Tag: 2016

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how the reforms to the Capacity Market announced on 6 May 2016 will ensure a secure electricity supply that is consistent with the decarbonisation objectives set out in her Department’s single departmental plan.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department has set out a number of policies which will decarbonise the economy. For example, we will consult shortly on proposals to close all unabated coal-fired power stations by 2025 to reduce our emissions and continue to invest in new low carbon generation.

    The changes to the Capacity Market announced on 6 May will ensure security of electricity supply as we decarbonise: this is non-negotiable. However, all bidders into the Capacity Market are all affected by decarbonisation policies. For example, the EU ETS and the Carbon Price Floor will reduce the competitiveness of coal generation in the Capacity Market relative to cleaner technologies like gas.

  • Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans for clause 187 of the Investigatory Powers Bill to apply to (a) class bulk personal datasets and (b) specific bulk personal datasets; and if she will take steps to ensure that the protection provided under that clause will encompass all types of warrants, as specified in the Investigatory Powers Bill, in the case of medical records.

    Mr John Hayes

    Clause 187 of the Investigatory Powers Bill applies to specific BPD warrants and provides that, where one of the purposes of the warrant was to authorise the retention or the retention and examination of health records, the warrant may only be issued in exceptional and compelling circumstances.

    On 5 July the Government tabled an amendment to the Bill which would make clear that class BPD warrants could not be used to retain, or retain and examine, bulk personal datasets that consist of, or include, health records.

    Protections for other parts of the Investigatory Powers Bill relating to medical professionals and confidential information relating to an individual’s health will be provided for in the statutory codes of practice made under the Bill. Draft codes detailing these protections were published on introduction of the Bill in March 2016.

  • Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Green of Deddington on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each month since December 2014, how many Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship were available, how many applications for such certificates were (1) granted, and (2) refused, and what was the minimum point score for successful applications.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The data requested is set out in the table below

    Allocation Month

    RCoS available

    No of RCoS Granted

    No RCoS refused

    Minimum points score[1]

    Minimum salary required to meet points score

    Dec-14

    2481

    1819

    0

    32

    £20,500

    Jan-15

    2416

    1670

    0

    32

    £20,500

    Feb-15

    2392

    2409

    0

    32

    £20,500

    Mar-15

    1690

    1919

    0

    32

    £20,500

    Apr-15

    2528

    1888

    0

    32

    £20,800[2]

    May-15

    2285

    2277

    0

    32

    £20,800

    Jun-15

    1690

    1215

    1329

    50

    £46,000

    Jul-15

    2040

    1943

    1201

    45

    £32,000

    Aug-15

    2347

    2418

    583

    36

    £24,000

    Sep-15

    1544

    1520

    891

    35

    £23,000

    Oct-15

    2111

    1953

    374

    22

    £22,000

    Nov-15

    2011

    2100

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Dec-15

    1989

    1774

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Jan-16

    1926

    1441

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Feb-16

    2439

    1760

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Mar-16

    2661

    1748

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Apr-16

    2175

    1692

    0

    21

    £20,800

    May-16

    2464

    1849

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Jun-16

    2575

    1853

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Jul-16

    2701

    2238

    0

    21

    £20,800

    Aug-16

    2695

    1952

    0

    21

    £20,800

    (1) The points table used to score applications changed in October 2015.

    (2) The minimum salary to qualify under Tier 2 increased from £20,500 to £20,800 in April 2015, in line with wage inflation. This information is available in the public domain and can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-sponsorship-restricted-certificate-allocations/allocations-of-restricted-certificates-of-sponsorship

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the terms of reference are for the inter-ministerial group on clean growth.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster chairs an inter-ministerial group on Clean Growth, to consider issues relating to air quality and de-carbonisation where these have a cross-departmental aspect. The group meets as and when required, and members include ministers and officials from the relevant departments, including Defra, DECC, DfT and BIS. To protect the integrity of the policy making process, we do not comment on specific membership or the frequency and timing of meetings.

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) details of contractor, (b) scope, (c) value and (d) cost overrun from the original estimate are of contracts awarded for the Successor Trident programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence manages a wide range of contracts to support the Successor submarine programme. The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29565, what criteria will be applied to determine whether the Jobcentre Plus support for schools initiative should be rolled out more widely.

    Priti Patel

    To determine the wider roll out of Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools, DWP will undertake an evaluation of the pathfinder activity in Autumn 2016 using programme data and a qualitative research study.

    The evaluation criteria will include assessing the demand for JCP support from schools, the level of employer engagement with schools being generated, work experience opportunities being brokered through the programme and schools perceiving the programme to have value in providing a more rounded career guidance offer to pupils – in particular those at highest risk of becoming NEET.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria were used in selecting the members of the Guidelines Development Group who advised the Chief Medical Officer on the evidence base for the updated guidelines concerning alcohol consumption.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    A group of 13 independent scientific experts were commissioned to report back to the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers and make recommendations on new low risk drinking guidelines. The members of the Guidelines Development Group were chosen according to the type of expertise they had and their individual ability.

  • William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Cash on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on the (a) costs and (b) margins of combined cycle gas turbine plants of (i) Supplementary Balancing Reserve and (ii) other Black Start ancillary support subsidy contracts to coal plants.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Supplementary Balancing Reserve and Black Start contracts are two important services developed to support National Grid in managing security of supply. Responsibility for these services rests with OFGEM.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent assessment the Commission has made of the security arrangements for screening mail received by hon. Members of each House of Parliament.

    Tom Brake

    A procurement process for a new contract for screening mail received by hon. Members is currently underway. A full review of the security arrangements and contract specification forms part of that process. This review is based on advice from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) as well as on a national standard specification for mail screening (PAS 97:2015).

    Following an incident, the Parliamentary Security Department has recently revised and reissued guidance to Members and staff on what to do following receipt of a suspicious letter or package.

    We do not comment in public on details of security arrangements. The Deputy Director of Security (Delivery) would be happy to discuss these arrangements in more detail with the hon. Member.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of which specific rail service improvements the new East Anglia rail franchises would deliver for (1) Stansted Airport, and (2) Cambridge.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Under the new franchise agreement passengers travelling to and from Stansted Airport will benefit from new trains with free Wi-Fi from February 2019, and a minimum 12.5% reduction in anytime return fares and anytime single fares on the Stansted Express by early 2017. Almost all hourly services between Norwich and Cambridge are to be extended to provide a direct service to and from Stansted Airport.

    Cambridge Station will similarly benefit from new trains with free Wi-Fi from February 2019. Additional train services are an earlier first service from Cambridge to Norwich and an additional evening service from Norwich to Cambridge.

    Cambridge Station will be provided with a significant refurbishment. This will include construction of a pavilion to include a customer waiting area, train information displays and ticketing offices and ticket vending machines at the entrance to the station. Cambridge will also be provided with 1000 additional secure cycle spaces.