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Tag: 2015

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 2.110 of the Summer Budget 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of limiting backdating in housing benefit to four weeks on homelessness provision reliant on funding from that benefit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    No assessment has been made. Housing Benefit is not designed to provide support for homelessness funding – that is a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government and the devolved Governments in Scotland and Wales.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many empty properties were brought back into use as affordable housing by the Empty Homes programme; and if he will introduce a similarly-operating scheme to that programme.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Coalition Government set a new direction in tackling empty homes and property to ensure their value and opportunity was realised. It provided £216 million direct funding to local authorities, registered providers and community groups between 2012- 2015 and 9,044 homes were created from empty property. Of these 5,722 homes were brought back into use as affordable housing. The remaining 3,322 were brought back to use in line with local demand and the requirements of the neighbourhood as part of the Clusters of Empty Homes Programme.

    This funding was intended to provide a push in the right direction, we have no plans to provide more. The Government has achieved a year on year reduction in long-term empty homes and the number of homes that stand empty for more than six months is now at its lowest level since records began.

  • Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what meetings his Department has had with representatives of (a) the Taxpayers’ Alliance, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (d) the Adam Smith Institute, (e) the Freedom Association, (f) the Politics and Economic Research Trust and (g) the Midlands Industrial Council in the last 12 months.

    Michael Fallon

    None.

  • Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings her Department has had with representatives of (a) the Taxpayers’ Alliance, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (d) the Adam Smith Institute, (e) the Freedom Association, (f) the Politics and Economic Research Trust and (g) the Midlands Industrial Council in the last 12 months.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

    The Department publishes information about Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK and will publish data from the last 12 months in due course.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the annual cost is of providing free school meals on schools; and what proportion of this sum is spent on universal infant free school meals.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Department for Education does not hold information on the annual cost of providing benefits-based free school meals (FSM). It allocates the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) to local authorities on a per pupil basis. Local authorities distribute DSG to schools on the basis of a local formula, in which FSM can be used as a proxy for deprivation. It is then for schools to decide how to use their budget, including how much to allocate to pay for benefits-based free school meals.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the capacity of overall UK electricity output to meet peak demand of the proposed Hinkley Point C power station not coming into operation in 2023.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Our number one priority is to ensure that hardworking families and businesses have access to secure, affordable energy supplies that they can rely on. We’re addressing a legacy of underinvestment to make sure we keep powering the economy now and into the future

    The Capacity Market is our principal tool for ensuring we have enough capacity to meet peak demand in future. Resources which receive forms of low-carbon support such as Contracts for Difference (CFDs) do not participate in the Capacity Market auctions, but each auction is based on an updated estimate of capacity requirements four years ahead, taking account of the latest evidence on the future availability of those other resources.

    The Capacity Market provides the mechanism for attracting sufficient investment in the overall level of reliable capacity (both supply and demand side) needed to provide secure electricity supplies. It brings forward new investment and gets the best out of existing assets by competitively setting a price for capacity through annual auctions.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the proposed Hinkley nuclear power station operates in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has successfully completed Generic Design Assessment of the proposed reactor design, the EPR. The independent nuclear regulators, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency, have also granted the project a site licence and environmental permits. The regulators would continue to ensure robust safety, security and environmental standards at Hinkley Point C, as at all the UK’s nuclear installations, through construction, operation and decommissioning.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the Drinking Water Inspectorate to announce the findings of its investigations into the causes of the recent cryptosporidium water contamination.

    Rory Stewart

    The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) holds the statutory responsibility to investigate and report on drinking water quality incidents that affect public water supplies in England and Wales. It continues to carry out a detailed and thorough investigation into the recent cryptosporidium outbreak in Lancashire. Once the final report is completed, it will be made publicly available.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote universalisation and implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK encourages States not party to the ATT to accede to it as soon as possible. A first step towards universalisation was enabling full participation by interested states in the ATT First Conference of States Parties (CSP1) in August 2015. To that end, the UK contributed £150,000 towards the sponsoring of developing States to attend CSP1.

    We are also funding projects totalling approximately £276,000 which are focused on effective ATT implementation and universalisation. In addition, the UK supports efforts by the UN and EU to provide technical assistance to states looking to accede to or implement the ATT.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) UN, (b) EU, (c) government of Ethiopia and (d) government of Eritrea on implementation of the recommendations of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission.

    Grant Shapps

    We have consistently urged both Eritrea and Ethiopia to engage bilaterally and with international partners, such as the EU and the UN, to overcome the current stalemate. The UK, along with our international partners, has underlined that the decision by the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission is final and binding. We urge both governments to respect the commitment they made in the Algiers peace agreement of December 2000.