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Tag: 2015

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.44 of the Summer Budget 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of changes to child tax credits on the incidence of (a) in-work poverty and (b) homelessness.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government is making changes to Child Tax Credits which will help put welfare spending on a more sustainable path. The Government wants to move from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society.

    The changes will ensure that work will always pay more than a life on benefits, support will be focused more on those on the very lowest incomes and the system will be fairer upon those who pay for it, as well as those who benefit from it. Taking the welfare changes in the Summer Budget together with the record increases in the income tax personal allowance and the introduction of the New Living Wage, 8 out of 10 working households will be better off by 2017/18.

    The Summer Budget publication also sets out illustrative examples (Table 1.8, p.40) of the combined impact of the changes to welfare, the personal allowance and the National Living Wage on individual households.

  • John Pugh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    John Pugh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what data her Department holds on the carbon footprint and emissions of local authorities.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change has requested local authorities in England to annually measure, and report on their websites, greenhouse gas emissions data for their own estate and operations. A collation of the data extracted from local authority websites for the years 2008/09 to 2012/13 can be found on gov.uk:

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sharing-information-on-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-local-authority-own-estate-and-operations-previously-ni-185#summary-of-local-authorities-ghg-emissions-data-for-20112012-and-20122013.

    From 2013/14 DECC ceased to collate and publish the data on gov.uk.

    “

  • David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations his Department has received on the removal of archery from the sports included in the Commonwealth Games for 2018; and what discussions his Department has had with the Commonwealth Games Federation about the decision not to include archery in those Games.

    Tracey Crouch

    DCMS has received no representations on archery’s exclusion from the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The inclusion of which certain sports that may participate in the Commonwealth Games is a decision entirely for the Commonwealth Fund and the host city.

  • David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications from Normandy veterans for the award of the Legion d’Honneur have been made to his Department since 6 June 2014; how many such applications have been approved for forwarding to the French government; and how many of those applications have resulted in receipt of a medal by veterans.

    Mark Lancaster

    Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials have received approximately 3,850 applications from Normandy veterans in the period 6 June 2014 to date; about 3,300 had been sent to the French authorities by April this year. The French system was overwhelmed by these and other applications from Allied nations, which have far exceeded expectations. We jointly developed a new administrative process with the French whereby, since July 2015, 100 cases per week have been re-submitted to the French authorities.

    The MOD is not routinely informed when an individual veteran is awarded the Legion d’Honneur as this is a matter for the French authorities. MOD officials understand that around 150 awards had been made by the beginning of July and that, subsequently, approximately 950 additional awards have been approved; of these we believe that about 600 may have been sent out. I am confident that this number will increase significantly over the coming weeks and months.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assistance her Department provides to children with special educational needs (SEN) in cases where there are no available places at SEN specialist schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department has put in place a statutory framework which provides assistance to children with special educational needs (SEN).

    This framework requires local authorities to assess children’s needs and to keep provision under review in their area so that they provide appropriate placements for children with SEN. Local authorities must also publicise the support they provide through a local offer of services and they must review their local offer regularly, involving parents and children.

    Since September 2014, when a child has more complex needs, an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan may be issued. Local authorities have a statutory duty to make the special educational provision set out in EHC plans. Where parents ask for a preferred educational setting to be named within a plan, that setting is under a duty to admit the child unless it is unsuitable for the child’s age, aptitude, ability and special educational needs, or placing the child at the school would be incompatible with the efficient education of others or the efficient use of resources.

    The Department has made it possible for local authorities to commission a range of specialist SEN provision including special units and resourced provision in mainstream schools and special schools (including special academies). Local authorities may also use placements in non-maintained and independent special schools.

    The Department has created the opportunity for applicants to apply to open Special Free Schools under the Free Schools programme, where there is real, local demand from parents for a new or different type of education to benefit local children and their families. There are currently 19 Special Free Schools open.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Ofsted in improving standards in schools; what data she uses to make that assessment; and if she will publish that data.

    Nick Gibb

    Responsibility for improving standards in schools lies with head teachers. Ofsted inspection is one of a range of measures which support accountability and school improvement.

    Ofsted has recently introduced new school inspection arrangements and has increased the proportion of inspectors which are current school leaders. Ofsted will monitor the impact of these changes.

  • Mark Menzies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Menzies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that new housing developments are powered by renewable energy sources.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Building Regulations set demanding energy performance targets for new buildings, but without prescribing the materials or technologies to be used. This approach gives builders the freedom to innovate and to choose the most practical and cost-effective solutions for individual projects.

    The standards were strengthened most recently in April 2014, to a level that means builders increasingly have to consider the use of renewable technologies in their designs. These could be solar panels, or they could be other types of renewable such as heat pumps and combined heat and power (CHP) boilers – which might be more acceptable in conservation areas.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department made prior to laying the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme Funding and Administration) Regulations 2015 of whether the scope of the definition of home insurance in the regulations covered only those home insurers who explicitly protected against flood risk.

    Rory Stewart

    We consulted widely and worked very closely with the Association of British Insurers to ensure that the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme Funding and Administration) Regulations 2015 reflect the intended policy position. As set out in the Regulations, Flood Re will assess whether an insurer is liable for levy payments (and the amount of levy they are due to pay) based on the amount of domestic property insurance an insurer covers in the UK market.

  • Christina Rees – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Christina Rees – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will implement proposals put forward by the World Wildlife Fund in its 2015 Forest Campaign to ensure that the UK timber market deals in 100 per cent sustainable timber by 2020.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.

    The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy also requires Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.

    It is positive that UK companies and other bodies are making similar commitments to trade in both legal and sustainable timber by signing up to WWF’s Forest Campaign.

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that same-sex marriages are recognised in all Commonwealth countries; and what (a) meetings and (b) correspondence he has had on this issue.

    Mr David Lidington

    Our High Commissions continue to lobby at the highest levels on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights, particularly in countries where same-sex relations are criminalised. The UK wants the Commonwealth to do more to ensure that same-sex marriages are recognised across all member states. This has been a contentious issue for Commonwealth members, but we believe progress is fundamental to the Commonwealth’s ability to improve the lives of its people and develop peaceful societies.

    Commonwealth members share a collective responsibility to live up to the values of the Commonwealth Charter and we will continue to be clear in pressing them to embrace these values. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary General in March and raised the importance of implementing the aims and aspirations of the Charter.

    Last month, The Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, met the US Special Envoy for the Rights of LGBT persons to discuss how the UK could work with likeminded partners, including in the Commonwealth, to strengthen the work of civil society organisations and all those fighting to end discrimination.