The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-04-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to repeal any existing statutory animal welfare codes.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government intends to retain all existing statutory animal welfare codes and is working with interested parties to ensure our guidance continues to help farmers comply with our high welfare standards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-05-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects that the Government’s proposed improvements to subject access request IT infrastructure will be completed.
Mr John Hayes
The Home Office ran a Call for Information on the operation of the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regime between 25 February and 25 March 2015. We received more than 60 responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, the financial sector, and the legal and accountancy sectors. Subsequently, further discussions were held with private and public sector bodies through a series of workshops.
The Government published the Action Plan for Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist finance on 21 April 2016. The Action Plan sets out the Government’s programme to deliver a significantly improved anti-money laundering regime for the UK. This includes the replacement of the SARs IT infrastructure. A summary of the submissions received following the Call for Information is set out in the Action Plan at Annex B.
In the Action Plan, we announced our commitment to develop a stronger public private partnership to tackle money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and as part of that we will engage with public and private stakeholders to develop the replacement.
The stakeholders will include law enforcement agencies, government departments, and businesses in the ‘regulated sector’ including banks, the legal and accountancy sectors, and estate agents. We will also include regulatory and supervisory bodies, and public bodies for whom SARs are of value.
This engagement will enable us to ensure that the replacement of the SARs IT architecture will deliver significant benefits for all of the sectors involved in the SARs regime. As we set out in the Action Plan, we will reform the SARs regime, making the necessary legislative, operational and technical changes, by October 2018.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Henderson on 2016-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect of traffic lights on the A2500 on (a) traffic flows and (b) the economy and quality of life on the Isle of Sheppey; and if he will take steps to expedite the building of a new roundabout at the junction with Barton Hill Drive.
Andrew Jones
The design, installation and maintenance of traffic management measures including traffic lights and roundabouts are the responsibility of the local traffic authority, in this case Kent County Council. It is for them to determine which solution is appropriate for a particular road or junction, taking into account local circumstances. I am grateful to my Honourable Friend for raising this issue and have written to Kent County Council to ask them to respond to him directly on it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-09-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have undertaken any follow-up work as a result of the MoD study Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in the UK Air Defence Region published on 15 May 2006; and if so, what was the nature and status of such work, and what units were involved.
Earl Howe
No.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the Birmingham to Bristol rail line to be electrified.
Claire Perry
Electrification of the railway line between Birmingham and Bristol is one of the schemes under consideration by Network Rail as part of the industry electrification strategy. We expect Network rail to publish a draft strategy for consultation in early 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support his Department plans to make available to small companies operating in deprived areas to help meet the costs of the introduction of the living wage; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Boles
The Government has introduced measures to help businesses with the transition to the new National Living Wage. The Government is reducing corporation tax to 18% by 2020, setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000, and increasing the Employment Allowance from £2,000 to £3,000. The increase in the Employment Allowance means a business could employ four people on the National Living Wage and pay no National Insurance Contributions. It will benefit up to 590,000 employers and take up to 90,000 firms out of National Insurance Contributions altogether. These measures will help small businesses across the country.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue the Exchequer has collected as a result of the Carbon Price Support mechanism in each of the last five years.
Damian Hinds
The latest available information can be found at the following web address:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutybulletins.aspx
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2016-04-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the BBC’s proposal to provide every child in Year 7 with the micro:bit codeable computer.
Lord Nash
The Government welcomes this initiative from the BBC that will provide every child in year 7 with a free micro:bit codeable computer.
The national curriculum in computing, which was introduced in 2014, includes coding at all key stages. At primary school pupils are taught about algorithms and how to design and write codes to accomplish specific goals, using sequencing, selection and repetition. This is extended at secondary school where pupils are taught to use at least two coding languages to solve a variety of computational problems.
We want every student to have the opportunity actively to create new technology products. Our reformed programme of study for computing in the national curriculum emphasises the academic discipline of computer science. Through studying topics such as computational logic, algorithms and data representation, pupils are obtaining insight into how the digital technologies that they use every day work and understand how these technology products result from rational design processes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-05.
To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to the Government’s Counter-Extremism Strategy, published in October 2015, whether in his official capacity he has shared a speaking platform with people who have expressed vocal or active opposition to the UK’s fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, or who have called for the deaths of members of the armed forces.
Mr David Cameron
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Islington North (Mr Corbyn) on 4 May 2016, Official Report, column 163.
As set out in the Counter-Extremism Strategy, internationally we are building a more robust response to counter extremist ideology and propaganda, and continue to focus on strengthening international bodies and our partners. As Prime Minister I regularly have discussions on how we can promote British values of peace and tolerance and how to counter extremist ideology.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations his Department has received on motor vehicle mileage fraud; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport has received representations from Noble Lords and the Retail Motor Industry along with two Parliamentary Questions on mileage fraud during the past year. Mileage fraud is an offence under the ‘Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008’ and the Fraud Act 2006 and is dealt with by local Trading Standards enforcement. It is now a requirement for vehicle mileage to be recorded on the MOT form. This allows consumers to check previous mileages for a vehicle online at the GOV.UK website. Department for Transport and Business and Innovation and Skills ministers are considering whether there are further practical steps that can be taken to address mileage fraud.