UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2016

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he consulted the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before deciding to withdraw funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

    Nick Boles

    The decision by Whitehall Departments to withdraw funding from the UKCES during 2016-17 was taken as part of the spending review given the need to make savings in non-participation budgets to allow the core adult skills participation budgets to be protected in cash terms.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has subsequently been working with the Devolved Administrations on the future arrangements for working together on common issues within the context of our devolved skills systems.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on implementing the recommendations of the whiplash reform programme.

    Dominic Raab

    Further reforms were announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in November. Those reforms will remove the right to compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity from minor whiplash injuries, and reduce legal costs by raising the small claims limit for personal injury claims to £5,000. The government will consult on the detail of these reforms in due course, with a view to implementing them as soon as the necessary legislation is in place.

  • Iain Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Stewart on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the fund to increase the number of degree apprenticeships that he announced on 24 March 2016 will also apply to masters-level apprenticeships.

    Nick Boles

    The fund to increase the number of degree apprenticeships announced on 24 March 2016 applies to developing degree apprenticeships at both level 6 (bachelor’s) and level 7 (master’s).

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32849, how much has been recovered from companies incorporated in each of the British Overseas Territories in each year since 2009-10.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs does not hold the requested information. The information requested is not available in this format.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that armed forces recruits aged between 16 and 19 without a GCSE in mathematics or English are prepared for later life outside the armed forces.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides Service personnel with a range of educational, learning and development opportunities with our Learning Centres employing English and mathematics tutors who are employed to teach in numeracy and literacy. Over 95% of recruits are enrolled into an Apprenticeship Programme each year, regardless of their age, which ensures that Service personnel gain a Level 2 in numeracy and literacy. This is the equivalent of a GCSE.

    It is an Ofsted goal that we encourage our people to achieve maths and English GCSE. The Ministry of Defence does actively encourage our Personnel to gain GCSE maths and English, and provides many opportunities for them to do this in their career with classes run in learning and development centres using part time Service instructors; or using distance learning programmes for exams sat on operational units and in shore bases.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries were open in England in each year since 2010.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    I am responding as Minister with responsibility for Libraries policy.

    Data relating to public libraries is collected and published annually in December by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. The following table indicates the number of library service points within the statutory public library services of local authorities that are open ten or more hours per week, as at 31 March for each year.

    Total number of public libraries in England open 10+ hours per week

    2010

    3,428

    2011

    3,393

    2012

    3,243

    2013

    3,181

    2014

    3,142

    2015

    3,076

    The Libraries Taskforce recently commissioned from local authorities in England basic data regarding the numbers and types of public libraries available within each local authority. The data will assist the library sector and users to monitor the delivery of library services.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will ask Ofcom to review communications markets definitions to reflect the role of data as an effective proxy for payment, particularly in regard to the standard SSNIP test.

    Matt Hancock

    As the independent communications regulator it is for Ofcom to determine how it should approach the issue of defining communications markets and how it applies the standard SSNIP test. Ofcom does already take into account developments such as the role of advertising and the role of data as proxy for payments in the course of carrying out its duties and will continue to do so in its assessments of market power and its analysis of competition.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to update planning guidance on using money from Section 106 agreements to fund flood prevention projects.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government is investing in flood protection at record levels, with an unprecedented 6-year commitment of £2.3 billion in more than 1,500 projects to better protect an additional 300,000 homes by 2021.

    National planning policy is designed to protect people and property from flooding. Local planning authorities are expected to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk. In addition government guidance is clear that policies for seeking section 106 planning obligations should be set out in Local Plans or neighbourhood plans to enable fair and open testing of the policies at examination.

    Mitigation measures to make development acceptable in flood risk areas can be made a requirement of any planning consent. All local planning authorities are expected to follow the strict tests set out in national planning policy and guidance. Where these tests are not met, national policy is very clear that new development should not be allowed.

    The Government’s preferred approach for enabling developer contributions to infrastructure is the Community Infrastructure Levy, which is faster and more transparent than individually negotiated section 106 agreements. The Levy can fund infrastructure requirements where they are most needed across an area. Legislation and Government guidance specifies that flood defences form part of the infrastructure that can be funded in this way. More than 100 authorities currently charge the Levy and well over 100 more have made substantive progress towards doing so.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to publish his response to the results of his Department’s consultation on tips, gratuities, service and cover charges; and whether he plans that that response will include proposals for reform of those payments.

    Nick Boles

    The Government received 183 responses to the investigation into tipping. We are looking closely at the evidence that was submitted and considering the available options. We will consider whether any further action is required and publish our response in due course.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) UK Permanent Representative to the UN in preparing for debate in April 2016 at the UN General Assembly on Road Safety.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport has been working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to arrange for a UK representative to attend the UN General Assembly debate scheduled for April 2016 on Road Safety as a result of the Second Global Conference in Brasilia in 2015. I expect that the UK representative will be Lord Robertson of Port Ellen and I intend to meet with him shortly.