Tag: 2015

  • Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the reasons for increased benefit fraud in the last financial year.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The 2014-2015 national statistics for fraud and error were published on 5 November 2015. We are committed to tackling fraud and error, and these figures show a reduction in total benefit fraud and error to the lowest ever level of 1.8%. There was a slight increase of 0.1% in the benefit fraud figure (from 0.7% in 2013-2014 to 0.8%).

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to ensure that UK scientific institutions have the funds to collaborate with those in Arctic countries to monitor and predict the melting of permafrost and the release of methane; and what practical steps are being considered to minimise the environmental impact of the melting of permafrost and the release of methane in the Arctic.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The UK is funding and participating in a number of projects that will improve our knowledge of the Arctic, for example the current NERC Arctic Research Programme, the European JPI (Joint Programming Initiative) Climate collaboration between 16 European countries to coordinate jointly their climate research, and NERC’s Discovery Science grant programme. The UK also continues to invest in infrastructure to support polar science such as the new £200m polar research vessel.

    The best practical way to limit the melting of permafrost and the subsequent release of methane is to keep the rise in global temperatures as low as possible. At the recent United Nations conference on climate change in Paris, the world took an important step forward with an unprecedented number of countries agreeing to a deal to limit global temperature rises.

  • 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, how many and what proportion of people who are in receipt of support for mortgage interest are also in receipt of (a) income-based jobseeker’s allowance, (b) income-based employment and support allowance, (c) income support and (d) pension credit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is in the table:

    2015/16

    Number of SMI claims

    As % of all SMI claims

    Jobseekers allowance

    16,000

    10%

    Employment and support allowance

    56,000

    34%

    Income support

    24,000

    14%

    Pension credit

    71,000

    43%

    Total

    167,000

    100%

    *The percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding

    These figures are from the DWP summer budget 2015 benefit expenditure and caseload tables, which can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2015

    “

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many UK Trade and Investment staff worked in each of the industrial sectors on 1 April 2015; and what the budget for each such sector is in 2015-16.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Trade & Investment supports eleven sectors, and other priority sectors, such as creative industries and the information economy.

    We are working with a number of other Government departments to ensure companies of all sectors are represented in Government efforts overseas.

    The table below shows the number of staff on 1 April 2015 and the most recent budget information for our core sector teams and investment organisations.

    Staff

    Budget, £m

    Consumer, Retail & E-exporting

    11

    5.7

    Creative Industries & Global Sports & Construction

    25

    3.1

    UKTI Education

    8

    1.0

    Energy & Transport

    27

    3.7

    Healthcare UK

    13

    1.6

    Information Economy

    16

    2.9

    Advanced Manufacturing

    8

    1.2

    UKTI Agri-Tech Organisation

    3

    1.2

    UKTI Automotive Investment Organisation

    5

    1.7

    UKTI Financial Services Organisation

    8

    1.7

    Innovation Gateway

    7

    1.3

    UKTI Life Science Organisation

    9

    2.2

    UKTI Offshore Wind Investment Organisation

    2

    1.1

    UKTI Regeneration Investment Organisation

    1

    1.4

  • Stella Creasy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stella Creasy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what meetings he has had with (a) the Low Pay Commission, (b) Which? and (c) members of the Trade Union Congress to discuss the payment and administration of service charges, tips, gratuities and cover charges on the income of employees.

    Nick Boles

    The Government’s Call for Evidence into tips, gratuities, cover and service charges closed on 10 November 2015. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has received formal or informal evidence from the named bodies. Where any clarification is required or the Government wishes to seek further information, we will request further discussions with these bodies, where appropriate.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of his Department’s science budget was spent on neurological research in the period from 2010 to 2014.

    Joseph Johnson

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr Nick Thomas-Symonds) on 7 December in response to question 18131.

    “

  • John Mc Nally – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    John Mc Nally – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mc Nally on 2015-11-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will visit the HM Revenue and Customs workforce in Cumbernauld to discuss their long-term employment at the tax centre there.

    Mr David Gauke

    There are no current plans for ministers to visit the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Cumbernauld. HMRC continues to engage its workforce on its transformation through a series of staff events. Further details of these plans were announced on 12 November.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to Questions 16853 and 16938, tabled on 18 November 2015 for answer on 23 November 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    I have done so.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many aircraft owned by each service branch of the armed forces are leased to private businesses; and how much is paid to each such branch in respect of such leases.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No aircraft owned by the Armed Forces are leased to private businesses.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 1.273 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, how much funding he plans to provide to the (a) Science Museum, (b) Victoria and Albert Museum and (c) British Museum.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Chancellor announced in the Spending Review 2015 that government will invest £150 million to support the British Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum to replace out of date museum storage at Blythe House with new world-class storage facilities with public access. The allocations to each museum are yet to be determined.