Tag: 2015

  • Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many weapons have been seized at the UK border by (a) type of weapon and (b) port of entry in each year since 2010.

    James Brokenshire

    The tables attached show the number of weapons seized by Border Force at the UK border by type, from 2010/11 up to the end of November 2015. These tables do not include firearms as they are treated as a separate category for statistical purposes.

    In relation to the port of entry, Border Force does not release port specific figures due to security issues .

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-11-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure parents using employer childcare voucher schemes are informed of the planned introduction of the tax free childcare scheme.

    Damian Hinds

    HMRC are working closely with parents, childcare providers and employers to develop communications and detailed guidance on Tax-Free Childcare, including information for families who currently receive Employer-Supported Childcare. HMRC are also developing an online calculator to help such families decide which scheme is right for them.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution of 2 December 2015, Official Report, column 333, on ISIL in Syria, how many of the 70,000 fighters have presented themselves to work with UK forces.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Julian Lewis) on 1 December 2015 to Question 18014.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the extension of Right to Buy on affordable housing supply.

    Brandon Lewis

    Under the 2012 reinvigorated Right to Buy, every additional home sold, as well as those homes sold to tenants through the voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation and housing associations, will result in an additional home being provided. This will lead to an increase in overall housing supply.

    The Government exceeded its affordable homes target over the last 4 years by 16,000 homes, delivering 186,000 new affordable homes.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of employees in his Department have (a) taken the CESG Certified Cyber-Security Training Course and (b) received other cyber-security training.

    Harriett Baldwin

    One current HM Treasury employee has attended courses which are part of the CESG Certified Training (CCT) scheme, while three have attended other external training courses devoted entirely to Cyber Security. All HM Treasury’s employees periodically undertake online information assurance training which contains some cyber security related content, and are also provided with cyber security related guidance/advice on the Department’s intranet. All new employees have to attend induction training which contains some basic pointers on Cyber Security.

  • Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the funding for Superconnected Cities has been allocated to Northern Ireland.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Belfast and Derry/Londonderry were two of fifty cities benefitting from the Super Connected Cities Programmes, and received up to £15.6m to help develop digital infrastructure and capability, and to remain internationally competitive, attracting investors and businesses.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on businesses which have entered into long-term supply contracts of the introduction of the national living wage.

    Nick Boles

    Businesses can respond to the introduction of the National Living Wage in a number of ways. In the case of supply contracts, the response is likely to vary from contract to contract according to specific circumstances. For example, some contracts will include provision for changes in statutory pay requirements.

    The Government published a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage on 7th December 2015.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions have taken place with teaching unions on the application of the Prevent programme in schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department of Education consulted the teaching unions on the Prevent duty guidance which was published in March 2015 (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance) and officials have subsequently briefed union representatives both on the duty and on the Department’s role in implementing the Prevent strategy in education. The Department has worked particularly closely with the unions representing school leaders to support schools in meeting their responsibilities under the Prevent duty.

    “

  • Wes Streeting – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Wes Streeting – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice (a) Monitor and (b) the Trust Development Authority has issued to NHS trusts in England about postponing elective operations and outpatient appointments during the winter period.

    Jane Ellison

    As in previous winters Jim Mackey, head of NHS Improvement (which includes both Monitor and the Trust Development Authority) sent a letter to NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Trust Chief Executive Officers on 3 December 2015.

    The letter suggested as a guide to aim for 20% unoccupied general and acute bed capacity by Christmas Eve and stated that this might involve rescheduling of elective work. Winter always places extra demand on the NHS and we are working hard with hospitals to ensure they are fully prepared to meet this challenge. Managing planned non-emergency operations and helping patients to get out of hospital more quickly are examples of how hospitals can make sure they have enough free beds to cope with the rising number of patients needing emergency care that the winter period often brings.

  • 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 assessment she has made of the potential effect on security of energy supply of failures this winter in the operation of those major coal power stations which are due to close in spring 2016.

    Andrea Leadsom

    National Grid, as part of their winter outlook process assesses the overall reliability of technologies based on their historic reliability. This is the ‘de-rating factor’ that is applied to calculate available margins.

    There is nothing about the decision to cease connection to the transmission grid that would make a plant more unreliable prior to its planned withdrawal.

    Our priority is to ensure that British families and business have access to secure affordable energy supplies that they can rely on and we are taking prudent steps to manage the margins in winter 2016/17. Since 2014 National Grid have had the ability to procure a Contingency Balancing Reserve (CBR), which consists of the Supplemental Balancing Reserve (SBR), where existing power stations stand by ready to generate additional electricity and the Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) where companies bid for contracts with National Grid to receive payments in return for reducing their electricity usage times of peak demand should National Grid so require. National Grid and Ofgem agree that we should retain the ability to procure CBR for the next two winters. Government supports this position and we expect confirmation later this month following an Ofgem consultation. Beyond winter 2017/18, the Capacity Market will take over as the long term solution for security of supply.