Tag: 2016

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funding his Department has provided for big data projects in the last 10 years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government recognises the potential of Big Data and is taking steps to ensure the UK is at the forefront of research and innovation in this field.

    Figures are only available from 2011, and since that time, the Government has invested over £520 million in developing the UK’s big data and high-performance computing capital infrastructure.

    This includes major investments in specialist centres such as the Alan Turing Institute, the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, the Higgs Centre for Innovation, and the Hartree Centre at the Daresbury Science & Innovation Campus.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Strategic Advisory Group for the Research Councils will be established, what will be its membership, and what are its terms of reference.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government encourages Research Councils to work closely with other Research Councils and their communities. With regards to the Global Challenges Research Fund, Research Councils are establishing an advisory group – as they do with other areas of research. Details of the group can be found on the Research Councils UK website: http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/media/news/160526/.

    “

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

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many postgraduate students in England were enrolled in two-year masters’ degree courses to study (1) applied art and design, (2) art and design, (3) drama, (4) media, film or TV, (5) music, (6) dance, (7) performing arts, and (8) design and technology, in (a) 2009–10, (b) 2010–11, (c) 2011–12, (d) 2012–13, (e) 2013–14, (f) 2014–15, and (g) 2015–16.

    Earl of Courtown

    Information on enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), and the latest academic year for which data are available is 2014/15.

    The Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) is the classification of subjects used by HESA. The specific breakdown of subjects requested is not available using the JACS classification, so a breakdown of the Creative Arts and Design category has been provided as an alternative.

    The government is for the first time introducing a new £10,000 master’s loan to support those wishing to progress into postgraduate study.

    First year enrolments1 to two-year masters2 degree courses in Creative Arts and Design subjects. English3 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Academic years 2009/10 to 2014/15:

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    Fine art

    625

    610

    700

    630

    695

    700

    Design studies

    1,025

    1,135

    1,090

    1,085

    1,225

    1,125

    Music

    710

    700

    680

    675

    680

    630

    Drama

    165

    190

    205

    250

    230

    255

    Dance

    55

    45

    45

    35

    65

    50

    Cinematics & photography

    350

    335

    370

    445

    375

    200

    Crafts

    15

    15

    20

    5

    20

    10

    Imaginative writing

    400

    360

    380

    495

    370

    345

    Others in creative arts & design

    90

    120

    105

    125

    90

    110

    Total (Creative arts & design)

    3,425

    3,515

    3,595

    3,745

    3,750

    3,425

    Total (all subjects)

    39,200

    32,995

    35,475

    33,630

    32,885

    33,965

    Source: BIS analysis of the HESA Student Record

    Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest 5.

    1. Figures are Full-Person-Equivalents (FPE), so if someone is jointly studying Fine art and Design studies, they would count as 0.5 FPE within each category.

    2. Figures relate to students with an expected study length of less than or equal to two years, but more than one year.

    3. For consistency across years, the Open University is counted as an English HEI.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people in the UK who have been trafficked.

    Sarah Newton

    The Home Office and Ministry of Justice jointly fund the Adult Victims of Modern Slavery Care and Coordination Contract in England and Wales. Since July 2011, The Salvation Army has been delivering this service. The total Government funding over this period has been:

    Year

    Funding

    2011-2012

    (July-June)

    £2.3 million

    2012-2013

    (Jul-Jun)

    £3.8 million

    2013-2014

    (July-June)

    £3.9 million

    2014-2015

    (July -March)

    £4 million

    2015-2016

    (April -March)

    £9 million

    The Home Office estimates that in 2013 there were between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK.

    In 2015 there were 3,266 of victims of human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – the UK’s framework for referring and supporting victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.

    In addition, 427 potential victims of modern slavery were identified in England and Wales via the “duty to notify” requirement which requires specified public bodies to report to the Government all potential adult victims of modern slavery encountered in England and Wales who do not wish to be referred to the NRM. Similar provisions will shortly be in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what process there is for updating victims on the progress of a prisoner’s appeal.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the honourable member to the answer given to PQ 19160 on 15 December 2015.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-02-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what amount of funding the European Court of Auditors has recorded as having been misspent in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

    Mr David Gauke

    The European Court of Auditors prepares an annual audit report on the EU Budget which is published each year in November in relation to the previous EU financial year, running from January to December. This includes an estimated ‘error rate’ in relation to EU budget payments made which were not in compliance with EU regulatory requirements.

    The latest audit report available, published in November 2015, relates to the financial year 2014.

    The 2014 report can be consulted at the following link:

    http://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/annualreports-2014/annualreports-2014-EN.pdf

    “

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Turkey since the recent terrorist bombing in Ankara; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government condemns the attacks in Ankara on 13 March and in Istanbul on 19 March. The UK stands in solidarity with Turkey, a NATO ally and valued partner for the UK. As noted in our travel advice, the threat from terrorism remains high, with the Kurdish separatist PKK, Daesh and other terrorist organisations continuing to plan and carry out attacks. The UK condemns terrorism in all its forms, and is clear that PKK terrorist attacks must end. We welcome Turkey’s invaluable contribution to the international campaign against Daesh as a member of the Global Coalition committed to defeating it.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to allow the exchange of tax information of UK-listed companies with developing countries.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK supports efforts to improve tax transparency. We initiated international work on country-by-country (CbC) reporting during our G8 Presidency in 2013, calling on the OECD to develop a framework for CbC reporting to tax authorities as part of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. This important initiative will enhance transparency between business and tax authorities, including those of developing countries.

    The UK has published regulations on 26 February 2016 implementing the OECD CbC reporting framework.

    We have also signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement which allows from the automatic exchange of the OECD CbC reports between relevant tax authorities. All countries are free to enter into international agreements so that they can exchange reports under the Multilateral Convention, bilateral double tax conventions or tax information exchange agreements.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to increase the percentage of fuel made from used cooking oil and other waste products.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) was amended in 2011 to provide double reward for biofuels derived from wastes.

    Since the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) was established waste based biofuels have risen from 12% of total biofuel supply in the first year of the obligation 2008/09, to 50% based on the latest full year’s data for 2014/15 (Biofuels Statistics obligation year 7 2015/16 – Report 6). According to our latest but incomplete dataset, covering 2015/16, waste based biofuels have risen to 54% of total biofuel supply (Biofuels Statistics obligation year 8 2015/16 – Report 3).

    Used cooking oil from the UK was the most widely reported source under the RTFO for biodiesel in 2014/15 (by feedstock and country of origin) making up 19%. The latest available (incomplete) data for 2015/16 suggests used cooking oil from the UK has risen to 24% of biodiesel.

    In addition we have made available a total of £25 million in match-funded grants to construct three demonstration scale advanced biofuel plants in Swindon, Tees Valley and Grangemouth. These projects will convert low value waste to high value transport fuel.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they provide to refugees before they are settled in the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The UN High Commission for Refugees counsels refugees before they are resettled to the UK.

    Additional advice is provided through cultural orientation sessions with practical information about life in the UK and rights and responsibilities.