The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the annual budget of Sellafield was in each year since 2010.
Andrea Leadsom
The actual expenditure at Sellafield in each year since 2010 in £m is as follows:
|
Year |
£m |
|
2009-10 |
1,440 |
|
2010-11 |
1,572 |
|
2011-12 |
1,605 |
|
2012-13 |
1,686 |
|
2013-14 |
1,739 |
|
2014-15 |
1,822 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Post Office has spent refurbishing the premises of the Crown Post Offices in (a) Crouch End and (b) Muswell Hill since January 2010.
George Freeman
Provision of its Crown branches is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited.
I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications have been refused as a result of the good character test in each year for which information is available.
James Brokenshire
Guidance on the good character requirement is published at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/406368/Chapter18AnnexDv02.pdf
It is a requirement that applies to anybody over the age of ten who applies for naturalisation or registration and therefore plays no part in the assessment of asylum applications.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rosser on 2016-04-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many regional devolution settlements that are (1) agreed already, and (2) currently being negotiated, include the devolution of transport powers; and what impact those settlements will have on local bus services.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
(1) The Government has agreed devolution settlements with 10 English areas. Each of the settlements contained provisions for the devolution of transport powers and responsibilities, from bus franchising to the establishment and management of key route networks, based on the ambitions and needs of each individual area.
(2) The Government is in active discussions with many other areas, however, proposals are developed and led by local areas and the decision to release information regarding the content of these discussions is a matter for the local area to decide, not the Government. As individual negotiations conclude and devolution deals are agreed, local areas may decide to publish the final deal documents on the GOV.UK website.
The Bus Services Bill will enable the implementation of the commitments made in devolution settlements to provide authorities with a greater say over the bus services in their area. It will be up to authorities to determine whether and how they implement changes to the way in which local bus services are provided.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National pupil projections statistics release, published on 22 July 2015, how many people defined as migrants are included in the principal population projections in each (a) local education authority and (b) region in each year between 2015 and 2024.
Nick Gibb
The national pupil projections are only produced for the whole of England and do not break down projected pupil numbers by local education authority or region. They are derived from the 2012-based national population projections for England produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)[1] who used assumptions which were considered to best reflect demographic patterns at that time.
The ONS uses assumptions on the levels of future fertility, net migration and life expectancy in the production of their population projections. They use central assumptions for the principal projections and alternative high and low assumptions to produce variant projections.
New national pupil projections, based on the ONS’s mid-2014 national population projections[2], are scheduled to be published on 14 July 2016. The timing and content of National Statistics releases are a matter for the Head of Profession for statistics. The month of publication was pre-announced in 2015 and the specific date of publication was pre-announced on 26 February 2016.
[1] Mid-2012 ONS national population projections available at http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2013-11-06
[2] Mid-2014 ONS national population projections available at http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2015-10-29
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what monitoring her Department has carried out to ensure that no one is denied access to justice, regardless of ability to pay for legal representation.
Sir Oliver Heald
We have made sure that legal aid continues to be available in the most serious cases, for example where people’s life, liberty, or housing is at stake or where their children may be taken into care. The operation of, and expenditure on, the legal aid scheme is continually monitored by the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-10-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what process they propose for deciding which EU legal instruments on food and farming are maintained, amended or repealed after the UK leaves the EU.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation. We look forward to working with the industry, rural communities and the wider public to shape our plans for a future outside the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to consult faith groups on the criteria and processes for decisions that will be made on whether expressions of belief are considered extreme for the purposes of its counter-extremism strategy and policies resulting from that strategy.
Karen Bradley
The Government definition of extremism is ‘vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.’ We have been consistent on this since 2011 and have reaffirmed this definition in the Counter-Extremism Strategy.
Vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, in particular mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs within the Counter-Extremism Strategy definition of extremism is consistent with the incitement provisions within the Public Order Act 1986, in particular Part 3 aimed at those who stir up racial or religious hatred.
We are clear that Government should not restrict anyone’s freedom of speech or right to practise a faith. These are core values. But we shouldn’t allow the extremist voice to go unchallenged, causing harm to our society and promoting hatred and division.
Government has engaged widely on the Counter-Extremism Strategy, and continues to engage with partners – including faith groups and communities on the implementation of the Strategy’s measures.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effects of the use of pyrethroids on crops and invertebrates.
George Eustice
Pyrethroids are a group of chemicals used to control insect pests in crops. As with all pesticides, pyrethroids are subject to strict regulation and the use of a pyrethroid is only authorised if it will not harm people, will not give rise to unacceptable risks to the environment and is effective against the target pest.
Decisions are made on the basis of assessments of scientific data. This is a two-tier process. The pyrethroid itself is assessed by the European Food Safety Authority. Products containing approved pyrethroids are assessed by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive. There are currently several pyrethroids approved at EU level. A number of products containing one or more of these chemicals are authorised in the UK following a satisfactory risk assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what proportion of trade union members in (a) Great Britain and (b) Northern Ireland pay the political levy.
Nick Boles
The latest Annual Report of the Certification Officer shows that 4,954,606 union members in Great Britain paid the political levy in the period 2013-2014. This represents 70.67% of the total number of individuals who were union members in the same period.[1]
Employment law is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and I am not able to respond to the questions relating to Northern Ireland.
[1] Political Funds of Trade Unions, 2013-2014, Annual Report 2015/2016 of the Certification Officer, page 68-69, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449387/CO_Annual_Report__2014-2015_.pdf
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