Tag: 2016

  • Lord Darling of Roulanish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Darling of Roulanish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Darling of Roulanish on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the impact of payment protection insurance payments made since 2010 on UK gross domestic product.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The most recent figures available from the FCA show that a total of £393.8m was paid in November 2015 to customers who complained about the way they were sold PPI. This takes the amount paid out since January 2011 to £22.2bn.

    The most recent analysis of the impact on GDP is the Office for Budget Responsibility’s 2012 Economic and Fiscal Outlook report, which stated that its economic growth forecast of 0.8% over 2 years would be mainly due to the impact of PPI fee repayments.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in her Department.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, to PQ UIN 27946 on 29 March.

  • Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Government has conducted an (a) impact and (b) risk assessment of the potential effect of the investor protection clause of the (i) Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and (ii) EU Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on the services and regulations devolved to the Scottish Government; and if he will place copies of any such assessment in the Library.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned research into the costs and benefits for the UK of the inclusion of investment protection provisions in the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This was published on 22 November 2013 and copies placed in the House libraries.

    The investment protection provisions in the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and any such provisions included in TTIP will not prevent Governments from regulating responsibly in the public interest, nor from delivering public services, including such services and regulations that are devolved to the Scottish Government. A claim can only be made under the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions where an investor believes it has suffered from discriminatory or unfair treatment. ISDS tribunals can typically only award compensation and cannot force governments to change laws or public service delivery models. The UK currently has over 90 investment protection agreements with other countries. There has been no successful action against the UK in respect of any of these agreements.

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings (1) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and (2) other ministers, have had with (a) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (b) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (c) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, to discuss the occupational retirement age for Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016.

    The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension.

    Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age.

    The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.37e of the Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper, what the total budget in each year of the Spending Review period will be for the Excellence in Leadership Fund.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department’s White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere stated that we would launch an Excellence in Leadership Fund to encourage the best Multi-Academy Trusts and other providers to develop innovative ways of boosting leadership, particularly in areas of most need. The Fund will help to better support schools to develop a strong and diverse set of school and system leaders, through specific activity aimed at groups that are still under-represented in leadership positions. Further information about the timing and budget for the Excellence in Leadership Fund will be made available in due course.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that price comparison websites do not mislead retail energy customers.

    Jesse Norman

    It is vital that customers trust price comparison websites, as they offer real opportunities for improving competition and I expect price comparison websites to be clear to consumers when they are not providing a whole market tariff comparison.

    Ofgem are currently consulting on proposals to allow price comparison websites to only show those tariffs that consumers can switch to through the price comparison website as a default, but they must also provide quick and easy access to a webpage showing all tariffs available on the market. The consultation closes on 28 September and is available online at

    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2016/08/whole_of_market_consultation.pdf

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which free schools have changed their name since opening.

    Edward Timpson

    Any school can change its name at any time. Schools are encouraged to notify the Department of any change in name and most do. However, some schools might not, for example, if the name change is very minor. Below is a list of free schools that have notified the Department of a name change since opening, and the change is judged to be more than minor:

    Current School Name

    Aldborough Primary School

    Dixons Kings Academy

    The Linden Academy

    The Minerva Academy

    Solebay Primary – A Paradigm Academy

    Nishkam Primary School Wolverhampton

    The Pinetree School

    Tech City College

    Big Creative Academy

    Beacon of Light School

    Westclyst Community Primary School

    Brook House Primary School

    Royal Greenwich Trust School

  • Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which countries British military personnel are embedded.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 17 December 2015, (Official Report, column 98WS) which sets out that we only centrally collate data on embedded forces with those nations with whom UK forces are embedded on operations, and to my letter of 6 January 2016 explaining that I am unable to specify the exact locations of UK personnel because this risks their personal security and the security of Allies’ operations.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to include single parents who are in full-time employment in the extension of free childcare to 30 hours per week.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Single parents will be able to access the extended entitlement in the same way as two parent households. A single parent will need to earn a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage or living wage. In addition, their income should not exceed £100,000. This will include employed and self-employed parents.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals work for the European External Action Service; and what proportion of the total number of employees in that service they represent.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The European External Action Service (EEAS) has not published statistics on numbers of permanent staff by nationality since 2013, when a total of 133 British citizens were working for the EEAS. As of April 2015, our records show there were a total of 119 British citizens working for the European External Action Service, representing 4.8% of approximately 2500 total staff (excluding approximately 1000 local agents in Delegations) employed by the EEAS in 2015.