The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have compensated those members of the Ulster Defence Regiment who underwent target practice without ear muffs; and if not, why not.
Earl Howe
Yes, although some claims remain under consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-02-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) primary and (b) secondary policy purposes are of research and development tax credits.
Mr David Gauke
R&D tax credits support businesses to invest in Research & Development (R&D). They play a key role in the Government’s objective to have a tax system that supports productive investment. A 2015 evaluation by HM Revenue and Customs found that each £1 of tax foregone by R&D tax credits stimulates between £1.53 and £2.35 of additional R&D investment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2015 to Question 11029, whether assessment of the necessary infrastructure adaptations to update the facilities at HM Naval Base Clyde and Royal Naval Armament Depot Coulport has been completed.
Mr Philip Dunne
Assessments are currently under way to inform decisions and refine programme costs of the individual projects at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde and Royal Naval Armament Depot Coulport.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible role of the contraceptive chemical E22, which is resistant to water purification techniques, in the increase in number of freshwater and coastal water fish bearing both male and female sexual organs.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
In the UK, environmental regulators, scientific experts and the water industry have been researching the link between the synthetic steroid, 17α-ethinyloestradiol (EE2, used in human oral contraception) and fish populations to understand the role of endocrine disrupting chemicals on the reproductive physiology of fish. Most work has focused on EE2 which has been measured in some of our rivers and downstream of sewage treatment works (STWs); this matches findings in other countries.
Based on scientific evidence from the UK and in Europe, there is reasonable certainty that very low concentrations of EE2 can cause feminisation (intersex condition) in male fish. The incidence of intersex seems to relate to the size of the STWs and the dilution ability of receiving waters. In the UK, fish inhabit comparatively small-sized rivers where limited dilution of EE2 occurs. Conventional STWs can remove EE2 from sewage, but not to the very low levels of less than one nanogramme per litre (ng/L) where no endocrine disrupting effects are predicted. In some cases the impact on fish populations remains unclear, and some affected populations appear to be self-sustaining.
In 2014, EE2 was included on the European Commission’s ‘watch list’ under the Water Framework Directive to gather information on its occurrence in surface waters across the European Union. Data will be reported by the UK and other Member States, and reviewed by the Commission throughout 2017 to assess whether this pharmaceutical is to be prioritised for monitoring and control and is to be included in future versions of the Directive.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-28.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what communication his Department had with the EU Commission when developing the rules of the revised community amateur sports club scheme (a) in general and (b) on the implications of the Commission’s view as expressed in State Aid SA.38208 (2014/NN) that tax relief to member-owned golf clubs does not constitute state aid.
Damian Hinds
The new regulations for CASCs were introduced on 1 April 2015. All the changes made were necessary to reinforce the original spirit of the scheme requiring clubs to be open to the whole community, with the promotion of participation in sport as their main purpose.
The Government consulted widely with the sector on all the changes to the scheme. It was aware that there was confusion about the meaning of participation prior to the consultation period for the new regulations. Responses to the consultation were mostly supportive of the 12 times a year rule for participation.
The scheme does not permit clubs to impose fees which are a significant obstacle to membership. The vast majority of CASCs charge less than £520 for annual membership. To make membership more accessible, clubs with higher costs associated with membership are required to make provisions for those who can’t afford to pay more than £520 a year. If no suitable arrangements are made this club is not able to be a CASC because it is not considered to be open to the whole community.
During the development of the new CASC regulations the Government was aware of State aid complaint SA.38208 (2014/NN). At the time, the Government was only asked to provide a response to the complaint. The Government provided this response, explaining why the CASC scheme was not State aid. The Commission’s subsequent ruling confirmed this view.
Since the introduction of the new regulations all CASCs were given a 12-month period of grace to make any necessary changes to remain in the scheme. The Government wrote to all registered CASCs explaining the new regulations and asked clubs to complete a self-assessment checklist on income, membership and participation levels. They were also asked to contact HMRC if they did not meet the new requirements.
