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Tag: 2015

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to principle 7 in paragraph 3.2 of his Department’s publication, Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: Statement of Funding Policy, published in October 2010, which areas of self-financed expenditure of the Scottish Parliament are included in that principle.

    Greg Hands

    Principle 3.2.7, as set out in the 2010 edition of the Statement of Funding Policy, encompassed business rates income and council tax revenues collected by Scottish local authorities.

    The Statement of Funding Policy is reviewed and updated periodically. The devolved administrations have been informed that the Treasury expects to publish a revised version on 25th November to coincide with the Spending Review announcement.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Emma Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the benefits to UK businesses in the (a) retail, (b) automobile, (c) construction, (d) ICT, (e) financial services and (f) defence sectors of reduced tariff barriers arising from UK membership of the World Trade Organisation.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government has not made a specific assessment of the benefits to UK businesses in these sectors as a result of the UK’s membership of the WTO. But the benefits will be substantial as over the 20 years of the WTO average applied tariffs have been cut in half from 15 per cent in 1995 to less than 8 per cent today. And there are now 161 WTO Members comprising 98% of world trade, with the new (post-1995) members contributing 21% of this total. Further benefits are likely from negotiations currently underway: for example the Information Technology Agreement 2 (ITA2) should liberalise tariffs that affect around £12 billion of UK exports and imports.

  • Mark Garnier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Garnier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Garnier on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to provide financial assistance to local authorities to deal with unforecastable shortfalls arising from the revaluation of business rates levied on GP surgeries.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The business rates retention scheme in England is providing real incentives for councils to support enterprise and economic growth. In 2015/16, 362 authorities expect to retain an extra £544 million in business rates above baseline funding. Under the scheme, local authorities or pools of local authorities are protected against significant declines in business rates income, such as from rating appeals on GP surgeries, through a safety net that guarantees income at 92.5% of baseline funding.

  • 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 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans for Protector programme unmanned aerial vehicles, and each individual aircraft commissioned under that programme, to enter into service.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the written statement released by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) on 12 October 2015,titledFuture Unmanned Air Systems Capability.

    The Government has taken an early decision in the Strategic Defence and Security Review to commit to the Protector programme. The programme is currently in its assessment phase, so detailed work is continuing to confirm a contract for the airframe and associated details, including date for the capability’s entry into service and acquisition and life support cost profile, following which the Ministry of Defence will be better placed to understand the implications for the UK workforce and supply chain.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the potential for future UK airstrikes in Syria.

    Michael Fallon

    I have not held discussions with my Russian counterpart.

    I have regular conversations with my US counterpart on a range of subjects, including the campaign against ISIL, and most recently met him on 9 October 2015. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said, there is a strong case to do more against ISIL in Syria, but the UK will not join Coalition air strikes against ISIL in Syria without the endorsement of Parliament.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to introduce interim payments in cases in which there are delays in making payments under the Basic Payments Scheme.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency remains on track to meet their public payment commitments. Full payments on the majority of Basic Payment Scheme 2015 claims will be made from December, within the payment window that runs between December and June. As such interim payments are not being considered.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effects of recent political instability in Turkey.

    Mr David Lidington

    The government continues to monitor closely developments in Turkey. We acknowledge Turkey’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks, whoever the perpetrator. We welcome reports of a PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) ceasefire and hope that peace talks will resume soon. It is vital that the parliamentary elections on 1 November pass without further incident.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s chart of account.

    Mr David Lidington

    From 1 April 2016 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will use the Government-wide Common Charter of Accounts, which is already in the public domain and can be found on www.gov.uk.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what timetable NHS England has set for developing a commissioning policy for the Everolimus drug.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is currently developingtwo policies for the provision of Everolimus – one for the Tuberous Sclerosis forComplex Related Renal Angiomyolipoma andone for SubependymalGiant Cell Astrocytoma (SEGA). This was communicated to the National Health Service in a Specialised Services Circular on 2 July 2015.

    These two policies will both be considered as in-year items for the specialised services work programme for 2015/16- however, a timetable for publication has not yet been agreed.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what procedures are in place to ensure that women agreeing to donate foetal tissue are not coerced, pressured or hurried into doing so and that they understand fully what it is that they are being asked to do.

    Jane Ellison

    In England and Wales, medical research using fetal tissue requires the consent of the woman who donates the tissue and is subject to the requirements of the Human Tissue Act 2004. It should be conducted in accordance with the Codes of Practice published by the Human Tissue Authority,which contain specific guidance on consent to the use of fetal tissue in Code of Practice 1, Consent.