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Tag: 2015

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve supported accommodation for homeless young people in (a) Easington constituency, (b) County Durham, (c) the North East and (d) England.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is committed to preventing youth homelessness and we are taking specific action across England to support young homeless people into stable accommodation, education training or employment.

    We have invested £14 million to enable Crisis to support 10,000 vulnerable single people into privately rented tenancies, of which 41 projects are specifically targeted at young people.

    Our £15 million Fair Chance Fund payment by results scheme is supporting 1,600 vulnerable homeless 18-25 year olds into accommodation, education training and employment. Projects for the scheme are being delivered across the country including North East areas such as Newcastle, Northumberland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Durham and Sunderland.

    In addition, the Government is investing £40 million in Platform for Life, a lower rent shared accommodation programme to provide young homeless people a stable base for work and study. We have also implemented the ‘Youth Accommodation Pathway’, good practice model that supports young people to remain in the family home where it is safe to do so and offers tailored support for those who cannot. This has been disseminated across all English local authorities.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will introduce a television licence scheme based on days rather than months.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The way in which the BBC is funded, and how the licence fee works -including potential simpler systems of payment -is an important aspect of the current debate around Charter Review. There has been a range of opinions expressed, not least as part of the substantial consultation response,and I will be considering these through the Charter Review process.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) military, (b) non-commercial civil and (c) commercial civilian flights flew (i) into or (ii) out of RAF Northolt in (A) 2013-14 and (B) 2014-15; how many such flights are expected to take place in (1) 2015-16 and (2) 2016-17; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Take-offs and landings are not recorded separately. The figures for aircraft movements (either a take-off or a landing) are as follows:

    Year

    Military

    Non-Commercial Civil

    Commercial Civilian (including commercial aeromed)

    London Air Ambulance

    Total Non-Military

    2013-14

    4,068

    14

    9,227

    847

    10,088

    2014-15

    4,023

    447

    9,366

    592

    10,405

    2015-16 (April to August)

    1,584

    139

    4,242

    289

    4,670

    The maximum number of commercial aircraft movements permitted per year at RAF Northolt is 12,000. However, given the other limitations on commercial traffic at the station (for example hours of operation, daily limits, etc.), totals for the years 2015-16 and 2016-17 are expected to be broadly similar to the previous two years (i.e. 4,000 to 5,000 military, 9,000 to 10,000 commercial civilian and 14,000 to 15,000 total).

    London Air Ambulance flights are recorded separately as they do not fit under any other category.

  • Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress his Department has made on the merger of further education colleges in Nottingham; and what options are under consideration for broadening and improving the governance of that new institution.

    Nick Boles

    Following a city-wide review of further education provision in Nottingham by the Further Education Commissioner, the Boards of Governors of New College Nottingham and Central College Nottingham have agreed to pursue a merger of their colleges to take effect from September 2016.

    Colleges are independent corporations and responsible for their own decision making, including the governance arrangements that will apply to the merged entity.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children entered Key Stage 3 a year or more behind in reading level in each of the last three years.

    Nick Gibb

    The expected level of attainment in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 is level 4. Information on the number and percentage of children achieving different levels in reading tests at the end of Key Stage 2 is published in Table 3 of the “National curriculum assessments: key stage 2” series.[1],[2],[3],[4]

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assesments-at-key-stage-2-2015-provisional

    [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2014-revised

    [3] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2012-to-2013

    [4] Data for 2013 and 2014 is revised and 2015 is provisional.

    “

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to enable the establishment of a market in 100 per cent sustainable timber by 2020.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.

    The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy also requires Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.

    Domestic forests provide about 20% of the UK’s timber needs. They are managed in accordance with the UK Forestry Standard, the reference standard for sustainable forest management in the UK. Moreover, about 85% of UK timber production is independently certified, providing additional assurances of sustainability. We are strongly supportive of initiatives such as Grown in Britain, which create new sustainably managed woodland to increase the supply of British timber destined for use by local people and businesses. Timber and wood products labelled with the Grown in Britain logo are from trees and forests assured as compliant with the UK Forestry Standard.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Susan Elan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department is providing to renewable energy cooperatives.

    Andrea Leadsom

    This Government is proud to support the community energy sector, including renewable energy cooperatives. We have provided £2m to support over 100 community groups through the Urban and Rural Community Energy Funds. We also provided £885,000 to Bristol City Council to develop a Local Authority Best Practice Programme. In September, during Community Energy Fortnight, the DECC-funded Community Energy Hub was launched, which will help communities across the UK share knowledge and information on community energy projects.

    The community energy sector is thriving and resilient. There are over 5,000 community groups active in the UK and the sector independently raised over £25m in project finance in 2014. There has also been a number of exciting initiatives recently, including the first local authority energy supply company set up by Nottingham City Council which aims to support local community groups.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps (a) her Department and (b) the Drinking Water Inspectorate are taking to ensure that utility companies take all reasonable measures to resolve efficiently and effectively (i) water contamination issues and (ii) cryptosporidium contamination.

    Rory Stewart

    Water companies are required to provide safe supplies of drinking water to the public. Where contamination of a public water supply occurs, whether by cryptosporidium or by any other cause, the water company involved is expected to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the public remains safe, and that a safe supply of drinking water is restored. The DWI has a rigorous independent regulatory and inspection regime, and holds enforcement powers to ensure that the likelihood of such an event is minimised, and, when they do occur, that the measures taken to resolve any issues are in interests of the customer.

    Defra is the sponsor department for the water industry and is responsible for setting the legal and policy framework for the regulatory regime as applied by Ofwat (the economic regulator) and the DWI (the drinking water quality regulator). When the DWI produces its report on the recent cryptosporidium incident in Lancashire, Defra will consider, with other stakeholders, what wider lessons can be learnt about the effectiveness of the current regime.

  • James Cartlidge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Cartlidge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the German government urging it to follow up on the meeting between German officials and the National Advisory Council of the Thalidomide Trust in July 2015 and work towards its making financial contributions to those affected by Thalidomide.

    Mr David Lidington

    We continue to support the Thalidomide Trust in making their own representations directly to the German Government. Officials in London and at the British Embassy in Berlin remain in contact with both the National Advisory Council and the German authorities following their July meeting, including to encourage further meetings.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 112 on human rights in Eritrea.

    Grant Shapps

    We are concerned by the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Eritrea, in particular reports of arbitrary detention, and shortcomings in the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms. We have made clear to the Government of Eritrea that it must honour its international obligations and that improved respect for human rights is required to help stem the flow of irregular migration. Through the Khartoum Process and the forthcoming Valletta Summit we will continue to engage Eritrea to that end.