Tag: 2016

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the construction activity required to construct Phase One of High Speed 2 will result in any household experiencing carbon monoxide levels in excess of the thresholds for that substance detailed in European Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The construction of Phase One of HS2 will not result in any household experiencing carbon monoxide levels in excess of the thresholds for that substance detailed in European Directive 2008/50/EC.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to increase take-up of government-funded adult learning courses; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    We have maintained funding for the core adult skills participation budgets in cash terms at £1.5bn and are increasing opportunities in technical and professional education by doubling the level of spending on apprenticeships by 2019-20 in 2010-11 cash terms, including income from the new apprenticeship levy.

    The new Adult Education Budget (AEB), which replaces three separate funding lines will engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. It will enable more tailored programmes of learning to be made available, to help those furthest from learning or the workplace.

    The combination of the levy, the protection of the AEB, the extension of loans, and the introduction of the youth obligation means that by the end of the Parliament, the cash value of core adult FE funding to support participation will be at its highest ever. By 2019-20, spending on apprenticeships in England will be £2.5 billion and the total spending power of the FE sector to support participation will be £3.41bn, a cash terms increase of 40% compared with 2015-16 (real terms 30%).

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the application from Mr Hamde Abu Rahma to visit Scotland was rejected; and if she will instigate a review of that decision.

    James Brokenshire

    In order to safeguard an individual’s personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office is limited in what information it can provide when the request is made by someone who is not the applicant. The Home Office is therefore unable to provide the information requested.

    All applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with the Immigration Rules.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce new national regulations for private hire driver licences in line with Transport for London’s new regulations for private hire drivers which will come into force on 1 October 2016.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government wants to see taxis and private hire vehicles prosper in London and elsewhere. The regulations issued by Transport for London are a matter for them as the local licensing authority. The legislation that provides for licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle services is enabling in its nature, giving local licensing authorities the discretion to set standards that they deem to be appropriate for their area.

  • Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government under what circumstances a student may currently obtain a loan from the Student Loans Company for the fees for an equivalent level qualification at degree or sub-degree level.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    Students must already hold an honours degree and must be personally eligible for support in order to qualify for a tuition fee loan for an equivalent level qualification.

    In addition, they must be studying for a part-time degree in engineering, technology or computer science, and study should be at least 25% intensity of a full-time equivalent course. Graduates entering full-time study must be studying on a graduate entry accelerated medical or dental degree of no more than four years’ duration.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which port, harbour and coastal locations in the UK have a National Grid connection enabling a power plant connection of over 300MW.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Connections to the high voltage electricity transmission are a matter for National Grid, in its role as System Operator.

    National Grid publishes information on current and future transmission capability, generation connections and development timescales in its annual Electricity Ten Year Statement and Customer Connection Interface Tool. These documents are available at:

    http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Industry-information/Future-of-Energy/Electricity-Ten-Year-Statement/

    “

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Israeli government on tackling the spread of Daesh in the Middle East.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have regular discussions with the Israeli Government on shared security threats. These include sharing analysis on the spread of Daesh across the Middle East, and discussing our efforts to tackle this spread, including through the Global Counter-Daesh Coalition, international sanctions, and support to bolster countries in the region, such as Jordan.

    I will be visiting Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories later this month where I will continue these discussions.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for the policies of the Cabinet Office of the recommendations of the Mental Health Taskforce report, published in February 2016.

    Alistair Burt

    We welcome the recommendations for government in the report and will be considering how best to integrate them into our work programme. There will be an impact on policies across Government in this period and, more importantly, a positive impact on people using mental health services.

    The Mental Health Five Year Forward View Taskforce Report proposes, and we accept, investing over £1 billion of additional funding by 2020/21 to reach one million more people. There are a number of recommendations in the report which will have an impact on crisis care services, accident and emergency departments, mothers suffering from mental health problems, suicide prevention, children and young people’s mental health services, access to psychological therapies and the physical health of people with mental health problems. The £1 billion announced with the Taskforce report is the total annual cost for all areas in 2020/21.

    Announcements on the development of policies, including those with reference to implementing the Mental Health Taskforce will be made in due course.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department sets targets related to the closing of benefit claims of people referred to the work programme.

    Priti Patel

    There are no targets set for providers in relation to the closing of benefit claims, though for a job to be eligible for outcome payments, providers must support people into enough work to take them off out-of-work benefits.

  • Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of the devolution of business rates on business growth in (a) former steel works and coalfield areas and (b) other local authority areas with a depleted industrial base.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government intends to move to 100 per cent business rates retention in England by the end of this Parliament. The new system will have stronger incentives to boost growth, and areas that take bold decisions to further increase growth will see the benefits. We will be giving councils the power to cut the business rates multiplier to improve the business environment for enterprise and attract further businesses to their area. But we recognise that not all councils are the same. In setting up this system we will ensure that there is redistribution between councils so that areas do not lose out just because they currently collect less in local business rates, and will put protections in place for authorities that see their business rates income fall significantly.