tibet and to offer support for victims of such abuses.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We remain concerned about the situation in Tibet.

    We regularly discuss our concerns on Tibet with the Chinese authorities, most recently through the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 19-20 May 2014 where we covered concerns about ethnic minority rights, as well as the criminalisation of self immolation. Our concerns are also highlighted in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, the latest edition of which was published on 10 April.

  • David Ruffley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Ruffley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Ruffley on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost was of translation and interpreter services used by each borough and county council in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    This information is not centrally held.

    As outlined in the Written Ministerial Statement of 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 5WS, we have given guidance to local authorities to stop translating into foreign languages, as it wastes taxpayers’ money, undermines community cohesion, promotes segregation and discourages integration into British society.

    In that Statement, it was noted that estimates had suggested that local authorities were previously spending nearly £20 million a year translating into foreign languages. This illustrates the scope for councils to make savings by stopping such translation, using the money instead to support frontline services and keep council tax down.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to collect data on (a) the proportion of attainers in each region of Great Britain registered to vote, (b) the proportion of people aged 18 to 25 years old and pensioners registered to vote and (c) the proportion of people in receipt of benefits registered to vote.

    Greg Clark

    The Government has no plans to collect this data.

  • 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 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to reassess the need for additional gas storage capacity in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    We published on 3 September 2013 an independent assessment about the need to intervene in the gas storage market. With reference to my answer to written question 198546, we decided against intervention on the basis of the cost-benefit analysis undertaken by Redpoint Energy.

    The factors which underpinned this decision have not changed. I have no plans to reassess the need for additional gas storage capacity within the UK.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2014, Official Report, column 250W, on schools: construction, what the (a) final bid date in April 2014 and (b) expected decision date is.

    David Laws

    Final bids in the procurement are due to be received from the three shortlisted bidders on 17 April 2014, and the Education Funding Agency is scheduled to appoint a selected bidder by the end of May 2014.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the new Indian government to reopen investigations on the events in 1984 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    This is a matter between the Sikh Community and government of India. The purpose of the Cabinet Secretary’s recent investigation and report on the Indian operation at Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar in 1984, was to establish the extent of UK Government involvement in the Indian government’s plans for military operations, not the operation itself, or the actions of the Indian government.

  • Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of his proposed changes to energy company obligation funding on families in fuel poverty who were in flood risk areas.

    Gregory Barker

    The impact of the proposed changes to the Energy Company Obligation was estimated in the Assessment of Impacts published alongside the consultation document on 5th March:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-future-of-the-energy-company-obligation

    No specific estimate was made for those fuel poor families specifically living areas of flood risk.

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change intends to complete a full Impact Assessment as part of the Government’s response to the consultation later in the year.

    “

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) subjective and (b) objective measures the Office for National Statistics uses to measure public wellbeing; and whether that Office is considering any changes to those measures.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Mr Graham Stuart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mr Graham Stuart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Graham Stuart on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the level of cross-subsidy between fare paying passengers and those using the Concessionary Travel Scheme (a) generally and (b) in rural areas.

    Stephen Hammond

    Concessionary travel schemes are considered to be public service obligations.

    Legislation requires bus operators to accept statutory concessionary bus pass holders for free travel on off-peak journeys within England, and are reimbursed for doing so. Bus operators may not solicit or accept payment for such journeys.

    Reimbursement is provided on the basis that operators are “no better and no worse off” for carrying concessionary pass holders, and we therefore do not believe this to constitute a subsidy.

    The Department publishes guidance to help authorities calculate appropriate reimbursement rates. We are unaware of any cross-subsidy between fare paying and concessionary pass holding passengers occurring in rural areas or elsewhere.