Tag: 2015

  • David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the per capita spending was on transport projects in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) London in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Jones

    a) Data on spend per head on transport projects is not available at the level of Greater Manchester.

    However, Greater Manchester has benefitted from significant transport investment over the last five years, for example, £140.8 million of Integrated Transport Block funding, £143.2 million for Highways Maintenance (2010-11 to 2014-15), £32.5 million from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund for the ‘Let’s Get to Work’ scheme, £32.49 million for the Manchester Cross City Bus Package (due for completion in November 2016) and £44m announced in July 2014 as part of the Local Growth Fund for 12 new light rail vehicles on Metrolink.

    (b) Spend per head on transport in London for the last five available years was as follows:

    Identifiable expenditure on transport in London 2009-10 to 2013-14

    Type of expenditure

    2009-10 outturn

    2010-11 outturn

    2011-12 outturn

    2012-13 outturn

    2013-14 outturn

    Total expenditure

    Per head (£)

    747

    660

    597

    479

    511

    Capital expenditure

    Per head (£)

    448

    413

    362

    301

    332

    Current expenditure

    Per head (£)

    300

    247

    235

    178

    180

    Source: HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis, 2014

    Spending on London’s transport networks benefits not just London residents but commuters and others travelling into London. London is the biggest city in the UK and a global capital. 850,000 commuters come into London per working day, and there are about 4 billion passenger journeys every year.

    The figures in recent years can be skewed by capital projects with uneven patterns of expenditure such as Crossrail and Thameslink (which also create jobs elsewhere).

  • Lord Oates – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Oates – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe about political violence and the political impartiality of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in dealing with this violence.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    I refer the noble Lord to the response given in the other place by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), to the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Mr Benn) on 27 October 2015 [12945], summarising our assessment of the political situation. There have been reports of political violence, directed against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change as well as between factions of the governing Zimbabwe African National Union party in recent months. Our Ambassador in Harare raised our concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe on 1 December. The UK remains committed to supporting the aspirations of the Zimbabwean people for a more peaceful, democratic, stable and prosperous Zimbabwe, free from political violence and repression.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Local Housing Allowance Amendments) Order 2015 (S.I., 2015, No. 1753), what total amount will be made available to local authorities under the Targeted Affordability Fund before the date on which those regulations are due to come into force.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Over the next five years Targeted Affordability Funding (TAF) will be drawn from recycling a percentage of the savings from the freeze of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. As a result of the level of savings produced by the freeze next year there will be no TAF available in 2016/17; however, there will be funding from 2017/18 to 2020/21.

    From 2017/18 around 30 per cent of the potential savings per year from the freeze to LHA will be used to support areas where higher rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation.

    The level of TAF in 2016/17 would have been the same if, as planned, LHA rates had been uprated by CPI inflation. This is because the CPI forecast in September was zero (0.01 per cent) and therefore LHA rates would not increase in 2016/17 but would remain at the 2015/16 levels.

    The amounts of TAF which will be available each year from 2017/18 and the plans to distribute it will be announced in due course.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of coal-fired power stations under construction worldwide, the number that are planned for the future, and what effect those new stations will have on the total tonnage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The IEA estimate that global coal electricity capacity will be around 8-17% higher in 2020 than 2013, with some growth even under the IEA’s estimate of a 2°C scenario.

    We know that limiting the global growth in unabated coal use is necessary to tackle climate change. The UK Government announced at COP19, in Warsaw in 2013, its plans to end support for public financing of new coal-fired power plants overseas, except in rare circumstances. In order to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees, globally we need to rapidly move away from unabated coal power generation.

    We have negotiated a new policy in November 2015 on how OECD export credit agencies can contribute to our goal to address climate change. The new policy places significant restrictions on the financing of coal-fired power plants by OECD export credit agencies. Support for the larger less-efficient coal-fired power plants is removed, and will encourage a move away from low-efficient towards high-efficient coal-fired power plants. Over two-thirds of the coal-fired power projects receiving official export credit support from Participants between 2003 and 2013 would not have been eligible for such support under the new rules. The new rules will take effect from 1 January 2017, and are subject to a mandatory review starting in 2019, with the goal of strengthening them.

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced that we will consult next year on an end date for coal of 2025 and limiting its use by 2023.

  • 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 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many advisers worked at Plaistow Jobcentre in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

    Priti Patel

    The information is in the table below:

    Year Number of Advisers that worked at Plaistow Jobcentre
    2010/11 24
    2011/12 26
    2012/13 27
    2013/14 23
    2014/15 27

    1. Source of management information: DWP Work Services Activity Based Management Tool

    2. The management information is collated and reported for the period from April to March for each year

    3. The numbers of advisers are expressed as Full Time Equivalents

    4. The management information contained within this document does not form part of any official statistics and is intended for DWP internal use only.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 8893, when he plans to publish the impact assessment for the introduction of the national living wage; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    The Government has published a full impact assessment alongside draft regulations to implement the National Living Wage. These documents were laid before Parliament on Monday 7 December 2015. Regulations will be debated in both Houses of Parliament in time to come into force on 1 April 2016.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on reviewing the Valuation Office Agency process for considering rating assessment appeals.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is committed to delivering a quicker and more efficient business rates appeals system in England, so that businesses can be confident they are paying the right amount of business rates and any refunds can be paid quickly. Details of our proposals are set out in the consultation paper Check, Challenge, Appeal: Reforming Business Rates Appeals, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-business-rates-appeals-check-challenge-appeal. Enabling legislation is being taken forward in the Enterprise Bill.

    “

  • Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Financial Conduct Authority is taking to ensure that Capita Financial Managers Ltd (a) are investigated for their role in the running of and (b) pay compensation to people who invested in the Connaught Income Fund.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.

    This question has been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the Honorable Member Helen Jones by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in the Durham Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

    Greg Clark

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 November, PQ 13946.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children are registered on waiting lists for social housing.

    Brandon Lewis

    In 2013-14, there were around 91,000 single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children on at least one social housing waiting list in England. This is down from 124,000 in 2004-5 and 110,000 in 2010-11. (Source: English Housing Survey, Department for Communities and Local Government).