UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2016

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many small nuclear reactors her Department plans to order over the Spending Review 2015 period.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a relatively new technology for civil nuclear power generation and whilst a small number of bespoke “small” reactors have been built and operated, no true SMRs have yet reached demonstration or deployment.

    At Autumn Statement 2015 Government announced it would launch a competition to identify the best value SMR design for the UK. In March 2016 the first phase of the competition was launched. This phase will include structured engagement with technology developers, utilities, potential investors, funders and other parties interested in developing, commercialising and financing SMRs in the UK to inform subsequent stages of the competition. This is the beginning of a process that will enable bids from interested parties in subsequent phases of the competition.

    As we are still in the early stages of the competitive process no decision has yet been made on a potential SMR design or levels of deployment.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many primary school sites in London exceeded EU limit values of NO2 due to diesel train emissions in each of the last five years.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We do not hold information on the number of primary schools sites in London exceeding NO2 limit values due to diesel train emissions.

  • James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cleverly on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of potential alternative uses of MDP Wethersfield.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence together with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) jointly commissioned a study by Cushmann Wakefield in 2015 to identify potential future uses for the Wethersfield site, subject to all necessary planning approvals.

    The study reported that the site had the potential to be a mixed development of commercial/employment, housing, education and community uses with supporting public open space.

    The HCA will work closely with the Local Planning Authority and other interested parties to consider the best possible future uses for the site.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff on the payroll of her Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to prepare for the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our European Union membership that cause so much frustration in Britain – so we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been affected by the under-occupancy penalty in Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in each of the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information concerning how many people have been affected by the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy in Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in each of the last 12 months is published and can be found at the link below:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

    “

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many assessments for disabled students’ allowance (DSA) were carried out by an independent needs assessor in each year since 2009-10; what the average such award was in each of those years; and who was contracted to carry out each of those assessments in each of those years.

    Joseph Johnson

    Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) are available to help pay the extra essential costs they may have whilst studying on an HE course as a direct result of their disability. The Government recently announced reforms to DSAs to ensure that the limited public funding available for DSAs is targeted in the best way and to achieve value for money, whilst ensuring those disabled students most in need continue to get the help they require. The changes also aim to ensure that Higher Education providers all properly adhere to their Equalities Act 2010 duties, for the benefit of all disabled students.

    All disabled higher education students who are eligible for DSAs are referred to an independent assessment centre so as to identify the type and level of support they require.

    Information in Table 1 sets out the number of study needs assessments carried out by independent assessment centres in England and Wales for English domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate higher education students applying for Student Finance England administered DSAs. Information for numbers of assessments carried out by each assessment centre is not held centrally. Information is not available at individual assessor level. Information for the period prior to 1 April 2011 is not held centrally.

    Table 2 sets out the average award of DSAs in each financial year. A list of currently accredited assessment centres is below.

    Government does not contract with assessment centres. Assessment centres who wish to work in this area are accredited through the DSA Quality Assurance Group, a not-for-profit membership organisation.

    Table 1 –

    Timeframe

    Number of assessments

    1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014

    34,355

    1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013

    32,410

    1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012

    35,073

    Source: DSA Quality Assurance Group management information. Information for the period 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2015 will be available in April 2016.

    Table 2 –

    Average DSA payments to full-time English domiciled students

    Academic years 2009/10 to 2013/14

    Academic year

    Average payment (£)

    2009/10

    2,110

    2010/11

    2,300

    2011/12

    2,350

    2012/13

    2,250

    2013/14

    2,230

    Source: SLC, Student Support for Higher Education in England

    Note: 2013/14 final figures are the latest available

    List of assessment centres in England and Wales

    AbilityNet DSA Assessment Centre

    Access 1st Assessment Centre

    Access Birmingham Assessment Centre

    Access Bristol Assessment Centre

    Access Central Ltd

    Access Centre Coventry

    Access Centre Ealing

    Access Centre Hereford

    Access Independence Ltd

    Access South West

    Access SUMMIT

    Access West of England

    Access@SW15

    Action for Blind People Pan Disability Assessment Centre

    Aim Assessments

    Anglia Access Centre

    Assessment Centre Cardiff

    Assessment Centre Cardiff Metropolitan University

    Assessment Centre on Teesside

    ATOP Chester

    Bangor Access Centre

    Bradford Assessment Centre

    Bridgend Assessment Centre

    Broadbent & Co

    Cambridge Access Centre

    Carmarthenshire Access Centre

    Central London Assessment Services

    Cheltenham Assessment Centre

    Durham University Assessment Centre

    Exeter Access Centre

    Glyndwr University Assessment Centre

    Hertfordshire Access Centre

    Higher York Access Centre

    Hull Assessment Centre

    IONA – Kent and SE Assessment Centre

    Kent Assessors

    Kingston Assessment Services

    Lancaster University Assessment Centre

    Leeds Assessment Centre

    Leeds Metropolitan Disability Assessment Centre

    Leicester Assessment Centre

    Lincoln Assessment Centre

    Lincoln University Assessment Centre

    Loughborough Regional Assessment Centre

    Maritime Assessment Centre

    Midlands Assessment Centre

    Needs Assessment Centre

    Newport Assessment Centre

    North East Regional Assessment Centre

    North London Regional Assessment Centre

    Nottingham Trent University Access Centre

    Nottingham University Access Centre

    Open University Access Centre

    Oxford Access Centre

    Oxford University Assessment Centre

    Pennine Lancashire Access Centre

    Plymouth Assessment Centre

    Portsmouth Assessment Centre

    Reading Assessment Centre

    Regional Access Centre East London

    Sheffield Regional Assessment Centre

    South London Access Centre

    Southampton Assessment and Study Services

    Staffordshire Regional Access Centre

    Surrey Assessment Centre

    Sussex Regional Access Centre

    Swansea Assessment and Training Centre

    Taunton Assessment Centre

    Technical Assessment and Support Centre

    University Centre for Assessments Newcastle

    University of Derby Assessment Centre

    Wessex Needs Assessment Centre

    West London Assessment Centre

    Wolverhampton Assessment Centre

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff are seconded to his Department by (a) KPMG, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) Deloitte and (d) Ernst & Young.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Treasury have the following secondments in as at 29th February 2016:-

    Deloitte Touche

    1

    Ernst and Young

    1

    KPMG

    1

    PriceWaterhouseCoopers

    1
  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support a peaceful resolution to violence in Burundi after the African Union’s decision not to send in peacekeeping troops to that country; and if he will make a statement.

    James Duddridge

    The UK remains at the forefront of international efforts to end the violence in Burundi. I addressed the Security Council and regional leaders of the Great Lakes last month, highlighting the need for urgent action. Alongside our partners in the UN Security Council, we worked to agree Resolution 2279 on 1 April which strengthens the mandate of the UN’s Special Adviser and presents the possibility of a UN police deployment to Burundi.

    The deployment will monitor the security situation, promote the respect of human rights and advance the rule of law.

    We continue to press the Government of Burundi to facilitate the deployment of 200 African Union observers, as it publicly stated it would in February. However, ending the violence in the long-term will require a negotiated solution, agreed by the Burundians themselves.

    I welcome the appointment of former Tanzanian President, Benjamin Mkapa, as facilitator of the East African Community led dialogue and urges all parties to engage in this dialogue without preconditions. We stand ready to support President Mkapa’s efforts to bring a halt to the violence and other human rights abuses.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment the Government has made of the auditing sector’s contribution to economic productivity.

    Anna Soubry

    No such assessment has been made.