Tag: 2015

  • Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the scoping study on littering from vehicles legislation, and why such legislation was not implemented nationally in April.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We expect to publish the study later this month.

    Before any regulations to tackle littering from vehicles are implemented, it will be important to get the details right. This will include matters such as the size of the fine, the form and content of the penalty notice, and exceptions to the keeper’s liability (for example if the vehicle has been stolen). We will therefore want to seek Local Authorities’ and others’ views before legislating. Any such regulations must be approved by both Houses of Parliament before coming into effect.

    Legislation to enable the seizure of vehicles involved in fly-tipping came into force in April 2015. As set out in our manifesto, we will be giving councils the power to tackle small scale fly-tipping through Penalty Notices, as an alternative to prosecutions, in spring 2016, and we will review the case for increasing fixed penalties for littering.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the £40 million his Department has allocated to refurbish homeless hostels to support health improvement in 2015-16 (a) has been spent and (b) has been allocated to support mental health improvement; at which hostels such refurbishment work has started; and when at which hostels such refurbishment work is planned.

    Alistair Burt

    The bidding and assessment process for the Homelessness Change/Platform for Life programme is now complete. We are looking forward to making an announcement of the successful bids shortly. Mental health is a key issue for homeless people – often part of a range of multiple and complex conditions. The programme will help address these mental health issues by providing decent accommodation and health support for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage retailers to reduce the amount of food waste they produce; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government is working with food manufacturers and retailers to meet targets to reduce food and packaging waste from the grocery supply chain under the Courtauld Commitment.

    Signatories reported a reduction of 7.4% in supply chain waste between 2009 and 2012 under Courtauld 2. Interim results for Courtauld 3 show signatories reported a further 3.2% reduction by 2014 against the overall target of a 3% reduction by the end of 2015.

    WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which will build on this progress and is expected to start in 2016.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 17025, what plans he has to increase the borrowing and investing powers of clinical commissioning groups to ensure that employment terms and conditions for GPs encourage employment in areas with (a) an elderly demographic and (b) a high workload.

    Alistair Burt

    There are no current plans to increase the borrowing and investing powers of clinical commissioning groups. Responsibility for ensuring all patients have access to NHS primary medical services rests with NHS England.

    Those providing services under a contract with NHS England, or clinical commissioning groups acting on their behalf, are independent contractors and not employees of the NHS.

    Practices may employ general practitioners to assist them in the provision of services under the contract. Where they do so, they are required to apply, as a minimum, model terms and conditions of service as agreed between NHS Employers and the General Practitioners’ Committee of the British Medical Association.

  • Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on (a) IT systems and (b) cyber-security in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14, (v) 2014-15 and (vi) 2015-16 to date.

    Mr David Gauke

    Reference to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) spending on IT systems can be found within its Annual Report and Accounts, under the Chief Digital and Information Officer Group. For the 2014/15 Annual Report and Accounts, this is on page 145.

    HMRC’s spending on cyber security work is incorporated within the headline IT expenditure figure.

  • Julie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the police has taken to tackle suspected boiler-room operations in the City of London.

    Mike Penning

    The City of London Police leads Operation Broadway, which is a multi-agency response to boiler room frauds operating in the City of London. Operation Broadway makes use of intelligence from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and the collective powers of its agencies to identify and tackle boiler rooms. Operation Broadway responses to boiler rooms focus on disruption and displacement and a number of differing tactical operations will be used. Operation Broadway also features in social media campaigns to raise public awareness of boiler room fraud.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will designate airfields as greenfield sites.

    Brandon Lewis

    National planning policy already requires local planning authorities to take account of airfields’ growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs. In March we issued guidance emphasising the need for local planning authorities to have regard to the extent to which an aerodrome contributes to connectivity outside the authority’s own boundaries.

    Currently, all airfields, as land that has been previously developed, are regarded as brownfield land.

    We will work with the aviation sector to ensure the current policy relating to development on airfields is better understood.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Arab League on the situation in Syria before he published his response to the Second Report from the Foreign Affairs Committee, on the Extension of Offensive British Military Operations to Syria, HC 457.

    Mr David Cameron

    The Government are in regular contact with the Arab League who attended the International Syria Support Group in Vienna on 14 November. Nabil Al-Araby, Chair of the Arab League, participated in a discussion on Syria with UK representatives at the United Nations General Assembly on 30 September. We remain committed to engagement and coordination with regional partners in our efforts to degrade Daesh in Syria.

  • 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 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for how long a pupil must be present at a school to be included in its reception baseline assessment.

    Nick Gibb

    The reception baseline assessment is administered within the first half-term of a pupil starting in reception. Information on reception baseline criteria can be found online at:

    www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/415142/Baseline_criteria.pdf

    “

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how much of the Government Equalities Office’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Spending Review set out settlements for departments and showed how the government will deliver on its priorities, eliminate the deficit, and deliver security and opportunity for working people.

    Final decisions on internal departmental funding allocations for future years, including for research and development, have not yet been made.