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Tag: 2015

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will take steps to limit the amount energy suppliers can charge consumers for the introduction of smart meters.

    Amber Rudd

    The Government has introduced regulation to ensure that there will be no upfront charges to consumers for the introduction of smart meters.

    The Government’s approach to minimising costs and ensuring cost savings from smart metering are passed on to consumers is embedded in the strategy of mandating an energy supplier-led roll out. As commercial entities competing for customers, energy suppliers are incentivised to minimise costs and maximise cost savings. Where suppliers do not keep their customer offer and prices competitive, customers will be able to switch to a new energy supplier.

    The Government and Ofgem are committed to further enhancing retail energy competition. To this end, Ofgem has referred the retail energy market to the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate if features of the market are having an adverse effect on competition and, if so, what reforms would make competition even more effective.

  • Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has received an invitation to the Crans Montana Forum in Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara; whether he plans to send a representative to that forum; and what reports he has received on the African Union’s call for that forum to be cancelled.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I have not received an invitation to this forum and I do not plan to send a representative. I am aware of reports that the African Union has called for the forum to be cancelled.

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 2 February 2015 to Questions 222495, 222494 and 222493, how many medicines were paid for by the industry rebate payments through the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme in 2014 in each (a) financial quarter and (b) therapeutic area.

    George Freeman

    The Mandate for 2015-16 has set a firm NHS England budget for 2015-16, which is £3 billion (3%) higher than its budget for 2014-15. This increase takes into account a number of things, including additional funding for the National Health Service announced in the Autumn Statement and the fact that the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) payment in 2015-16 is now forecast to be higher than originally expected.

    All the PPRS payments go back into spending on improving patients’ health and care and it will be up to NHS England how they split that overall budget between clinical commissioning groups, specialised commissioning etc. Following normal Government accounting rules, there is no separately identified ring-fenced funding stream associated with the PPRS payment. Accordingly, it would not be possible to identify what or how many medicines are paid for by PPRS payments.

    The Government believes that NHS commissioners and providers are best placed to decide how to allocate their budgets to deliver improvements in the outcomes for patients. The PPRS includes a number of commitments for improving patient outcomes and for improving patient access to clinically and cost effective medicines.

  • Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding she plans to allocate to police forces to train officers in recognising signs of coercive control and collecting the necessary evidence when that offence is introduced.

    Lynne Featherstone

    We are committed to ensuring the police and other frontline agencies have the
    tools they need to respond effectively to domestic abuse. That is why on 18
    December, the Home Secretary announced her intention to create a specific
    offence of domestic abuse.

    The offence will not come into force until frontline agencies are properly
    trained to operate it effectively. An implementation plan, which will consider
    funding issues, is currently being developed with the police and College of
    Policing. The College is working with CAADA (Co-ordinated Action Against
    Domestic Abuse) to pilot an intensive programme of training including domestic
    abuse and coercive control. An evaluation will be carried out following the
    pilot to ensure that the training will make a significant contribution to long
    term improvements to policing of domestic abuse and will be an important factor
    in driving a culture change in the police so that domestic abuse is treated as
    the serious crime that it is.

    The new offence of ‘coercive and controlling behaviour’, as well as the wider
    issue of training for police officers on domestic abuse, has been discussed
    at the National Oversight Group on domestic abuse, established and chaired by
    the Home Secretary. The purpose of the group is to implement and monitor activity
    against the recommendations coming out of HMIC’s review of domestic abuse and includes
    both Chief Constable and Third Sector representation.

  • Gerry Sutcliffe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Gerry Sutcliffe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerry Sutcliffe on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to simplify the form EX160 for application for fee remission.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    In July 2014 HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) launched a revised fee remission application form and guidance which removed some requirements based on user feedback.

    HMCTS is now developing further reforms to the fee remission process which significantly simplifies the application form and guidance, removing the need for applicants to provide supporting documents in most cases. HMCTS expects these reforms to be in place for users by September 2015.

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government and Merseyrail on electrification of the Wrexham to Bidston railway line.

    Claire Perry

    The proposals to electrify the Wrexham to Bidston rail line are a local matter and being led by Merseytravel and the Welsh Government. My Department has not been involved at this stage in the proposals. The Welsh Government is considering the economic benefits of investment on a number of lines in North Wales.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 8 December 2014, Official Report, column 638, what progress his Department has made in raising awareness among benefit claimants of interim payments.

    Esther McVey

    I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 January 2015 to Question UIN 218961

    “

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to change Ordnance Survey into a Government-owned company.

    Matthew Hancock

    The change to a Government–owned Company is operational in nature. Having carried out due diligence on existing legislative references and as there is no change to the ownership model, there are no legislative requirements to effect the change.

  • Lyn Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lyn Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to compensate (a) Newham, (b) other councils in East London and (c) other areas in the UK where population growth is above average for the increased demand for council services resulting from population growth.

    Kris Hopkins

    Parliament approved the Local Government Finance Report for 2015-16 on 10 February 2015. The settlement is fair to all; councils with the highest needs have higher spending power per household than those with lower needs.

    The focus of the settlement has deliberately changed away from keeping authorities dependent on grant, to providing them with the tools they need to grow their economies. As a result, although we took into account relative needs when setting the baseline for the new system, we have frozen this to maximise the incentive effect. All councils can benefit from the incentives for growth we have put in place – the New Homes Bonus and business rates retention.

    For example Newham’s retained income from Business Rates in 2013-14 was just under £7 million above its baseline funding level; and the authority’s own forecasts suggest it will be over £10 million above its baseline funding level in 2014-15. In addition Newham’s housing stock has increased by over 8,000 units over the period of the New Homes bonus scheme, providing a further £28 million of funding to the Borough in the years to 2015-16.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on (a) television, (b) newspaper, (c) online, (d) radio and (e) other forms of advertising using the phrase Armed Forces Reserves in the last 24 months.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    Recruiting to the Armed Forces, including the Reserves, is carried out by the single Services and is supported by single Service advertising. The expenditure figures for advertising by means of the various media stated are commercially sensitive. Details of the overall single Services’ spend on Reserves advertising in Financial Year (FY) 2013-14 and their budgets for 2014-15 are publishable and were provided in response to Question 215731 on 1 December 2014, reproduced below.

    During financial year (FY) 2013-14, the total cost of the Maritime Reserves’ recruitment advertising was £2.16 million. The Maritime Reserves’ budget for Reserves recruitment advertising in FY 2014-15 is £2.96 million.

    The Army’s ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ recruiting campaign is designed to attract applications to both the Regular and Reserve components of the Army. The cost of the Reserve element of the campaign is, therefore, an estimate based on a 50% share of the overall campaign cost.

    During FY 2013-14, the Army estimates that the cost of advertising for Army Reserve recruitment was £1.882 million. The projected share of the budget to be spent on Army Reserve recruitment advertising in FY 2014-15 is £3.8 million.

    During FY 2013-14, the total cost of the RAF’s Reserve recruitment advertising was £2.52 million. In 2014-15, the RAF’s budget for Reserves specific recruitment advertising is £2.14 million.