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Tag: 2015

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with its UN and EU member counterparts on the reform of Standard Industrial Classification codes in order more accurately to measure the growth of the video games industry.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Opportunity to review how the ONS SIC code system captures the computer games industry only occurs when the UN considers revising the overall SIC system. The UN last considered a revision in 2015, and decided against it.

    DCMS is working with trade bodies across the Creative Industries, in particular with Ukie and Nesta, to build the case for change when the next opportunity to review the SIC codes arises in 2017. DCMS also continues to work with ONS to lobby for these changes.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the current proportion of total UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) revenues raised from Birmingham Airport and (b) what proportion of total UK APD will be generated at Birmingham Airport if Scotland halves its APD rates.

    Damian Hinds

    Air Passenger Duty is payable by airlines and not on a per airport basis. Therefore HMRC does not collect the data to produce a reliable estimate.

  • 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 2015-11-13.

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

    Greg Clark

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 November 2015, PQ 13946.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding support the British (a) Council and (b) Embassy in The Gambia provides to civil society organisations in that country.

    James Duddridge

    Over the past two financial years, the British Embassy in The Gambia has provided funding support to civil society organisations totalling £81,965. This funding has focused on ten projects relating to human rights, good governance, education, health and disease prevention and environmental conservation. The funding is part of the Embassy’s Bilateral Programme Fund and comes under Overseas Development Assistance. There is no British Council in The Gambia.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the armed forces compensation scheme tariffs were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    In 2009 Lord Boyce was asked to review the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), including its associated tariffs, to ensure that the Scheme was fit for purpose. Lord Boyce made his recommendations in February 2010, and as a result the Ministry of Defence tripled the maximum lump sum award for mental illness from £48,875 to £140,000 in order to accurately reflect the impact of the most serious mental health conditions. While Lord Boyce was clear in his report that a further fundamental review of the AFCS should not be required, we recognise that it is appropriate to review our policies and associated tariffs on a regular basis.

    In addition to the AFCS lump sum, the most seriously injured receive a tax-free Guaranteed Income Payment for life. This is uplifted annually by the Consumer Price Index.

    An Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG) was also established in 2010 to advise on appropriate levels of compensation for several specific injuries and illnesses, including mental health. The IMEG has looked at how best to compensate for mental health problems and they keep this under review.

  • Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that landlords receive rent from tenants who are in receipt of housing benefit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Housing Benefit for claimants living in the social rented sector is paid direct to the landlord. Those renting in the private rented sector normally receive their benefit direct and are responsible for paying this over to their landlord. In certain circumstances the local authority can make direct payments to the landlord including when rent arrears of eight weeks or more have accrued and or when it would be in the best interest of the claimant to do so.

    Authorities are not required to make direct payments to landlords that are not a “fit and proper person” to receive it.

    The arrangements in Universal Credit allow for the housing costs element to be paid direct to the landlord where it is in the claimant’s or their families interests, including where the claimant is in rent arrears of the equivalent of two month’s rent.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of the funding of £500 million for shared schooling in Northern Ireland is expected to come from her Department’s budget.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    In the ‘Stormont House Agreement’ signed on 23 December 2014, the UK Government agreed a contribution of up to £500m over 10 years of new capital funding to support shared and integrated education, subject to individual projects being agreed between the Executive and the UK Government.

    In the recent ‘A Fresh Start: the Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’ the UK Government agreed a number of further flexibilities to the funding commitments contained in the ‘Stormont House Agreement’ including that capital funding for shared and integrated education can be used to support shared housing projects, with individual projects to be agreed by the UK Government.

    This funding to the Northern Ireland Executive will come from Her Majesty’s Treasury through the Northern Ireland Office.

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory reporting of major vehicle malfunction incidents by the emergency services to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is not aware of any requirement for mandatory reporting of major vehicle malfunction incidents by the emergency services. There is a voluntary method by which emergency services can report to DVSA concerns of design or construction defects in automotive products. This has been in place for many years and is an efficient and effective method used by the emergency services.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans her Department has to increase electricity generation in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Our priority is to ensure that British families and business have access to secure affordable energy supplies. We are working with National Grid to make sure there is always sufficient generating capacity available to meet demand even in challenging conditions, such as extremely cold weather.

    National Grid forecasts show Peak demand for electricity for 2015/16 and 2016/17 is expected to be broadly stable, which is consistent with recent trends.

    Since 2014 National Grid have had the ability to procure a Contingency Balancing Reserve and they have secured 2.4GW of capacity through this mechanism to ensure supplies for this winter.

    On 15 October, Ofgem commenced its consultation on the extension of the cost recovery arrangements for the contingency balancing services to allow National Grid’s contingency balancing services to continue for the winters prior to the introduction of the Capacity Market in 18/19. National Grid’s Tender for the Contingency Balancing Reserve (subject to the outcome of the Ofgem consultation) opened on 2 November. The Government supports the position taken by National Grid and Ofgem that Grid should retain the ability to procure the contingency balancing services for the next two winters and that this tool will help ensure sufficient margins until the first delivery year of the Capacity Market.

    Beyond winter 2017/18, the Capacity Market will take over as the long term solution for security of supply, driving new investment in gas and demand side capacity in the future. The first Capacity Market auction was successfully concluded in December 2014 and the next will commence on 8December 2015. We have announced our intention to procure a total of 47.9GW capacity for the delivery year 2019/20 and that the target capacity for the auction this December will be 45.4GW. The balance (2.5 GW) will be procured in 2018, one year ahead of delivery.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to paragraph 7.3 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what the evidential basis is for the statement that 150,000 part-time students could benefit each year from a new system of maintenance support by 2020.

    Joseph Johnson

    This will be a new product, which is likely to differ from previous packages for part time students. It is therefore difficult to accurately assess its potential impact at this stage. The figures given are an initial central estimate of the number of students who could benefit from the new scheme consisting of the current numbers of students together with an element of modest growth. We have announced we will consult on the detail of the package and this will enable respondents to submit evidence on the potential numbers of students benefiting from the proposals.