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Tag: 2016

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many days it took his Department to answer hon. Members’ correspondence on average in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015 and (d) 2016.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Cabinet Office publishes information on the performance of Departments and agencies on handling correspondence from hon. Members and peers annually by way of a written statement.

    The information for the years that is available, 2013 and 2014, are in the Official Record (13 May 2014: Column 17WS and 3 Jun 2015: Column 15WS, respectively).

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much EU (a) 7th Framework Programme and (b) Horizon 2020 funding has been provided to (i) universities, (ii) other research institutions and (iii) small businesses in the UK in each of the last five years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The figures requested are set out below. These reflect the full value of grant agreements signed in each calendar year, not the money received in that year.

    Higher and Secondary Education Organisations (HES) agreed funding (€):

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    FP7

    832,679,583

    923,451,655

    1,017,766,046

    390,441,742

    22,102,754

    Horizon 2020

    178,789,606

    910,814,167

    Non-profit Research organisations (REC) agreed funding (€):

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    FP7

    109,612,016

    78,523,761

    107,290,576

    38,249,216

    1,469,761

    Horizon 2020

    48,957,471

    140,977,361

    All Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) agreed funding (€):

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    FP7

    127,491,096

    180,348,365

    229,312,029

    39,929,247

    241,625

    Horizon 2020

    49,215,444

    219,693,279

    Please note that the SME figures may include some HES or REC organisations.

    The variation in the figures across the years in part reflects the fact that calls are competitively bid for and vary considerably in the amount of funding available; and in part the fact that the FP7 budget was back-loaded, with increasing amounts of money available to award as grants in the final two years of the programme (2012-2013). In contrast, relatively few grants were awarded in the first year of Horizon 2020 (2014), which thereafter is due to run with annual budgets larger than those available to FP7.

    Overall, the UK was the second biggest recipient of EU research funding under FP7, and remains so under Horizon 2020.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Navy has deployed any unmanned maritime systems for the purpose of (a) anti-submarine and (b) port and harbour security.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Royal Navy currently deploys unmanned systems to enhance maritime surveillance and improve situational awareness in a number of air and sea environments.

    I am withholding further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

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

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total amount paid in compensation to people affected by the High Speed 2 project was in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The total amount paid for land and property to people affected by the HS2 project in the last twelve months is £125,953,179 with a further £3,345,403 in compensation payments associated with the statutory blight regime. The combined total expenditure in the past 12 months was £129,298,582.

    The monthly expenditure in the last year was as follows:

    Month

    Land and Property Expenditure

    Statutory Blight Compensation

    Sep-15

    £5,296,600

    £444,072

    Oct-15

    £6,781,500

    £436,980

    Nov-15

    £10,988,700

    £321,579

    Dec-15

    £12,969,010

    £490,082

    Jan-16

    £8,581,370

    £474,675

    Feb-16

    £8,856,450

    Mar-16

    £15,201,825

    £251,119

    Apr-16

    £12,030,678

    £346,051

    May-16

    £7,624,530

    £237,814

    Jun-16

    £11,032,550

    £242,986

    Jul-16

    £15,309,681

    £5,604

    Aug-16

    £11,280,285

    £94,441

    Total

    £125,953,179

    £3,345,403

  • Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for how long his Department plans that the Lifetime ISA will be on offer.

    Jane Ellison

    The Lifetime ISA will be available from April 2017. This is a long-term savings product and there will be no limit on how long people are able to hold funds in a Lifetime ISA for. The Government intends this to be a long-term reform and has no plans to limit the time that Lifetime ISAs will be available.

  • Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department plans to provide to ensure that proposed biomass combined heat and power schemes are not affected by changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    To be eligible for Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) support, all biomass combined heat and power (CHP) must be certified by the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance (CHPQA) scheme, and must demonstrate that they have a valid CHPQA certificate. Any installation claiming the CHP Renewable Obligation Certificate uplift will not be eligible for receiving support under the RHI scheme.

    We intend to reform the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to improve value for money and reduce costs; improve cost control and budget management; and ensure the scheme focuses more on our long-term needs, while contributing to both our carbon and renewable energy targets. We plan to consult on the changes shortly. Therefore, I am unable to make specific commitments as to the future shape of the scheme at this point.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) Clearsprings (Management) Ltd and (b) Clearsprings (Ready Homes) Ltd are under investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is legally prohibited from discussing the tax affairs of identifiable businesses.

    Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue & Customs Act 2005 imposes a duty of confidentiality upon officers of HMRC which means they are unable to disclose information which relates to functions of HMRC. This includes any specific action taken in response to information provided.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons staff of academy chains are not considered as public servants.

    Edward Timpson

    Staff at academies are employees of academy trusts, companies limited by guarantee with charitable status. Whilst academy trusts are classified as public sector bodies, their staff are not employees of the Crown.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will consider extending the exemptions that exist in the sea fishing industry to self-employed workers seeking Skills Funding Agency support for apprenticeships in the construction industry.

    Nick Boles

    Under Apprenticeship Frameworks, there are very specific instances where an apprentice is able to undertake an apprenticeship without being employed; where they are made redundant and where they are in an occupation that does not traditionally have an employer. In order to facilitate apprenticeships under these circumstances, specifically where employers do not exist, Government has provided funding to cover training and support. Fewer than 2000 apprenticeship starts fall under these conditions each year, of which fewer than 40 are in the sea fishing industry.

    The role of an employer in an apprenticeship, where possible, is considered vital and ensures the apprentice receives appropriate training, pay and support during their apprenticeship programme. The Government is therefore not considering widening exemptions that exist into other sectors at this time.

  • Mike Weir – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mike Weir – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the pension schemes of abolished non-departmental public bodies which lay within his Department’s remit efficiently discharge their liabilities to pensioners.

    Nick Boles

    The majority of the Department’s non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) contribute into existing multi-employer schemes, these include the PCSPS and Research Council Pension Scheme. Individuals also have the option to contribute to a partnership pension scheme operated by selected pension companies. In both these cases the responsibility to make payments to pensioners lies with the scheme, and not with the individual employer.

    Where an individual NDPB operating its own scheme was to be abolished, as part of that process a decision would be made whether it was appropriate to transfer the liability to the Department or to transfer that scheme to the management of the Cabinet Office.