Tag: 2015

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the schedule of comparable programme objects in HM Treasury’s publication, Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: Statement of Funding Policy, published in October 2010, what the total expenditure was on UK Trade and Investment between 2010 and 2015.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Trade and Investment expenditure is published annually in the UKTI Annual Report and Accounts which are available in the libraries of the House.

  • 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 paragraph 2.25 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, when he expects the statement of funding policy to be next updated.

    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 benefit to the UK economy of the preferential trade agreements the EU has negotiated with countries outside the EU.

    Anna Soubry

    The cumulative impact of all concluded, on-going and potential trade negotiations currently being undertaken by the EU could boost UK GDP by over £ 20 billion in the long run.

  • 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, what steps he plans to take to help local councils with pooled funding tackle unpredicted revenue shortfalls due to the revaluation of the 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, how many Protector aircraft his Department plans to order.

    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.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the progress made by the Careers and Enterprise Company on (a) increasing employer output into schools and colleges and (b) managing its network of enterprise advisers to assist schools and colleges in choosing good careers and enterprise partner organisations.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Careers & Enterprise Company, which was set up to take a lead role in transforming the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people, was incorporated in February 2015. It has since been working with employers, schools and colleges, careers, enterprise and employer engagement providers and others to devise its strategy for transforming the way in which schools and colleges, in partnership with employers, help to prepare young people for adult life. The Careers & Enterprise Company has made good progress with its set up and its delivery plans but it is too early to be able to assess impact.

    In September 2015 The Careers & Enterprise Company launched its Enterprise Adviser Network. Through this network Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will co-ordinate employer volunteers to work with secondary schools and colleges to support the development of whole school careers and enterprise strategies, assist schools and colleges in choosing good careers and enterprise organisations to partner with, and increase the number and effectiveness of employer-school interactions. LEPs started work from September 2015.

  • 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, what recent assessment she has made of the level of complexity of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme; if she will take steps to simplify that scheme; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    Countryside Stewardship has introduced significant rationalisation with regard to its predecessors; integrating three legacy schemes into one. At the same time the number of environmental management options available has been reduced by 70% and the number of capital items by 20%.

    Most of the elements in Countryside Stewardship (higher tier; woodland and water capital grants) remain largely analogous to their predecessor schemes. However, the application process has been inevitably more complex than intended given the need for a paper based application system this year.

    The stricter EU control rules have resulted in greater reliance on record keeping and other documentary evidence to demonstrate compliance but we have already published guidance on the controls applicable to the scheme in order to clarify the requirements.

    We will evaluate this first year of the scheme and simplify it wherever possible.

  • 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 current level of representation of the British Overseas Territories at Westminster; and whether his Department plans to increase such representation and adopt a model similar to that used in (a) France and (b) the Netherlands.

    Grant Shapps

    The constitutional status of the Territories was reviewed prior to the publication of the 2012 White Paper: Security, Success and Sustainability. We believe that the fundamental structure of our constitutional relationship is the right one, with powers devolved to the elected governments of the Territories to the maximum extent possible consistent with the UK retaining those powers necessary to discharge its sovereign responsibilities.

  • 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, how much his Department spent on each international subscription in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2014-15.

    Mr David Lidington

    This information is already publically available. Our spend on international subscriptions has been listed under ‘Programme’ in our Annual Report and Accounts each financial year from 2000-01 to 2014-15. Our Accounts since 2004-05 are available on www.gov.uk; Accounts for earlier years are available in hard copy in the Parliamentary Library and can also be accessed on the FCO pages at webarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many medical students completed their studies in London medical schools in each year from 2006 to 2009.

    Ben Gummer

    Data available from the Medical and Dental Students (MDS) Survey from 2009 to 2012 shows the output of those obtaining their first registrable medical qualification from London universities as:

    Year

    Output from London universities

    2009

    1,668

    2010

    1,650

    2011

    1,790

    2012

    1,713

    Source: Higher Education Funding Council for England MDS Survey

    From 2013, the MDS did not collect information on the output from medical schools.