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Tag: 2016

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any of the recommendations of the Report from the Science and Technology Committee Nuclear Research and Development Capabilities (3rd Report, Session 2010–12, HL Paper 221), particularly the development of a long-term strategy for nuclear energy looking beyond 2025, have been taken forward.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Government provided a response to the Science and Technology Committee’s Nuclear Research and Development Capabilities Report in February 2012, setting out the actions that would be undertaken in response to the Committee’s recommendations. The response is attached.

    Subsequently, Government worked with both Industry and Academia to develop and publish the Nuclear Industrial Strategy and a number of supporting documents in March 2013. The strategy set out, in detail, ambitions and plans for the role of nuclear in the UK energy mix to 2050 and beyond.

    The Nuclear Industrial Strategy also set out the remit for the creation of both the Nuclear Industrial Council and the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (NIRAB), to provide advice, assistance and coordination across the relevant parties in the nuclear landscape. A working group was also created under the umbrella of the Low Carbon Innovation Coordination Group (LCICG) to better coordinate public sector spending in this area.

    In the recent Spending Review, the first since the Committee’s Report, Government announced at least £250m of funding for nuclear R&D. This funding is made up of 2 components: 1) an ambitious nuclear R&D programme; 2) a competition to select the best value Small Modular Reactor design for the UK.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what analysis his Department made of alternatives to the MSI-DSL 30mm gun for deployment on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    In December 2003 a competition was launched to provide the Royal Navy with an improved defensive anti-surface warfare capability with the preference being for an automated 30mm gun system. A number of companies entered the competition, and the MSI ‘Seahawk’ system was eventually chosen on the basis of cost, capability and through life support. The MSI weapon system, now referred to as the Automated Small Calibre Gun (ASCG) System, was subsequently selected for fitting to HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH.

    Four ASCGs will be fitted on QUEEN ELIZABETH.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for workplace inspections by the Health and Safety Executive in the next four years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    HSE’s Spending Review 15 funding is based upon achieving growth in commercial income and delivery of planned efficiency savings which will enable HSE to seek to maintain current levels of its core regulatory activities including workplace inspections over the next four years.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Jobcentre Plus staff follow the guidance on newly recognised refugees applying for welfare benefits so as to ensure that those refugees are not left without support.

    Damian Hinds

    We have recently carried out an analysis of the information and instructions available to DWP staff handling claims from refugees and a number of improvements have been made to instructions as a result. These changes have been accompanied by an alert to staff.

    Jobcentre Plus leaders use a Quality Assurance Framework as a tool to support their work coaches deliver a quality service. This includes a Quality Assurance Standards observation process, which is used by managers to regularly observe interviews with claimants; this observation includes ensuring specific support for refugees is provided.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there are any remaining staff on the former SSI site responsible for environmental management; what estimate she has made of the number of staff responsible for environmental management who are no longer employed; and what assessment she has made of the minimum level of environmental staffing required.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Environment Agency has been working closely with the Official Receiver in order to ensure that the site is being safely overseen by staff under his direction. Whilst staffing matters are for the Official Receiver to decide, the Environment Agency are in regular contact with staff overseeing the former SSI site and do not have any concerns with regards to their environment management.

  • 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 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech of 11 January 2016, on life chances, how the £400 million funding for community and home mental health teams will be allocated.

    George Freeman

    Funding announced by the Prime Minister on 11 January 2016 for mental health crisis response and home treatment teams will be allocated through clinical commissioning group baseline funding. The allocations will be in line with the net cost agreed as part of the spending review process.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total volume of milk supplied to schools in (1) 1986, and (2) 2015.

    Lord Nash

    Information on the total volume of milk supplied to schools in 1986 and 2015 is not held centrally.

    The School Food Standards require that milk is made available to all pupils. Where milk is served as part of lunch, it is provided free to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 and to pupils of all ages who are eligible for free school meals.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received from Nottinghamshire County Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund on the proposed closure of the DH Lawrence Heritage Centre in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.

    David Evennett

    To date, the department has not received any representations from Nottinghamshire County Council or the Heritage Lottery Fund on this matter.

    An options study into the future of the Centre, funded by Arts Council England, is currently being carried out. The Heritage Lottery Fund will continue discussions with the owners, Broxtowe Borough Council, and Arts Council England once this study is complete.

  • Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the level of support offered through the Contract for Difference for Hinkley Point C as a result of low wholesale energy prices.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Contract for Difference mechanism provides increased price certainty to generators regardless of wholesale electricity sale prices, thereby incentivising investment in low carbon generation. It does this by paying the generator the difference between the strike price and the market reference price (a composite of wholesale price indices) for electricity sold into the market for the duration of the contract. The generator will make difference payments back to the Low Carbon Contracts Company should the market reference price rise above the strike price.

    The strike price for the Hinkley Point C project was agreed in October 2013 and is £92.50/MWh. If EDF take a Final Investment Decision in relation to Sizewell C, the strike price for Hinkley Point C will be reduced to £89.50/MWh.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 12 February (HL5949), based on the UNHCR assessment of the number and needs of unaccompanied children in conflict regions, what is their estimate of (1) the number, and (2) the needs, of unaccompanied children from Sudan and South Sudan.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government is not in a position to comment on the number or needs of unaccompanied children in particular countries. All asylum seeking children who arrive in the UK and are unaccompanied are referred to a local authority. Those local authorities hold responsibility for assessing their needs and providing services based on the outcome of the assessment.

    The Government is clear about our moral responsibility to assist those who are suffering as a result of conflict and recognises that those fleeing persecution have a legal entitlement to protection. We worked with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to design and launch the ‘Children at Risk’ resettlement scheme. On the UNHCR’s recommendation, the scheme will not target unaccompanied children alone, but will be extended to all ‘Children at Risk’ as defined by the UNHCR who are in the Middle East and North Africa. We have committed to resettling several hundred individuals in the first year with a view to resettling up to 3,000 individuals over the lifetime of this Parliament, the majority of whom will be children.

    As stated above, we cannot comment on the number of children in other countries. However, figures on asylum applications for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in the UK are published quarterly by the Home Office in the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015.

    There were 142 applications for asylum from UASCs, excluding dependants, for nationals of Sudan during 2015. No such applications were received from nationals of South Sudan in 2015. UNHCR have published statistics on estimated numbers of children in countries, including South Sudan. These can be found at: http://data.unhcr.org/SouthSudan/regional.php.