Tag: 2015

Lord Ouseley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2015-11-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Report Is Britain fairer?, particularly with regard to the employment and earnings prospects of young people aged 16 to 24.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent body, and its report “Is Britain Fairer?” covers a five-year period spanning the Labour and Coalition governments. We welcome the positive areas of progress and note the key challenges to which it refers. The information in the report will be used by the EHRC to help develop its next strategic plan, covering the period 2016-19.

Giving young people the skills that businesses need is important. That is why our work to ensure 3 million apprenticeship starts in England over this Parliament is crucial.

According to London Economics, the lifetime benefits associated with the acquisition of Apprenticeships at Level 2 and 3 are very significant, standing at between £48,000 and £74,000 for Level 2 and between £77,000 and £117,000 for Level 3 Apprenticeships.

The latest data shows that 89% of apprentices are satisfied with their apprenticeship; 85% of apprentices said their ability to do the job had improved, and 83% of apprentices said their career prospects had improved.

January 1, 2023
Yvonne Fovargue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yvonne Fovargue on 2015-11-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what conditions the Financial Conduct Authority has placed on the rent-to-own firms it has authorised in respect of low income users of such firms.

Harriett Baldwin

This question has been passed on to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA will reply to directly to the Honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

January 1, 2023
Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the number of graduates who are (a) unemployed and (b) not in high-skilled jobs.

Joseph Johnson

The Department publishes labour market statistics for English domiciled graduates and postgraduates relative to non-graduates as part of the Graduate Labour Market Statistics series. The latest figures refer to the quarter from April to June 2015 and are available at the link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/graduate-labour-market-statistics-april-to-june-2015

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January 1, 2023
Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2015 to Question 15657, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of support provided to the arts in the West Midlands in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government recognises the intrinsic, social and economic value of the arts and supports fair distribution of funding across the whole country. Following the announcement of the spending review on 25 November 2015, Arts Council England will continue to support community arts organisations throughout the country including the West Midlands.

The West Midlands has seen a number of high quality arts programmes delivered in the region over the last five years. These include The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry which has received over £2.5 million of Government funding since 2012 enabling them to create eight new Youth Theatre groups – among them the Asian Youth Theatre and the Black Youth Theatre, which aim to give a voice to local communities; The Courtyard in Hereford which, thanks to almost £1 million of Government funding since 2012, became the first arts venue to join the Dementia Action Alliance, and is now a recognised leader in the development of dementia-friendly arts venues; and The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, one of Arts Council England’s National portfolio organisations, which has been attracting national attention by challenging and changing people’s attitudes towards racism, domestic violence, forced marriage, poverty and crime.

January 1, 2023
Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to press for the ending of the use of EU Common Agricultural Policy payments to support Spanish bullfighting.

George Eustice

Bulls kept for bullfighting are no longer eligible for direct Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments under the Beef Special Premium Scheme.

The Government takes animal welfare very seriously and is working with the European Commission and other Member States to raise standards within the EU and internationally, and to address concerns surrounding the treatment of animals in particular countries, including in bullfighting; and will continue to look to reduce any incentives to such activities.

January 1, 2023
Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the reasons for which the jobseeker’s allowance claimant rate is falling faster than the unemployment rate; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of people eligible to claim jobseeker’s allowance in 2013-14 who did not do so.

Priti Patel

It is not appropriate to consider Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) in isolation because the roll out of Universal Credit (UC) means growing numbers now claim UC rather than JSA.

The Office for National Statistics publishes claimant count figures that combine JSA and those claiming UC who are not in work. This does not show the claimant rate falling faster than the unemployment rate. In fact over the past quarter the claimant rate has remained flat while the unemployment rate has fallen 0.3 percentage points.

Estimates of the take-up of income-related benefits in 2013-14 have already been published and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/437501/ir-benefits-take-up-main-report-2013-14.pdf

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January 1, 2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

Mark Lancaster

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry of Defence takes theft seriously and works hard to detect and deter it. There are robust processes in place to raise awareness of the need for vigilance in all aspects of security.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will instruct the Infrastructure and Projects Authority to reproduce Table 7.1 of the Final Report of the Airports Commission, published in July 2015, using an appraisal period of (a) 10, (b) 20 and (c) 30 years.

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.

January 1, 2023
Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to her Written Statement of 21 October 2015, HCWS 257, on energy investments, what the evidential basis is for her judgement that the waste transfer contract liabilities are likely to be very low.

Andrea Leadsom

The basis on which my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State considers the likelihood of the potential waste transfer contract liabilities arising to be very low is set out in the Departmental Minute laid before Parliament alongside the Written Statement on 21 October, which for ease of reference is annexed.

January 1, 2023
Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-11-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2015 to Question 17136, on what date Watchkeeper is expected to be at full operating capability.

Mr Philip Dunne

Watchkeeper is expected to achieve full operating capability in the second quarter of 2017.

The original cost estimate for the development and delivery of Watchkeeper to full operating capability, at the time of Main Gate approval in 2005, was £847 million.

With regards to the cost of each Watchkeeper, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 October 2014 to question 211342 to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

January 1, 2023