The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the number of new apprenticeships in Calder Valley constituency in each of the next four years.
Nick Boles
The Department does not produce estimates of future Apprenticeship starts by Parliamentary constituency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with Iran on efforts to secure a peace settlement between the Houthi rebels and Yemen government; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We encourage Iran to show it can have a constructive role in Yemen’s future through promoting stability and showing commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen. We last discussed the situation in Yemen with Iran on 19 April.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria the Government considers before making an application to the European Globalisation Fund.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The UK has not made any applications to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).
The European Globalisation Fund (EGF) provides a financial contribution for active labour market measures, aimed at reintegrating those made or at risk of being made redundant in the labour market. EGF Regulations state that these measures must complement actions at national, regional and local level.
The EGF Regulations also set out strict criteria and eligibility for potential applicants with regards to the number of redundancies that take place over a given period of time and the link between these redundancies and globalisation or the global financial and economic crisis.
The UK already offers a broad range of personalised support to workers made redundant through its Rapid Response Service and Jobcentre Plus, which could therefore not be duplicated or substituted by EGF.
The Rapid Response Service and the Jobcentre Plus Core Offer are effective reintegration tools which represent good value for money and are our primary and most effective means of response to support the industry.
In addition to this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills also announced packages of support worth up to £80 million for SSI in Redcar.
It has, therefore, not been necessary to make an application for EGF funding to provide complementary support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-07-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken since 23 June 2016 to promote trade and diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.
Mr Hugo Swire
We are committed to strengthening our trade and diplomatic relationships with Commonwealth members, with whom we already enjoy important trading partnerships. In March we announced that we would co-host with Malta the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting early next year, which will be organised by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). The UK will also host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in early 2018, which will be a further opportunity to promote greater trade and investment within the Commonwealth.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide an update on the mission-led business review.
Mr Rob Wilson
The mission-led business review is in progress. We are reviewing the evidence gathered through the call for evidence and regional events and working with the advisory panel in order to publish findings in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2016-01-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses benefited from video games tax relief in 2014-15; what the cost of that relief was to his Department in that year; and what the return on investment was for the economy as a result of that relief.
Mr David Gauke
Video Games Tax Relief is forecast to cost the Exchequer £10m in 2014-15. The first Official Statistics on the number of claims and cost of Video Games Tax Relief will be published in Summer 2016, allowing sufficient time for claims to have been submitted for the 2014-15 tax year. No estimate of the benefit for the economy as a whole is available.
The forecast has been certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and is consistent with their latest forecast of Corporation Tax receipts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Gray on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where he expects the two-star headquarters of the Ultra Rapid Reaction Corps to be located.
Penny Mordaunt
NATO does not have an Ultra Rapid Reaction Corps. I believe the hon. Member is referring to NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Land element), which the UK will lead in 2017. When not deployed, its assigned one-star Headquarters, 20 Brigade, will be based in Sennelager, Germany for the duration of this rotational commitment. In response to crisis, the headquarters would move to the most appropriate location.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential savings for Government departments due to the falling price of oil over the course of this Parliament.
Damian Hinds
No such estimate has been made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on Lyme disease laboratory tests in each of the last three years.
Jane Ellison
As services for the treatment of Lyme disease are commissioned locally information on the costs associated with laboratory testing and treatment of late stage Lyme disease is not collected centrally. Nor is information collected centrally on the average time to diagnose cases of Lyme disease.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing a clinical guideline on Lyme disease and reports progress on its website. NICE recently consulted on a draft scope for the guideline, and expects to publish final guidance in July 2018.
Public Health England and NHS Choices publish information on their websites to raise awareness of Lyme disease and encourage timely medical consultation because early diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is the best way of limiting complications from infection. Given the need to maintain public awareness these or similar mechanisms are expected to continue beyond 2018. Increased awareness is likely to encourage early consultation but no information on the time taken to seek medical advice is available.
There are no plans to set targets for diagnosis and treatment as most cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed empirically by general practitioners using their clinical judgement rather than relying on a laboratory test, thus treatment can start immediately. Diagnosis of patients with late or complicated Lyme disease can be difficult and the National Health Service will continue to provide care taking account of the existing evidence base.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the press release, PM holds major summit as part of global drive to expose, punish and drive out corruption, published on 12 May 2016, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals requiring foreign companies that own property in the UK to declare their real owners.
Anna Soubry
At the International Anti-Corruption Summit in London on 12 May, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced that we will require foreign companies that own or purchase UK properties or bid on UK Government procurement contracts to provide details of their beneficial owners to a public central register. This will be the first register of its kind in the world.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will consult with experts to develop the policy throughout the year and consult formally on the detail of the policy in due course. Implementation of the new register requirements is expected to require both primary and secondary legislation, which we intend to introduce when Parliamentary time allows.