The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.
Joseph Johnson
The Spending Review announced that we will protect the Science Budget in real terms throughout this Parliament, with resource funding of £4.7 billion per year, while delivering on our manifesto commitment to invest in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale: £6.9 billion up to 2021.
The Comprehensive Spending Review set out the high level budgets for my department. The total planned expenditure on research and development through to 2020 will be confirmed in due course following an internal allocations process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current shortage of Certificate of Professional Competence qualified drivers is for the logistics industry; and what the shortage forecast for such drivers is expected to be in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) 2017-18.
Andrew Jones
Government data (the Office of National Statistics Labour Force Survey) estimates there are 299,000 large goods vehicle drivers, up 40,000 on 2013. Other people require Certificates of Professional Competence to drive large goods vehicles as part of other jobs or to drive public service vehicles. The Department for Transport has not estimated or forecast the shortage of large goods vehicle drivers, although it recognises there is a significant shortage and is aware of industry estimates of its size.
Prior to the introduction of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) the department has worked closely with stakeholders who provided estimates of how many Driver Qualification Cards (DQCs) it was necessary to issue to professional drivers in order to ensure continuity of service. Estimates provided ranged from 500,000 to 750,000. The department has now issued over 900,000 DQCs and continues to work with the logistics sector’s representative groups to support them in creating industry-led solutions to any potential shortage of professional drivers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the effect on the income of a new claimant of universal credit who is not migrating from a legacy benefit of the Government’s proposed changes to universal credit announced in the Summer Budget 2015 in each of the next four financial years.
Priti Patel
The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
Stephen Crabb
My Ministerial team and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on numerous subjects, including the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
This could be an exciting project with potential to open the door to possible future tidal investment in other areas of Wales, but we need to ensure that the scheme is both affordable and value for money. The Government is currently in the first phase of a Contract for Difference negotiation with the developer of the proposed project. This process of due diligence will enable us to gain a better understanding of the project, including detailed scrutiny of its costs, timescales and potential benefits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-11-26.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.114 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what the evidential basis for the estimate of £15 million annual tax receipt on sanitary products; and to what range of products that estimate applies.
Mr David Gauke
The £15m estimate of the annual VAT revenue from sanitary products is produced by HM Revenue and Customs and is consistent with the published estimate of the cost of the current 5% relief for sanitary products (available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/minor-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs ).
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in its report, Is Britain Fairer, published in October 2015, that the employment gap between the oldest and youngest age groups has increased.
Priti Patel
The employment rate of young people who have left full-time education is 73.9% – its highest level in more than a decade and above the UK working age average. The rate for young people not in full-time education is the highest for over ten years
Over time participation in education has grown, and the majority of young people in full-time education are outside the labour force. The proportion of all young people who have left full-time education and are unemployed is 6.2% – below where it was before the recession and close to the lowest on record. The UK performs well internationally, with the fourth highest youth employment rate in the European Union.
The employment rate for young people fell during the recession and, as a result, unemployment rose. The EHRC report did not take full account of the recovery in the labour market, including the youth labour market that has since taken place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the proportion of libraries which have reduced their opening hours in the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such changes on (a) library users and (b) community groups who use library premises.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Each local authority is responsible for providing a comprehensive and efficient library service that meets the requirements of their communities, including consideration of opening hours.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-10-30.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the interim recommendations of Sir Charles Bean’s review of the quality, delivery and governance of local statistics.
Harriett Baldwin
The independent review of UK economic statistics will publish interim recommendations for the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister for the Cabinet Office in autumn 2015. A final report will be published at Budget 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Boeing P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft will be capable of being refuelled by RAF Voyagers aircraft.
Mr Philip Dunne
The P-8A uses the ‘boom and receptacle’ method of in-flight refuelling. As such, the P-8A will not be able to refuel from RAF Voyager Aircraft, which use a different configuration for air-to-air refuelling.