The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the likely cost of establishing and running his extended ministerial office.
Matthew Hancock
The costs of running all parts of the Cabinet Office will be accounted for in the Department’s annual report and accounts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Fox on 2015-12-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the payment window for the single farm payment and basic payment will open.
George Eustice
The payment window for the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 runs between 1st December 2015 and 30th June 2016.
We received around 88,000 Basic Payment Scheme applications for 2015. On the 1st December, the opening of the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 payment window, we paid around 33,000 claims. This means that, as a proportion, around 62% of claims are still being processed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ensure that any agreement on a central registry of beneficial ownership in the Cayman Islands will include access for the public with legitimate reason.
Mr Hugo Swire
I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given by my Rt Hon Friend, the Member for South West Hertfordshire (David Gauke MP), the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, to questions 10437, 10438 and 10448, which sets out the criteria we expect the Overseas Territories to meet in relation to their central register of company beneficial ownership, or similarly effective system.
We are continuing our dialogue with the Anguilla authorities on this and have offered any technical support that might be required as they develop their proposals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on the emergency services mobile communications programme.
Mike Penning
The purpose of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) is to deliver a mobile communications network for use principally by the Emergency Services – the Emergency Services Network (ESN). The ESN will deliver integrated critical voice and broadband data services to all three emergency services (3ES) and other users throughout England, Wales and Scotland. The aim is to provide a mobile communications network capable of providing the full coverage, resilience, security and public safety functionality required by the 3ES.
The procurement of the ESN is divided in 3 main procurement lots supplemented by a number of related projects. The contract for Lot 1 – Delivery Partner was awarded to Kellogg Brown and Root in August 2015 . The Home Office announced it’s intention to award contracts to Motorola – Lot 2 User Services and EE Lot 3 Mobile Services on 13th November 2015. The procurement process was halted following a legal challenge by Airwave Solutions Limited, the incumbent supplier, on 23 November 2015, the last day of the 10 day standstill period. The Home Office submitted an application to lift the automatic suspension of the procurement and had been working with Counsel preparing for a hearing in the High Court on 8th and 9th Dec.
On Saturday 5th December, the Home Office was informed that ASL would no longer contest the Home Office application to lift the suspension and that subject to the consent order being agreed by the Court today, the Home Office will seek to sign contracts with Motorola and EE on 8th December. This will then start the Mobilisation phase of the programme during which the network will be designed, built and tested over a 21 month period. The 3ES will start to use the network from late 2017 following extensive tests and trials.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reasons were for the Ministry of Defence Police withholding a Special Investigation Branch report of Lt. Col. Jolleys’ circumstances from a fraud trial in which he was convicted of failing to declare changes to his circumstances.
Mark Lancaster
A Special Investigation Branch Report was served as evidence at Lt Col Jolleys’ trial and was provided to his Defence team pre-trial.
It will take time to gather the further information and I will write to the hon. Member shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2015 to Question 17301, what proportion of (a) males aged 16 to 24, (b) males aged 16 to 18, (c) males aged 19-20, (d) males aged 21-22, (e) males aged 23-24, (f) women aged 16 to 18, (g) women aged 19-20, (h) women aged 21-22 and (i) women aged 23 to 34 had been unemployed for more than 12 months on the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the merits of exempting operators of electricity storage from Balanced Services Use of System charges.
Andrea Leadsom
The Department and Ofgem are jointly considering the need to address the legislative status of storage, which has potential implications for the charging regime for storage. Ofgem have recently published “Making the electricity system more flexible and delivering the benefits for consumers”, in which they state, “While storage has been providing flexibility in other countries, and pumped storage has historically played a strong role in GB, the potential of battery and other forms of storage to smooth intermittent generation or contribute to local balancing has not yet been fully realised in the UK… We will therefore: undertake work with DECC to clarify the legal and commercial status of storage and explore whether changes to the regulatory and commercial framework are needed to enable its efficient use, seeking input on options from stakeholders. Where changes are needed, they will be informed by considering the interactions and implications of a new regulatory framework for storage on all segments of the market”:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2015/09/flexibility_position_paper_final_0.pdf.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average response time to dwelling fires was for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.
Mike Penning
I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Office.
Information on average response times to dwelling fires for each fire and rescue service and for each year is available in Table 3b of the Department’s Fire incidents response times: England publication at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-incidents-response-times-england-2014-to-2015
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to assist the Syrian people in putting in place stable political and diplomatic foundations on which to rebuild that country once the conflict there has ended.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We hope that the 30 October Vienna meeting is the start of an international process, alongside talks between the Syrian parties, which will lead to transition away from Assad in line with the Geneva communiqué of 2012. The UK Government is closely engaged in this process and is working with Syrian opposition and civil society groups to ensure they are adequately represented in the process, and to help them prepare for a political transition in Syria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to paragraph 1.17 of the UK National Strategy for Maritime Security, published in May 2014, how many meetings there have been of the ministerial working group on maritime security.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
As Chairman, I write to the members of the Ministerial Working Group on maritime security biannually with operational and policy updates, the most recent of these was on 19 November. The Ministerial Working Group intends to meet in 2016 to discuss the implications of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review.