The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what he plans for the size of the stake which the Government will retain in the Green Investment Bank to be after that bank’s privatisation.
Anna Soubry
Decisions on the size of stake retained in the Green Investment Bank will be taken on the basis of what achieves best value for money for the taxpayer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are in place to ensure that animals sent from the UK for use in experiments in laboratories abroad were not subject to a greater degree of suffering than that which they would have experienced in UK laboratories.
Mike Penning
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires that before an animal can be released from the controls of the Act, in order to be sent to a laboratory abroad, I must be assured that:
• the animal’s state of health allows it to be sent to a new establishment;
• the animal poses no danger to public health, animal health or the environment;
• there is an adequate scheme in place for ensuring the socialisation of the animal upon being sent to new establishment; and,
• appropriate measures have been taken to safeguard the animal’s well-being when being sent to a new establishment.
The Home Office will seek reassurance that there are appropriate measures to safeguard the well-being of protected animals exported, within the context of their use in scientific procedures. Consent is only given for export where it is to a recognised scientific research establishment with a requirement for the specific live animals and sending tissue is not practicable.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2015 to Question 12791, on married people: tax allowances, what the best telephone number is for customers to use; and what rate that telephone line charges.
Mr David Gauke
People wanting to apply for Marriage Allowance by telephone should call HM Revenue and Customs’ helpline on 0300 200 3300. Call charges vary depending on the package provided by phone service providers, and further information can be found at GOV.UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effect of proposed courts and tribunal closures on (a) staff with caring responsibilities, (b) disabled staff, (c) black and minority ethnic staff and (d) court users.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The staff impact of these proposals will be managed using the department’s Managing Organisational Change Framework which has been endorsed by the Departmental Trade Unions. This will make sure that the transition to new arrangements proceeds in a fair and transparent manner for all staff.
In an increasingly digital age, court users will not always need to attend hearings in person in order to access the justice system and whilst we have already established alternative ways users can interact with our services, we are looking to expand these provisions to provide more choice than is currently available.
In order to achieve these aims, we have secured over £700m of funding to invest in our courts and tribunals. We have worked closely with the senior judiciary to develop a plan for investing this in reforming the courts and tribunals so they can deliver swifter, fairer justice at a lower cost. This will include digitisation and modernisation of our IT infrastructure. This will mean court users can attend hearings remotely, and not be inconvenienced by having to take a day off work to come to court. It will also mean victims of crime can give evidence from somewhere they feel safe.
A full impact assessment will be published alongside the consultation response.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.
Greg Clark
Information on the number of full time equivalent firefighter posts for each fire and rescue service and for each year, together with greater detail, is available in the Department’s Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics publication (Table 2 for full time equivalent posts) at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-and-rescue-authorities-operational-statistics
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent comparative assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of expanding (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick airports.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.
The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including that on costs, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that spending on play is protected in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.
Edward Timpson
Play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is recognised in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework [1], which states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.”
Early Years educators and Early Years teachers are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. It is for individual schools and settings to provide opportunities for play for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs.
We welcome the report published by Sense and their continuing efforts to support deafblind children and young people.
As the Spending Review is underway, we are unable to give details of which programmes will be funded. We have committed to protecting the core schools budget throughout this Parliament at flat cash per pupil. We will look carefully at the impact of changes in schools’ and early years settings’ costs when making plans for education spending as part of the spending review.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework–2
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his policy that a claimant of employment and support allowance (ESA) in the Support Group who transfers to the Work Related Activity Group will receive the current rate of ESA, as an existing claimant, or the reduced rate of ESA proposed in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.
Priti Patel
Existing claimants, whether in the work-related activity group or the support group, who undergo a work capability assessment after April 2017 and are placed in, or remain in, the work-related activity group, will continue to receive the work-related activity component.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Russian government on cultural events.
Mr David Lidington
The UK and Russia have a long history of cultural collaboration that encourages and strengthens people-to-people links.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports the annual ‘Days of Scotland’ cultural festival in Russia, and is hosting a reception at the Consulate General in St Petersburg this year. FCO officials have discussed Scotland’s cultural and and people-to-people links with Russian Government officials
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the provisions in the Trade Union Bill on industrial relations within the civil service.
Matthew Hancock
Modernising the law governing Trade Unions will improve industrial relations. We have already seen the benefits in the Civil Service of reforming facility time, where we have delivered a saving to the taxpayer of over £52million, and the majority of departments have removed the outdated system of collecting union dues by check off. These benefits will now be delivered across the public sector.