Tag: 2015

Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect Transport for Greater Manchester to announce the new contractor for the smart-ticketing scheme previously awarded to ATOS, and when they expect such a scheme to be introduced.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

This is a commercial matter for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). The Government has no involvement in any negotiations between TfGM and any prospective new contractors.

The introduction of any smart ticketing scheme will depend on the progress made by TfGM in appointing any new contractor.

January 1, 2023
Meg Hillier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Hillier on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and (b) Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearing centres have closed in (i) London and (ii) the UK in the last five years.

Mr Shailesh Vara

No First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) or Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearing centres in London, or the UK, have closed within the last five years.

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when post-16 education in Warrington is planned to be reviewed under the area review process; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Boles

All colleges in England will be subject to an Area Review. The timing of individual areas will be published in due course once they have been agreed by the National Area Review Steering Group. We have said that we will announce the area reviews in a series of waves, decisions on which area will be included in each wave will take account of a number of factors including whether colleges are deemed to be at financial risk.

We expect reviews to last 3-4 months based on our early experiences, and we anticipate they will all be completed by March 2017.

January 1, 2023

Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls were made to the Child Maintenance Options Service in each month since January 2015.

Priti Patel

The number of inbound calls received by the Child Maintenance Options Service from January 2015 to the end of October 2015 is shown in the table below:

Month

Number of calls received by the Child Maintenance Options Service

Jan-15

33,010

Feb-15

31,020

Mar-15

36,450

Apr-15

33,370

May-15

32,590

Jun-15

37,580

Jul-15

40,530

Aug-15

38,010

Sep-15

45,340

Oct-15

39,800

Notes:

– Data Sourced from Child Maintenance Options Monthly MI Service Pack

– Data rounded to nearest 10

January 1, 2023

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that apprenticeships deliver the skills that are needed in the current world of work.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

We are committed to delivering employer-led apprenticeship reforms, which continue to improve the ability of apprenticeships to provide the skills that employers need.

Employers are designing high quality apprenticeships – including Degree Apprenticeships -that are more responsive to the needs of business. They are deciding the skills, knowledge and behaviour required in each apprenticeship and how those skills should be assessed at the end of the programme. Through this process employers can be confident that completing an apprenticeship signals a genuine ability to do the job.

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 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on women with a mental function problem of the different assessment recommended for them in its Work Capability Assessment handbook on risk of self-harm, suicide or other risk.

Priti Patel

The Department took its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 into account when making changes to the WCA handbook and recognises it has an on-going equality duty under the Act and is committed to complying with this duty.

January 1, 2023
Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on recipients of the expiry of the Business Rates Reoccupation Relief scheme at the end of March 2016.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government is continuing to consider representations, which included business rates reliefs, to inform decisions on reform of the business rates system. The Government has confirmed the review will conclude by the end of the year.

January 1, 2023
Mary Glindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the level of Government spending will be on the Disabled Facilities Grant for each year until 2020.

Brandon Lewis

In the 2015 Spending Round, my rt. hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (George Osborne), announced £500 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant by 2020. Since April 2015, the Grant has been part of the Government’s £5.3 billion Better Care Fund, promoting integration with health and social care.

Annual allocations for the Disabled Facilities Grant for each year until 2020 will be announced in due course, when they are finalised.

January 1, 2023
Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the number of people that will be subject to the provisions of the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge as a result of Clause 24 of the Finance Bill 2015 (restriction to Landlords’ interest deductibility) in each year between 2017-18 and 2020-21.

Mr David Gauke

It is assumed that the questions refer to clause 24 of the Summer 2015 Finance Bill: relief for finance costs related to residential property businesses.

15897

The additional taxation receipts arising from restrictions to Landlords’ interest deductibility of the Summer Budget Finance Bill 2015 has been estimated and published in the “Summer Budget 2015: policy costings” page 21:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443195/Policy_costings_summer_budget_2015.pdf

15898

The number of taxpayers who will become higher rate taxpayers as a result of Clause 24 of the plans to restrict finance cost relief for individual landlords will not be estimated. It would only be possible to provide an estimate for the specific years requested at disproportionate cost.

15899

The number of taxpayers who will become subject to Personal Allowance restrictions as a result of the plans to restrict finance cost relief for individual landlords will not be estimated. It would only be possible to provide an estimate for the specific years requested at disproportionate cost.

15895

No estimate is available of the number of people that will be subject to the provisions of the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge as a result of Clause 24 of the Finance Bill 2015. The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

“

January 1, 2023

Alan Whitehead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Whitehead on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much overspend against original estimates within the levy control framework has arisen from variations in (a) performance of offshore wind, (b) levels between strike price and reference price and (c) variations in allocations feed in tariff payments for solar PV installations in each of the last three years.

Andrea Leadsom

We do not break down published information on components of Levy Control Framework (LCF) spend to the level of detail requested, due to potential disclosure of commercially confidential information.

On 25 November 2015, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published LCF projected spend of just under £9bn in 2020/21 (see Tables 1 and 2 below)¹. Between the projections Government published in November 20142 and this forecast, we have undertaken analysis to make changes to many assumptions, including technology-specific factors (including offshore wind), fossil fuel prices and electricity demand3. Collectively, changes in these factors have all affected overall estimates of LCF spend. However, we do not provide published estimates of how much is attributable to each individual factor. DECC will publish a further update to its projections, including the underpinning assumptions, in 2016.

Annex A

Table 1: OBR November 2015 main projections were as follows:

Policy (£m, nominal prices)	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
RO	3,850	4,615	5,375	5,855	6,035	6,230
FiTs	1,325	1,515	1,700	1,880	2,055	2,220
CfDs	15	225	545	1,095	2,225	2,805
Total	5,190	6,355	7,620	8,830	10,315	11,255

Figures are rounded to the nearest five million pounds. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Table 2: OBR November 2015 main projections in 2011/12 prices:

£m, 2011/12 prices	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
RO	3,360	3,990	4,555	4,820	4,820	4,820
FiTs	1,155	1,310	1,440	1,550	1,640	1,720
CfDs	15	210	500	980	1,950	2,415
Total	4,530	5,505	6,495	7,350	8,415	8,955

Figures are rounded to the nearest five million pounds. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

[1] Note that OBR publishes figures in nominal terms, as opposed to our figures which are in 2011/12 real prices. Both sets of figures are attached at Annex A

2 Annual Energy Statement, page 73, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/371388/43586_Cm_8945_print_ready.pdf

3 Data on fossil fuel prices and electricity demand assumptions have recently been published online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fossil-fuel-price-projections-2015 and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2015 respectively.

January 1, 2023