The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he made prior to the closure of SSI Redcar of the (a) opportunity to produce foundry coke at Redcar coke ovens and (b) potential market for foundry coke.
Anna Soubry
As with any business, prior to the liquidation of SSI UK, these were commercial matters for SSI.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase participation in part-time higher education courses in STEM subjects.
Joseph Johnson
This year we relaxed the Equivalent and Lower Qualification (ELQ) rule for part time students taking engineering, technology and computer science courses. This means that students who already hold a degree will be able to access student support. At the Autumn Statement we announced a further relaxation to the eligibility rules so that students who already hold a degree can from 2017/18 access student support for part time study of other STEM subjects. These changes do not affect those undertaking full time study.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-06.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many reports his Department has received of HM Revenue and Customs’ online renewal system failing to record and register information and supporting documentation submitted by claimants wishing to renew their claim for (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit in each of the last two years.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) did not receive any reports of the online renewal system failing to record and register information submitted by claimants renewing their 2013-14 claim.
HMRC received one report of the online renewal system failing to record and register information submitted by claimants renewing their 2014-15 claim.
HMRC do not hold the requested data broken down by Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for the reference in his oral contribution of 25 November 2015, Official Report, column 1358, to the north having grown faster than the south; and if he will make a statement.
Greg Hands
This was based on data available from the Office for National Statistics December 2014 release regarding Regional Gross Value Added.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which Diwali celebrations he, his predecessor or Ministers in his Department attended in 2014 and 2015.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Government ministers were in attendance at the Prime Minister’s Diwali reception at No 10 Downing Street to celebrate the biggest festival in the Hindu calendar. Due to prior diary commitments, DCMS ministers were unable to attend Diwali celebrations this year in their official capacity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of homes for (a) social and (b) affordable rent which are let at rents at or below the shared accommodation rate of the local housing allowance in each region in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Justin Tomlinson
The information requested can only be provided at a disproportion cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to implement the family test.
Edward Timpson
The family test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. The Department for Work and Pensions published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy which can be found online[1]. The Department for Education follows this guidance.
The family test is an integral part of the policy making process and is applied in a proportionate way in the development of all new policies in line with the family test guidance.
As stated in the guidance, there is no requirement to publish family test assessments. The Department has published the outcome of such assessments on a number of occasions, including as part of the impact assessments of the Childcare Bill[2] and the Education and Adoption Bill[3].
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-test-assessing-the-impact-of-policies-on-families
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childcare-bill-impact-assessment
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-and-adoption-bill-impact-assessment
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s planned expenditure is on television recruitment campaigns for the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Navy Reserve in (i) 2015-16, (ii) 2016-17, (iii) 2017-18, (iv) 2018-19 and (v) 2019-20.
Penny Mordaunt
The expenditure, or planned expenditure, of each Service on television recruitment campaigns in Financial Year (FY) 2015-16 is as follows:
Naval Service – planned expenditure has not been finalised but is currently forecast to be £4.3 million for Regular personnel and £0.72 million for Reserves.
Army – planned expenditure is £0.94 million for Regular personnel and £0.65 million for Reserves.
Royal Air Force (RAF) – planned expenditure has not been finalised but is currently forecast to be £3.46 million. It is not possible to differentiate between Regular and Reserve spend as the majority of RAF advertisements are targeted towards both cadres.
Plans for expenditure in FY 2016-17 and onwards have not been finalised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Baroness Afshar on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the claim by the Secretary of State for Education that those studying solely arts and humanities subjects will be held back” on students who are
Lord Nash
The government wants all young people to benefit from a broad and balanced education that equips them with the knowledge, skills and character they need to thrive in modern Britain and realise their full potential. Arts and humanities subjects form part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Our expectation is that every child should experience a high quality arts and humanities education. That is why the national curriculum sets the expectation that pupils study these subjects in key stages 1 to 3.
At key stage 4, the government wants to increase the number of pupils who take GCSEs in the EBacc subjects of English, maths, science, history or geography and a language. These are the subjects that give young people the most options in their futures and will help to secure a place at university or in employment.
As the EBacc is a specific, limited measure consisting of five subject pillars and up to eight GCSEs, there is time in the curriculum for most pupils to study other valuable subjects. The proportion of pupils in state-funded schools taking at least one GCSE in an arts subject has increased since the EBacc was first introduced, rising from 46% in 2011 to 50% in 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what binding measures have been agreed at COP21 which commit China and the US to reducing their carbon emissions.
Andrea Leadsom
The 21st Conference of Parties (CoP) in Paris delivered an historic and unprecedented legally binding agreement that takes a significant step forward towards reducing, on a global scale, the emissions that cause climate change.
For the first time, all countries, including China and the US, are legally bound to: set out their plans to reduce emissions; take domestic mitigation measures towards implementing those plans; revisit those plans every five years in light if a global stocktake of progress towards the long term goal in the Agreement; and report on progress made to implement and achieve these plans and subject their report to independent review and multilateral consideration.