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Tag: 2015

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is to (a) his Department and (b) Network Rail of unpausing electrification of the Midland Main Line and the North TransPennine route.

    Claire Perry

    Unpausing electrification of the Midland Mainline and the North TransPennine route has not caused the Department to incur any immediate additional costs.

    With regard to Network Rail’s costs, Midland Mainline electrification was in the delivery phase at the time of pause and Network Rail are still working to understand the costs associated with the decision to unpause. The North TransPennine route is still in development and costs were not affected by the decision to recommence electrification.

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost was of his Department’s Maritime Growth Study, published in September 2015; how many hours staff in his Department worked on that study; and when he plans to respond to its recommendations.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime Growth Study was commissioned by Government, but led on an entirely voluntary basis by an industry chair, Lord Mountevans, who was supported by a secretariat of five full-time officials from my Department. The Study was officially launched in November 2014 and published in September 2015. The total cost of the Study was approximately £390K, the majority of these costs being internal staffing costs for the secretariat. Other officials and analysts contributed their expertise as and when required on a business as usual basis.

    The Government will respond formally to the report by the end of 2015, but is taking immediate action in response to specific recommendations. This includes the establishment of a Ministerial Working Group for Maritime Growth and taking steps to support the improved operation of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) such as appointing a commercial director to lead the UK Ship Register separately from the Agency’s regulatory functions and a business case exploring the costs and benefits of options for more significant reform of the MCA.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what effect the introduction of universal credit will have on the income of those working in a job from which they derive net earnings of less than £110 per week and who are the principal carers for elderly relatives with a disability.

    Priti Patel

    Carer’s Allowance ceases when the claimant earns more than £110 a week. There is not a similar cliff-edge effect in Universal Credit. Carers who combine caring with paid work will continue to have the Carer Element included in the calculation of their overall award for as long as they provide care for at least 35 hours per week for a severely disabled person.

    In Universal Credit, earned income by members of the household is subjected to a work allowance. Different amounts are disregarded from earnings in order to reflect the needs of different types of household and to support the aim that work pays. Carers are entitled to one of these work allowances depending on their family type, although there is not a work allowance specifically for carers.

    Carers who combine work with caring will be able to earn up to their work allowance without their Universal Credit entitlement being affected. If earnings exceed that allowance then the Universal Credit award will reduce gradually as earnings increase.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have had cataract operations due to exposure to sunlight in each of the last five years.

    Alistair Burt

    It is not possible to identify the number of people who have developed a cataract as a result of exposure to sunlight.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) slavery and trafficking prevention orders and (b) slavery and trafficking risk orders have been (i) applied for and (ii) granted since the coming into force of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

    Karen Bradley

    Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders (STPO) and Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders (STRO) under the Modern Slavery Act were commenced on 31 July 2015. The police, NCA and Home Office Immigration Enforcement may apply to a Magistrates Court for both types of order. Courts may make a STPO when sentencing an individual for a slavery or human trafficking offence. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service provides quarterly statistics on applications for all types of orders and information has been published for the period up to June 2015. Information on applications for STPOs and STROs since 31 July 2015 will be published in the next issue of data covering the period July – September 2015.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 10602, on which dates he has held meetings with HM Treasury on the potential effects of a carbon price support exemption scheme in Scotland in the last year.

    David Mundell

    There have been a range of meetings on the issues around open cast restoration at Ministerial and Official level. This includes a number of meetings that both myself and colleagues have had with HM Treasury and the Department of Energy and Climate Change over a number of months.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government plans to respond to the fourth Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of Session 2013-14, Support for housing costs in the reformed welfare system, HC 479.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Following the General Election the Work and Pensions Select Committee has a new membership and a new Chair. The treatment of any inquiries conducted by the Committee during the last Parliament is a matter for the new Committee to consider.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, to which countries UK weapons manufacturers are prohibited from selling arms.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government publish on GOV.UK, on a country by country basis, details of sanctions regimes, arms embargoes and restrictions on the export of strategic goods currently implemented by the UK.

    Arms embargoes ban the export of ‘arms and related material’. This covers military ammunition, weapons and goods. They may be imposed by a number of organisations, including the UN, the EU or the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. They may also be imposed at national level.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the level of trade was between Israel and the UK in 2013-14; and what steps he is taking to increase bilateral trade with Israel.

    Anna Soubry

    Bilateral trade in goods and services between the UK and Israel was £4.6 billion in 2013 (Source: Pink Book 2014). Figures for 2014 covering trade in both goods and services will be published by the Office for National Statistics on 30 October in the 2015 edition of the Pink Book.

    UK Trade and Investment engage in promotion activities which focus on promoting the UK’s financial services, healthcare and food and drink sectors to the Israeli business community.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with student body organisations on the effects of removing student maintenance grants.

    Joseph Johnson

    My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Ministers regularly meet stakeholders from across the Higher Education sector to inform policy development including on Higher Education student support.