The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in the Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.
Greg Clark
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 November, PQ 13946.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of restricting housing benefit entitlement for single social tenants under the age of 35 to the Shared Accommodation Rate of the relevant Local Housing Allowance on (a) levels of homelessness and (b) the availability of social housing for that age group.
Justin Tomlinson
The introduction of Local Housing Allowance limits to housing benefit and Universal Credit houisng element awards will only apply from April 2018, where new tenancies have been taken out or renewed after April 2016.
Tenants who take on a new tenancy or renew a tenancy will have the opportunity to consider whether they can afford to take on the property before committing to it. Because of the element of choice it is not possible to accurately estimate whether there will be any impact upon homelessness or the availability of social housing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has for the decommissioning of (a) HMS Torbay, (b) HMS Trenchant, (c) HMS Talent and (d) HMS Triumph.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) is looking across the spectrum to assess what defence capabilities will address the threats we face. The conclusions of the SDSR are due to be published on 23 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2015 to Question 6371, whether he plans to reform the planning process to improve the ability of mobile network operators to deploy taller infrastructure in areas where connectivity is needed; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Yes. Extensive and reliable mobile connectivity is vital for our modern economy, particularly in rural areas. The Government has undertaken a review of the planning system to assess what improvements should be made to support the deployment of mobile infrastructure. The outcome of that review will be announced shortly, I hope.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Whitehead on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals that hydraulic fracturing cannot be conducted from wells that are drilled at the surface of sensitive areas.
Andrea Leadsom
On 4 November 2015, the Government set out proposals to ensure that hydraulic fracturing cannot be conducted from wells drilled at the surface of specified protected areas.1 The proposed restrictions would be delivered through the inclusion of a licence condition in new Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences (PEDLs) and the development of a policy statement designed to inform the approval process for programmes submitted for approval under existing PEDLs.
The proposals are now subject to consultation with key stakeholders, including the industry and non-governmental organisations.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/oil-and-gas-licensing-rounds#surface-development-restrictions
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what expenditure has been allocated to the Ministry of Defence Police in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19 and (e) 2019-20.
Mr Julian Brazier
The Budget for the Ministry of Defence Police is as follows:
|
Financial Year |
2015-16 |
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
|
Budget £ millions |
132.536 |
138.367 |
137.161 |
136.960 |
138.126 |
Notes
Budget figure for 2015-16 includes In-Year Savings adjustment
Figures for 2016-17 onwards are provisional control totals until the implications of the Strategic Defence and Security Review have been worked through
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures the Department for Transport has taken to ensure that the appointment of the Managing Director of ScotRail Alliance to the Network Rail Executive Committee does not give a commercial advantage to Abellio in respect of future franchise bids across the UK.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance has now also been appointed as Managing Director Scotland within Network Rail and, as part of his new role, will sit on Network Rail’s Executive Committee. He is an employee of Network Rail in both roles, but continues to report to the head of Abellio UK in his capacity of running the ScotRail Alliance only.
It is for Network Rail and any individual concerned to ensure that no conflicts of interest are allowed to affect the conduct of the company’s business.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2015 to Question 2734, what progress her Department has made on restoring physical habitats on chalk rivers in North East Hertfordshire constituency.
Rory Stewart
Through its Restoring Sustainable Abstraction (RSA) Programme, the Environment Agency (EA) is working with local water companies and the Catchment partnerships to significantly improve the condition, flow and habitats of chalk streams Beane, Mimram and Lee.
As part of the Programme, Affinity Water and the EA have committed to investing £3 million by 2020 in habitat improvement projects for these chalk streams. These are currently in the planning and design stage. Delivery will accelerate as the Programme progresses over the next five years.
In order to achieve the greatest benefit from these works, Affinity Water has agreed to reduce abstraction from local chalk streams by over 40 million litres per day by 2024. It will significantly reduce abstraction at the Whitehall pumping station on the River Beane by 2018 by building a pipeline, currently under construction, to supply customers with water from alternative sources.
The EA partnership project at Waterford Marsh, also on the River Beane, has seen improvements for both wildlife and people through chalk stream restoration, pond creation, access repair, and the provision of new information boards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they hold on the occupancy levels of registered care homes in the last five years for which information is available.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The information requested is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2015 to Question 18323, what assessment his Department has made of progress on establishing a government of national accord in Libya; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We urgently need to see a conclusion to the UN-led political process and the formation of a Government of National Accord in Libya. The Libyan Political Agreement announced at Skhirat in October is the only basis for peace and security in Libya, and only a Government of National Accord can begin the difficult work of establishing effective, legitimate governance, restoring stability and tackling the threat posed by Daesh. The Rome Conference co-chaired by Italy, the US, and the UN on 13 December will be an opportunity to demonstrate the determination of the international community on the way forward. The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to coordinate international support for a unity Government.