The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister about the value of the Government support package for people affected by the closure of the SSI Steelworks in Redcar.
Anna Soubry
The package, worth up to £80 million, announced to support former SSI workers and the Tees Valley economy more broadly was agreed across Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the proportion of existing fossil fuel reserves that are (a) unburnable under a scenario of keeping temperature increases to below two degrees C and (b) unburnable; and what her policy is on the proportion of primary energy supply (i) in the UK, (ii) globally that should come from oil and gas in (A) 2030 and (B) 2050; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
The International Energy Agency has suggested that around a third of global fossil fuel reserves are burnable under a 2°C scenario.
In the UK, we are committed to implementing the Wood Review recommendations to maximise economic recovery of oil and gas in a way that is compatible with our climate change targets. Maximising recovery both in terms of increasing efficiency of production, as well as increasing levels of production of the UK’s oil and gas, will help maintain security of supply as well as boost growth and jobs.
This Government remains committed to the Climate Change Act and to meeting our climate change target of an 80% emissions reduction by 2050. This will mean reducing the amount of fossil fuels we use – through improved energy efficiency and increased supplies of low carbon energy – as well as reducing other sources of emissions. As part of our efforts to reduce emissions I have already announced that the Government will consult on proposals to end coal power generation by 2025 and restrict its use from 2023.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Shares for Rights scheme.
Damian Hinds
No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of employers offering employee shareholder shares to their employees.
Employee shareholder status has been carefully designed as light touch and accessible, and to conduct an assessment of the policy effectiveness would require detailed information gathering from businesses and employees. There is no requirement on any company wishing to offer an employee shareholder contract to contact or notify any Government department or agency in advance or ‘apply’ to Government if they intend to use this measure.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government held discussions with Commonwealth Heads of Government at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Malta in November 2015 on increasing the proportion of the UK’s trade with Commonwealth countries.
Mr Hugo Swire
I spoke at the Commonwealth Business Forum to underline the British Government’s strong interest in strengthening our international trade links. The Minister for Trade and Investment, the right hon the Lord Maude of Horsham, addressed the same forum on the importance of leveraging trade networks across the Commonwealth. He also pushed for progress on free trade agreements that will facilitate and increase trade between Commonwealth countries, as well as promoting direct trade with the UK in meetings with ministers from Ghana, Nigeria, Bangladesh, the Bahamas, and Malawi.
In negotiations on the CHOGM communiqué, the UK ensured Commonwealth leaders committed to advance global trade negotiations, including during the WTO ministerial in Kenya this December, and to encourage more states to ratify the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Pontypridd of 9 October 2015 on the cumulative effect on working families of his reforms to tax credits and benefits.
Damian Hinds
I have replied to the hon member.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made in achieving seven day services in the NHS which provides the same consultant assessment, diagnostic tests and consultant led interventions for patients seven days a week for (a) 50 per cent of the population by 2018 and (b) 100 per cent of the population by 2020.
Ben Gummer
The Government has set out that hospitals will achieve more seven day services by delivering four priority clinical standards developed by the NHS Services, Seven Days a Week Forum. NHS England will work with the National Health Service and NHS Improvement to support the NHS to meet the four clinical standards and realise the benefits of seven day services for patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will undertake an evaluation of the effectiveness of the self-exclusion pilot schemes introduced by bookmakers in Medway and Glasgow.
Tracey Crouch
Evaluation into the effectiveness of the self-exclusion pilot schemes introduced by bookmakers in Medway and Glasgow is being carried out by the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB). From April 2016 all bookmakers will have to offer self exclusion schemes as part of a condition of their licence andlessons from these pilot schemes will feed into the final model adopted by the bookmaking sector. The Gambling Commission will be responsible for ensuring compliance with this new licence condition and the Government will take an active interest in the schemes effectiveness.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what preparations her Department has made for the increased level of aid required in Calais when winter sets in.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.
The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Jenrick on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary school aged pupils living in the Newark area travel out of that area to attend secondary schools in (a) Tuxford, (b) Southwell, (c) Bingham, (d) Nottingham and (e) Lincolnshire.
Nick Gibb
The Department for Education publishes figures for the number of pupils who attend school in a local authority separate to that in which they reside. This information can be found at GOV.UK[1].
The department does not, however, hold data on the movements of pupils between areas smaller than local authorities.
Movements of pupils are a factor when considering the availability of school places.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2015 – the cross border movement matrix tables have figures for each combination of home and school local authority.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has for her Department’s Future Fit Programme in each year between 2015-16 and 2019-20.
Mr Nick Hurd
The Future Fit initiative (2013-15) was an internal process to shape DFID’s response to climate change and resource scarcity in its development investments. Building on the lessons learnt through Future Fit, as set out in the new ODA strategy for the 2015 Spending Review DFID will have a greater focus on climate-smart development – particularly through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, cities, water and sanitation and health.
Through the International Climate Fund to date, the UK has helped over 15 million people cope with the effects of climate change and given 2.6 million people access to clean energy. The Prime Minister recently announced that over the next five years the UK’s climate funding will increase by at least 50%.