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Tag: 2015

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department has provided to renovate, repair and bring back into use long-term empty properties in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The number of long term empty homes is at its lowest since records began. Over the last Parliament, the Government provided the right tools and incentives to tackle empty properties.

    • Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one. Since April 2011 almost £3.4 billion has been paid in recognition of the delivery of over 700,000 homes, plus over 100,000 long-term empty properties brought back into use. 75 per cent of local authorities are financially better off in 2014-15 than if New Homes Bonus scheme didn’t exist.
    • We made changes through the Local Government Finance Act 1992 so local authorities can charge up to 150% council tax for homes empty for over two years.
    • We extended permitted development rights to make it easier to convert property from business to residential to give new life to thousands of empty buildings.
    • We amended Empty Dwelling Management Orders to ensure they are only used to tackle the most problematic empty homes.
    • We provided £216 million direct funding to local authorities, registered providers and community groups between 2012- 2015 to help tackle the problem of empty homes and properties. This funding created 9,044 homes from empty properties.
  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 61 of his Department’s Defence Equipment Plan 2015, what the reasons are for the decrease in planned spending in the air support sector; and how that decrease will be achieved.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the Defence Equipment Plan 2015, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2015. Paragraph 11 explains the movements in the high level elements of the equipment plan from the previous financial year. Each of the operating centre breakdowns in Section C of the Equipment Plan contains an explanation of any increase or decrease in spending from the previous financial year.

    “

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to maximise the role that UK suppliers can play in the development of the Type 26 programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    In February 2015 the Government signed a £859 million Demonstration Phase contract for the Type 26 (T26) Global Combat Ship. Around 1,700 jobs in the UK will be sustained as a result with 600 of those jobs safeguarded in Scotland where T26 will be built.

    The majority of sub-contractors to the T26 Global Combat Ship programme are selected by BAES through competition.

    The use of competition remains the cornerstone of defence procurement and this approach has been successful in driving efficiency into the UK defence industry. UK suppliers have had an equal opportunity to bid for work on the T26 programme with selections based on cost and the ability of suppliers to meet the schedule and performance requirements.

    To date BAES has placed eight design development agreements (DDAs) and six design and manufacture contracts with UK based companies. These are shown in the table below:

    Design Development Agreements – UK based companies only

    Company

    Equipment supplying

    Location

    Cathelco

    Hull preservation

    Chesterfield

    L3

    Platform management system

    Bristol

    Marine Systems Technology Ltd

    Doors, scuttles and hatches, X-Y crane

    Middlewich

    Rolls Royce

    Steering Gear System

    Derby

    Rolls Royce

    Stabilisers

    Dunfermline

    Salt Separations Ltd

    Reverse osmosis plant

    Rochdale

    TOD

    Sonar dome

    Weymouth

    Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions

    Fixed fire fighting system

    Reading

    Design & Manufacture Contracts – UK based companies only

    Company

    Equipment supplying

    Location

    Babcock

    Air weapons handling system

    Leicester

    BAE Systems

    Meteorological and oceanic (METOC) sensors UK

    Dorchester

    David Brown Gear Systems

    Propulsion gearbox

    Huddersfield

    GE Energy

    Electronic integration test facility, Propulsion motor and drive system

    Warwickshire

    Rohde and Schwarz UK Ltd

    Communications

    Fleet

    Rolls Royce

    Gas Turbines

    Derby

    We anticipate that more UK based sub-contracts will be appointed as the programme progresses.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the number of secondary school teachers accessing continuing professional development in design and technology in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015 to date.

    Nick Gibb

    The government does not collect data on the number of teachers accessing professional development. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rest with schools, individual teachers and head teachers, who are in the best position to judge their own requirements.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when her Department plans to publish its response to its consultation on feed-in tariffs.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC is aiming to publish its response to this consultation later this year.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of any letters or emails (a) sent to Interserve by his Department and (b) received by his Department from Interserve relating to a letter sent by cleaners working in his Department’s premises to him regarding the living wage dated 21 July 2015.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    Officials are currently compiling and reviewing correspondence in relation to the cleaners’ letter to me of 21 July 2015 in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Copies of all information released under the FOI request will be placed in the Library as soon as investigations are complete.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Michelle Donelan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to encourage more people to join healthcare professions in rural areas experiencing difficulties with staff recruitment.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England was established to deliver a better healthcare workforce for England and is accountable for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future. It ensures that the workforce has the right skills, behaviours and training, and is available in the right numbers, to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and drive improvements.

    National Health Service organisations are best placed to decide how many staff they employ. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of their patients and local communities, to deliver safe care.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions did the National Crime Agency received notice of suspicion of terrorist financing from private sector institutions, under Part III of the Terrorism Act 2000, in the last 12 months for which information is available.

    Mr John Hayes

    In total, between 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2015 the National Crime Agency received 1,216 Suspicious Activity Reports under the provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide information on the (a) age, (b) race, (c) gender, (d) religion and (e) region of residence of the 700 individuals referred to in paragraph 88 of her Department’s Counter-Extremism Strategy, published on 19 October 2015.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office intends to publish Channel data in the near future.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 8501, on the Wilson Doctrine, what responsibilities he has in relation to the operation of the Wilson Doctrine; what responsibilities the Home Secretary has in relation to that Doctrine; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the position on the Wilson Doctrine set out by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) during the debate on 19 October 2015, Official Report, column 700.