From 1 April 2016, 500 clubs have been deregistered as CASCs, affecting some 35 different types of sport.
Since 2010 there has been a steady increase in the numbers of CASCs registered in the scheme. Although the Government does not yet have figures for clubs registered as at 5 April 2016, the breakdown of figures since 2010 is:
5630 – 5 April 2010
5976 – 5 April 2011
6165 – 5 April 2012
6334 – 5 April 2013
6571 – 5 April 2014
6715 – 5 April 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-13.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Clean Growth have discussed the fifth carbon budget since November 2015; and which departments have been involved in those meetings.
Mr Oliver Letwin
I chair an inter-ministerial group on Clean Growth, which considers issues relating to air quality and de-carbonisation, where these have a cross-departmental aspect. The group meets as and when required and its members include ministers and officials from the relevant departments, including Defra, DECC, DfT, DCLG and BIS.
To protect the integrity of the policy-making progress, we do not comment on the specific timing or agendas of cabinet committees or inter-ministerial groups.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Hellfire missiles have been used in Syria and Iraq to date as part of Operation SHADER; and what the cost of the use of those weapons has been to the public purse.
Mike Penning
Between November 2014 and the end of August 2016 there have been 473 Hellfire missiles used in Iraq and Syria as part of Operation SHADER. The estimated cost of the use of these missiles is £44.455 million.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with Sport England on the future of the 3G floodlit 11-a-side football pitch on the former Glenburn Sports College site in Skelmersdale.
Edward Timpson
Ownership of the site of the former Glenburn Sports College is currently under review in the Department. The site was originally owned by Lancashire County Council, and was then transferred to the Glenburn Education Trust when the school became a foundation school.
However, when the school closed earlier this year, the governing body was required under the law to apply for a Secretary of State determination as to the future of the site. No application was made, and in the absence of a determination, the Department is considering a representation from the local authority that the land should revert to them.
Any parties wishing to express an interest in facilities on the site should approach Lancashire County Council in the first instance, though any plans for future use will be for the eventual agreed holder of the site to take forward. The land will continue to be protected under legislation against disposal without the consent of the Secretary of State. As part of considering whether to grant consent, the Secretary of State will consider if the land can be redeployed for education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conditions the FCO and UK Trade and Investment attach to providing support and assistance to companies based in the Crown Dependencies in pursuit of overseas contracts and investment opportunities.
Lord Maude of Horsham
Companies from the Crown Dependencies are able to take advantage of the Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) as a non-subsidised, fully- charged service to commission information from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to assist them in planning and executing their business plans.
UKTI services are provided at a cost to the UK tax-payer. The Crown Dependencies operate under the jurisdiction of their own Administrations, with no business-generated return to the UK Exchequer. Consequently, OMIS provision to companies based in the Crown Dependencies is charged for.
Companies from the Crown Dependencies are not eligible for any subsidised UKTI services, unless they have an active UK trading address and can demonstrate that any support they receive would help them deliver economic benefit to the UK through this trading address.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Fox on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which countries British Service personnel are deployed.
Penny Mordaunt
Overseas tours for military personnel can be broadly grouped into three categories: operational deployments, exercises and longer-term postings.
Operational deployment roles are high readiness deployments anywhere in the world where there is an operational requirement and are not family accompanied. UK military personnel are currently performing these roles in parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the South Atlantic Islands.
The standard tour length for operational deployments can vary greatly depending on the circumstances but is likely to be six months, with some Service personnel serving up to 12 months or longer.
Large-scale exercises are conducted in Belize, Canada and Kenya to provide training for UK military operations. There are a small number of permanent UK military staff posted in each location, and these roles are family accompanied. UK military personnel sent to these locations on exercise are not accompanied by their families.
Permanent or longer-term posted roles or assignments can be family accompanied. Permanent overseas postings which can be family accompanied include Bahrain, Qatar, the USA, Gibraltar, the South Atlantic Islands, the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas and the United Nations Operation TOSCA, Singapore and European countries. Around 4,600 of these posts are family-accompanied.