Tag: 2016

Karen Lumley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Lumley on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much revenue has been retained as a result of refunds for cancelled vehicle tax only being given for any full months of remaining tax since October 2014.

Andrew Jones

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has always issued refunds of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for any full, unexpired months remaining. This is a legal requirement and did not change when the paper tax disc was abolished in October 2014.

In the financial year 2014/15, the DVLA collected £6 billion in VED and paid £216 million in refunds. The amount of VED refunded in the previous financial year was £197 million.

January 1, 2023
Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many ministerial visits the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has made since 14 July 2016.

Ben Gummer

Further to the question asked by the Hon Member of 7 September 2016, Official Report, Column 321, I would add that my Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Derbyshire Dales, is a Minister of the Crown and a member of the Cabinet. He will attend a number of Cabinet Committees, which will be published in due course, and has duties directly related to the Duchy of Lancaster. The List of Ministerial Responsibilities will also be published in due course. He does not receive a Ministerial salary from public funds. Details of Private Office staff will be accounted for as part of the regular transparency data on gov.uk. The Government publishes on a quarterly basis details of Ministerial visits overseas. All Ministers have access to the Government Car Service for official travel.

My Rt Hon Friend also serves as the Party Chairman of the Conservative Party. Such arrangements are no different from the likes of Charles Clarke, Ian McCartney and Hazel Blears, all of whom held the posts of Minister Without Portfolio and Labour Party Chair under the last Labour Government.

I would also observe that under the Thatcher and Major Governments, senior figures such as Norman Tebbit, Kenneth Baker and Chris Patten served as both Chairman of the Conservative Party and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

January 1, 2023
Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-19.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the UK’s policy is on requiring that Greece obtain debt relief before supporting future IMF lending to that country.

Mr David Gauke

Greece’s euro area support programme is a matter for Greece and the euro area. But it is strongly in our interest to see a stable euro area and a sustainable solution to these issues. For the IMF to grant a new programme to Greece, a proposal must be approved by the IMF Board. For a proposal to be put to the IMF Board, conditions under the Exceptional Access policy must be met. As part of these conditions, debt must be considered sustainable with high probability under the IMF programme.

January 1, 2023
Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Written Statement of 25 March 2014, 9WS, whether it is still the Government’s policy not to grant an arms license if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Anna Soubry

The framework for arms export licensing remains as set out in the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, known as the Consolidated Criteria. All licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated Criteria. A licence would not be granted if to do so would be a breach of the Criteria, including if there was a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.

January 1, 2023
Baroness Rebuck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Rebuck on 2016-02-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which literacy charities they have provided with funding over the last five years, and how much funding they have provided in each case.

Lord Nash

We have undertaken a thorough search of our records in the Department for Education and contacted the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for International Development, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Department for Health and the Ministry of Justice. The list below sets out the results of this search:

The National Literacy Trust – £1,485,145

Centre for Literacy in Primary Education – £1,450

Book Trust – £34,716,302

The Reading Agency – £2,652,880

Developments in Literacy Trust UK – £249,995

The government is committed to improving literacy. We have introduced a new, more rigorous national curriculum which includes greater focus on reading. The national curriculum for English places a greater focus on reading and requires pupils to study a range of books, poems and plays to develop a life-long love of literature. Through reading and writing pupils will have an opportunity to develop intellectually, spiritually and socially, and develop a life-long love of culture.

Between September 2011 and October 2013, the Department for Education provided £23.7 million in match funding to over 14,000 primary schools, enabling them to buy systematic synthetic phonics products and training. In 2012 we introduced a phonics screening check at age 6 so that teachers can intervene early to help children catch up with their reading.

In November 2015 we announced the introduction of a year 7 resit test for pupils who did not achieve the expected standard at key stage 2 in reading or maths. Since September 2014 we have required 16-19 year olds not holding good passes in GCSE maths to continue to work towards them. This resulted in 7,500 more students aged 17 and above securing A*-C GCSE Maths last summer.

January 1, 2023
Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports she has received on alleged river and soil pollution in Zambia by the UK firm Vedanta Resources.

Justine Greening

Vedenta Resources has no formal relationship with our DFID Zambia office.

January 1, 2023

Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the NHS budget spent on general practice in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

NHS England has confirmed that the funding it invests in general practice will increase by an average of 4.5% each year from 2016/17 to 2020/21.

The below table shows the proportion of spend on general practice for each of the last five years for which data is available. The figures for spend on general practice are taken from the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s Investment in General Practice 2011-2015 report, which is the most comprehensive source of data on investment in general practice. The NHS Revenue Expenditure data is taken from the Department’s accounts.

2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
NHS Revenue Expenditure under Clear Line of Sight Rules (£ billion)	97.47	100.27	102.57	106.5	110.56
Spend on general practice (£ billion)	8.350	8.397	8.459	8.766	9.001
Spend on General Practice as a proportion of total	8.6%	8.4%	8.2%	8.2%	8.1%

January 1, 2023

Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will raise with the responsible Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive the ways in which the National Citizen Service will be promoted in Northern Ireland in the next five years immediately after the forthcoming elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mr Rob Wilson

The ‘Northern Ireland Executive‘ has committed to continue to deliver National Citizen Service (NCS) over the next three years and has appointed a provider to deliver the programme – Co-operation Ireland. The marketing and promotion of NCS in Northern Ireland will be the responsibility of Co-operation Ireland.

January 1, 2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether a decision has been made by the Gambling Commission, his Department and the Remote Gambling Association about who will manage the online multi-operator self-exclusion scheme when it is established.

David Evennett

All individual gambling operators are required by their licence conditions to put in place procedures for self-exclusion.

In May 2015, the Gambling Commission introduced a new licence condition which also requires online gambling operators, other than certain society lottery operators, to participate in a national online self-exclusion scheme once it is developed and available.

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) is currently developing the online multi-operator self-exclusion scheme on behalf of the online sector.

January 1, 2023
Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals for the mandatory provision of accessible toilets by all public organisations and private businesses for their customers and service users.

Gavin Barwell

Part M of the Building Regulations requires that reasonable provision is made for accessible toilets in buildings other than dwellings, where relevant types of building work are undertaken (typically the erection, extension or alteration of a building). Statutory guidance as to how that requirement can be met is contained in Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings. Section 5 of the Approved Document provides detailed guidance on suitable toilet and sanitary accommodation. Government has no current plans to amend these requirements, but will keep guidance on toilet provision under review.

For existing public and commercial buildings, the Equality Act 2010 places duties on building owners, employers and business operators to put in place suitable management practices and to make reasonable adjustments to physical features of buildings in order to ensure that disabled people are not placed at a disadvantage when compared to a non-disabled person. This includes consideration of the nature and availability of toilet provision.

January 1, 2023