Tag: 2016

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what basis his Department assessed the effect of changes to the (a) annual allowance and (b) lifetime allowance on pension contributions.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government does not hold its own records on total accumulated pension wealth, only on pension contributions. For the purposes of the Lifetime Allowance, officials have used data from the ONS Wealth and Assets Survey, which includes estimates of pension wealth.

    The Government assessed the effects of changes to the Annual Allowance and Lifetime Allowance by considering how many people would have to reduce their saving in response to these reductions. This methodology was agreed with the OBR.

    The reduction in the Lifetime Allowance will affect only 4% of savers currently approaching retirement. The Lifetime Allowance will be reduced to £1 million from April, but the average pension savings of someone approaching retirement is only £85,000.

    Just 1% of savers make contributions of £40,000 per year, the level of the Annual Allowance since April 2014. The average saver contributes £6,000 per year.

    The introduction of the Tapered Annual Allowance for individuals who earn over £150,000 in April 2016 will impact less than 2% of people saving into a pension.

    The Government laid out its modelling on the effect of changes to the Annual and Lifetime Allowances on pension contributions in its policy costings documents at the March and Summer Budgets 2015.

    For changes to the Lifetime Allowance, the Wealth and Assets Survey was used to estimate pension wealth, and this was projected forward using assumed pension contributions and estimates of the real rate of return on pensions savings taken from the OECD and the Government Actuary’s Department.

    For the Tapered Annual Allowance, modelling used estimates from the Survey of Personal Incomes, HMRC operational data on personal pension contributions, the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, and the Occupational Pension Scheme Survey.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether their policy for reducing carbon emissions in the UK over the next five years is consistent with their policy for reducing the average concentration of air pollution, and whether they will publish data relevant to that assessment.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Improving the quality of our air and reducing carbon emissions are important priorities for Her Majesty’s Government. Later this year we will be publishing detailed plans on how we will deliver against Carbon Budgets, including information about how these measures can also support air quality objectives. Further information on the synergies across these policy objectives was outlined in DEFRA’s air quality plan, Improving Air Quality in the UK – tackling nitrogen dioxide in our towns and cities, December 2015.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many initially rejected visa applications have been reconsidered as a result of changes in circumstances during the assessment process.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many places through Health Education England have been available for Healthcare Cadet apprenticeships in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; and what forecast he has made of the number of such places that will be made available in 2016-17.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England (HEE) is committed to supporting a range of vocational based learning programmes, including the healthcare cadet apprenticeships in the North West.

    Health Education England North West make approximately 400 places available through the programme every year. HEE undertook an extensive consultation with National Health Service trusts and dental practices, about the Healthcare Cadet Scheme. On the basis of the feedback received, HEE decided to close the programme and have developed a new model for vocational training to start in April 2017.

    Healthcare cadetships are available in other areas. No data is collected centrally on these.

    There are several Healthcare Cadet apprenticeship schemes in operation across England. No data is available on national spending on these schemes. No national assessment has been made on the effectiveness of Healthcare Cadet schemes.

  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Leader of the House what was the average time in (1) the 2015–16 Session, and (2) each of the last five Sessions before that, between the publication of a select committee report and its being debated; and how many select committee reports published in the 2015–16 Session and the previous five Sessions were undebated (1) 12 months, and (2) six months, after publication.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    My office does not hold the information requested.

    My Noble Friend the Government Chief Whip makes regular offers of time for debates on Select Committee reports to the Committee Office. The Committee Office then coordinate among Chairmen to determine which reports are debated on such occasions and in what order.

    Sixteen select committee reports were debated in the last session and debates on nine reports have been arranged thus far this session.

  • Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure the long-term future of S4C.

    Matt Hancock

    We are strong supporters of S4C and Welsh language broadcasting . We have committed to a comprehensive review of S4C in 2017 which will look at a range of issues including funding arrangements, remit, accountability and governance.

    In order for S4C to continue to provide a first-class service and have a sustainable future, we announced (on Wednesday 3rd February) an extra £400,000 funding for 2016/17.

    As set out in the BBC White Paper, the BBC will maintain a commitment to Welsh language broadcasting services – we expect the BBC to continue its partnership with S4C to deliver TV services in Wales during the next Charter period.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish his Department’s negotiating priorities for a free trade deal with the EU.

    Mr Robin Walker

    We are about to begin these negotiations and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions in advance. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the income that Arts Council of England will receive from National Lottery funding in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    As Good Cause income is dependent on sales, we can not provide precise figures for future forecasts; figures are a guide to likely overall income if sales remain at levels at the time of the review. However, Arts Council England’s annual share of income to the National Lottery Distribution Fund is estimated to be £255 million for each year from 2016/17 to 2019/20.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he expects all final decisions on his Department’s estate relating to the implementation of the BIS 2020 strategy to be concluded.

    Joseph Johnson

    The intention to close the BIS Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place is based on our strategy to simplify our delivery and focus expertise in specific areas over five years to 2020. Therefore, our policy function needs to be in one place, close to Ministers, and the Department made a decision to locate all our policy functions in the HQ in London. Other decisions around our estates will be taken in due course and will, of course, be subject to consultation. We therefore cannot give an estimate of when all decisions on the Department’s estate will be concluded.

  • Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding will be available to firms which are too small to pay the Apprenticeship Levy when it is introduced in 2017 to enable them to continue to offer, or begin to offer, apprenticeships, and how much those firms will have to contribute themselves.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Employers with a pay bill of less than £3 million will not have to pay the levy. This is more than 98% of all employers. These employers will continue to have access to government funding to support apprenticeships. We will provide further details on the support available later this year.