Tag: 2015

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for planning consent for national infrastructure projects have been made since responsibility for determining them passed to the Secretary of State; and whether they will list them by date, decision and the time each one took between the application being made and the decision issued.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    70 applications for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects have been made since responsibility for determining them passed from the Infrastructure Planning Commission to the Secretary of State in 2012. Of these, there have been 46 decisions in total. 45 were taken by the Secretary of State and 1 by the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

    Of these decisions, the Secretary of State granted development consent for 43 projects and declined 2 applications. The Infrastructure Planning Commission granted development consent for 1.

    Of the 70 applications, 4 were withdrawn before they reached the decision stage. 20 applications are currently going through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning process. Details of all the applications including the time each one took between application and decision are set out in the attached table.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to senior Civil Service posts in his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Joseph Johnson

    The estimated cost for using external agencies for recruitment to Senior Civil Service posts in 2014/15 was £155,000.

    Information for previous years is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) how many, and (2) what percentage of, prison governors have worked at two or more prisons in the last five years.

    Lord Faulks

    Of the governors of public sector prisons in post at 30 September 2015, a total of 90 (85%) had worked at two or more prisons in the previous five years.

  • Nick Hurd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nick Hurd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Hurd on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assumptions her Department has made on (a) global levels of avoidable blindness and low vision and (b) projected levels of those problems in 2020 in planning its work.

    Grant Shapps

    The latest available evidence on the burden of disease is used in planning our work. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. Data on levels and trends of the burden of diseases and injuries and the risk factors that cause them are an important input to health decision-making for national governments and development partners.When making investment decisions DFID considers many factors, including the burden of disease, to ensure that we deliver value for money and that we address the health needs of the countries we support.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish his Department’s analysis of the effects of proposed changes to business rates retention and the local government grant on the income of local authorities.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government intends to move to 100% business rates retention in England by the end of this Parliament. We have confirmed that as part of the new system there will continue to be redistribution of local tax revenue between authorities and protections in place for authorities that see their business rates income fall significantly. Over the coming months we will be working with local government on the details of the scheme. Ahead of final decisions, it is too early to assess what the impact will be on local areas or authorities, but before the start of the financial year, local authorities in England estimated that the total business rates income for 2015-16 would be £23.1 billion.

  • Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the skills of ESOL tutors are not lost following the withdrawal of ESOL Plus Mandation funding.

    Nick Boles

    The decision to withdraw the 2015/16 English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Plus (Mandation) funding was taken in the knowledge that providers could use their adult skills budget to continue to maintain their ESOL courses and therefore mitigate any adverse impact. It is the responsibility of providers to ensure they have teaching staff with the right skills and expertise to deliver the range of courses they offer.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of migrants granted leave to remain in the UK were subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds condition in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The proportion of cases granted leave to remain in the UK who were subject to the No Recourse to Public funds condition in each of the last five years was as follows:

    2011: 95%

    2012: 97%

    2013: 94%

    2014: 92%

    2015*: 92%

    These figures have been provided by the Home Office database with figures rounded to the nearest 5, interpreting ‘migrants’ as ‘lead cases’, they exclude asylum applications and figures for 2015 are available up to 30 September 2015.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 8.1 of Transparency in Supply Chains etc: A practical guide, published by her Department on 29 October 2015, if she will provide a central database of slavery and human trafficking statements published by each organisation.

    Karen Bradley

    We are aware of a number of different proposals to create a central depository or database outside of government. Our priority is to ensure that the best possible platform is established.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has given to New Alliance in respect of farming in Africa; and what criteria that organisation was assessed against to receive such support.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    In 2012 the UK pledged to support the New Alliance commitment to inclusive agriculture growth. The UK contributes to projects in six founding member countries. These projects aim to improve incomes from agricultural production, and strengthen the food security and nutrition of poor smallholders farmers.

    The UK also supports the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (managed by the World Bank) and other international agriculture research and policy initiatives.

    All DFID funding undergoes thorough scrutiny and is linked to performance. This includes the value for money proposition and poverty impact. Each project is subject to annual reviews that are posted on the DFID Development Tracker website.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of animals exported to (a) EU member states and (b) countries outside the EU in the last year.

    George Eustice

    Figures for the last calendar year are provided below. The estimate for EU countries is based on figures obtained from HM Revenue and Customs which draw on information provided by VAT-registered firms. Actual trade levels may be higher.

    Exports to European Member States

    Breeding cattle

    4

    Sheep

    161

    Poultry

    10, 354

    Horses, asses and mules

    1

    Other animals

    5

    Total

    10,525

    Exports to countries outside the EU

    Poultry

    4,252

    Horses, asses and mules

    1

    Other animals

    2

    Total

    4,255