Tag: 2016

  • 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 discussions she has had with UK electricity generators on the effect on the electricity market of market imported electricity by interconnectors not subject to the carbon price floor.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department has discussed this issue with Energy UK and its members. The Government supports greater interconnection, and Ofgem’s assessment of the impact of importing electricity shows significant benefits to the consumer. The first round of new projects could deliver more than £11.8bn of consumer benefits over 25 years, primarily driven by reductions to the GB electricity wholesale price. Ofgem’s assessment also considered a scenario with no carbon price differential between countries and concluded that this would make no material difference to the business case for these projects.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on preparing a response to the consultation on the post-implementation review of the coroner reforms in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009; and if he will make a statement.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    The post-implementation review of the coroner reforms consultation closed on 31 December 2015. A response to the consultation will be published in due course.

    We received 214 responses to the review from current coronial officer holders. No respondents indicated that they were former coroners.

  • Lord Allen of Kensington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Allen of Kensington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Allen of Kensington on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to bring forward legislation to provide a statutory basis for the independent National Infrastructure Commission.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The National Infrastructure Commission has a crucial role to play in setting out the country’s infrastructure priorities. Since being set up, it has produced three challenging and authoritative reports on smart power, London transport and a long-term strategy for transport in the North, and has recently consulted on its approach to the first National Infrastructure Assessment.

    The government remains fully committed to the Commission and we are considering how it can best support the government’s new industrial strategy.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his policy to take steps towards repeal of the death penalty in states which hold the death penalty.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government’s approach to all states which retain the death penalty is to focus first on suspension of its use as the key step towards permanent abolition. We take a pragmatic approach to achieving that goal. We welcome reforms which improve legal procedures, reduce the number of capital crimes or mitigate some of the cruelties inherent to the death penalty. We fund projects which educate the judiciary, promote reform, mount legal challenges to death penalty systems and stimulate public debate. We engage diplomatically with retentionist states to ensure they are aware of the compelling arguments against the death penalty and of the UK Government’s opposition to any execution. Our assessment is that these approaches are stimulating a long-term movement by states towards abolition.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether RAF personnel have been involved in the running and marketing of the civilian operation at RAF Northolt; how much in staff (a) time and (b) costs is spent on managing and marketing civilian flights; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Our multi-activity contractor runs the Commercial Booking Cell on behalf of the Royal Air Force (RAF), to co-ordinate and book civilian aircraft slots at RAF Northolt. RAF operations and Air Traffic Control staffs are utilised for civilian aircraft movements within the irreducible spare capacity of these areas. From 2011 to 2015 one Executive Officer civil servant spent approximately 20% of their working week undertaking administrative business management functions of commercial bookings. From October 2015, this became a full-time Executive Officer post.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Dogs Trust pilot quarantine on disrupting the illegal importation of puppies under the Pet Travel Scheme.

    George Eustice

    I welcome the Dogs Trust initiative to pay the quarantine costs of dogs and puppies identified at Dover as being not compliant to enter Great Britain under the EU Pet Travel Scheme. Since 2 December 2015, 108 puppies have been licensed into the quarantine facilities, mainly due to concerns that puppies were under the minimum age for travelling.

    The Animal and Plant Health Agency will carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of the initiative following its conclusion.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 1 April (HL7086), what are the annual (1) gross, and (2) net, costs of the UK’s contributions to the EU for each year from 2013 to 2015 inclusive, and why those figures were not provided in that answer.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The outturn figures for gross and net contributions to the EU Budget in the year’s 2013 and 2014 can be found in Table 3B, page 16, of European Union Finances 2015 (Cm 9167), which is easily available in the House library and on gov.uk. Equivalent figures for 2015 are not yet available.

    As shown in Table 3B of European Union Finances 2015 (Cm 9167), the UK’s gross and net contributions in 2013 and 2014 were:

    2013: Gross €17.07 billion Net €10.76 billion (£9.13 billion)

    2014: Gross €14.07 billion Net €7.09 billion (£5.71 billion)

    Equivalent figures for 2015 are not yet available.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has responded to the WHO Ambient Air Pollution Database Update 2016; what assessment she has made of the findings of that update; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    Latest compliance data show that the UK is meeting the EU daily and annual mean limits for particulate matter (PM) concentrations. We continue to monitor compliance with PM limits and to explore options to reduce PM concentrations further across the UK.

    The Government’s ambition is for the UK to have the best natural environment anywhere. Clean air is an essential part of that ambition. In December last year, the Government published the national air quality plan for reducing NO2 concentrations through a new programme of Clean Air Zones, alongside national action and continued investment in clean technologies. These measures will also reduce PM concentrations.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Need to Sell cases in Chesham and Amersham constituency are yet to be finalised.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There are two Need to Sell applications from the Chesham and Amersham constituency which are currently under consideration.

  • Lord Kilclooney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Kilclooney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons born in (1) Poland, and (2) the Republic of Ireland, now live in Northern Ireland.

    Baroness Mobarik

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.