Tag: 2016

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what national targets for housebuilding are expected to be reflected in Local Plans.

    Brandon Lewis

    This Government does not set national housing targets. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that Local Plans should meet the full, objectively assessed needs for housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the Framework. As part of this, local authorities should identify, and update annually, a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years of housing against their housing requirements. Local authorities also have a duty to cooperate on strategic planning priorities such as providing the homes that are needed.

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the electrification of the Hull to Selby rail line; and what his provisional timeline is for those works to be completed.

    Paul Maynard

    The government is currently considering the case for electrification of the line between Selby and Hull in light of the intention by Hull First Trains to invest in a new bi-mode fleet. The government will announce its decision in due course.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect of civil service redundancies in the last 12 months on the effectiveness of departments’ work.

    Matthew Hancock

    To remain the best in the world, the Civil Service needs to respond to both the challenges and opportunities of our times.The Civil Service continues to require new and different skills to respond to the fiscal environment, global competition and changes in technology, whilst at the same time delivering better services more efficiently: in short, doing more for less.

    The size of the Civil Service has already reduced by 20% since March 2010 and has helped save taxpayers £2.8bn over the last Parliament. Despite this reduction in numbers, employee engagement rates were higher in 2015 than in 2010 and departments have successfully maintained delivery of our public services.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the total public expenditure on the UK space industry over the course of this Parliament.

    Joseph Johnson

    The allocation for the UK Space Agency for 2015/16 is £370.5 million with £302 million to be invested through the European Space Agency, £65 million to be invested on international programmes and £3.5 million on administration. In addition, £37 million was invested on space with the Met Office. Future allocations up to the end of the Parliament will be published in due course alongside the wider allocations of the science and research budget.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Parliament will be involved in the scrutiny of any proposals for changes to systems of Islamic finance in the UK following the outcome of the Bank of England’s consultation.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Bank of England will decide whether or not to establish a Shari’ah compliant liquidity facility in light of feedback to its consultation from the market and other relevant stakeholders. None of the proposals in the consultation are expected to require a change to primary legislation. Once the Bank of England has concluded, the Government will consider whether there is a need for Parliament to review legislation in relation to Islamic Finance in the UK more widely.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s current projections are for Government annual spending on the (a) Cycle City Ambition Grant, (b) Bikeability cycle training, (c) Highways England Funding, (d) Access Funds and (e) any other under the cycling and walking strategy programmes for each of the next five years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The projected budgets for the next five years for the (a) Cycle City Ambition Grant, (b) Bikeability cycle training, (c) Highways England Funding and (d) Access Funds are as follows:

    Programme

    Total

    Cycle Cities Ambition grant

    £99m

    Bikeability cycle training grant

    £50m

    Highways England Fund

    £85m

    Sustainable Travel Transition Year / Access Fund

    £80m

    Much more widely, however, other Government funding streams will also contribute to projects which will deliver improved cycling and walking. Through the Local Growth Fund, an investment of at least £476m is planned by local enterprise partnerships for cycling infrastructure.

    From the Integrated Transport Block funding, local authorities will use £194m to invest in cycling and walking.

    Regarding highways maintenance, from 2018/19 the plan is to change the formula used to allocate local highways maintenance capital funding so that it also takes into account footways and cycleways as well as the roads, bridges and street lighting, which it is currently based on. Once implemented, around 9% of the funding for local highways maintenance will be based on footway and cycleway lengths and equates to £196m.

    In addition, a record £6bn will be spent on tackling potholes and improving local roads between 2015 and 2021, which will benefit all road users, including cyclists.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many free schools are in temporary accommodation.

    Edward Timpson

    As at 23 May 2016, 110 free schools were in some form of temporary accommodation. Some of these schools will be open in temporary accommodation on their permanent site as part of a phased transition.

    Opening free schools in temporary accommodation has ensured that we have been able to meet a need for places and support free school trusts to open much needed new schools at the earliest opportunity.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) provisional overall pass rate was for key stage 2 reading in 2016 and (b) overall pass rate for key stage 2 reading was in each of the preceding four years.

    Nick Gibb

    The percentage of pupils who achieved the expected standard (a scaled score of 100 or above) in reading at Key Stage 2 (KS2) in 2016 is 66%. This is published as part of the “National curriculum assessments at KS2 in England, 2016 (interim)”[1] statistical first release (SFR).

    Children sitting KS2 tests in 2016 were the first to be taught and assessed under the new National Curriculum, tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard has also been raised. The Head of Profession for Statistics has made clear that due to these changes the expected standard this year is not comparable with the expected standard used in previous years’ statistics; it would be incorrect and misleading to make direct comparisons showing changes over time.

    The expected standard under the previous system was the percentage of pupils achieving level 4 or above. Performance against this standard for previous years is published in table 1 of the “National curriculum assessments: key stage 2, 2015 (revised)”[2] SFR.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534573/SFR30_2016_text.pdf

    [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2015-revised

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  • Andrew Selous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Selous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Selous on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department makes of whether an adult should continue to have a benefit appointee.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Secretary of State confirms that a claimant requires an appointee if we receive unequivocal medical evidence as to the claimant’s capacity to manage their benefit claim or if, as in the vast majority of cases, the visiting officer, through a series of questions relating to the comprehension of claiming and managing a benefit award, will reach a conclusion as to their capacity to act for themselves. This is specifically a benefit-related capacity assessment and not a mental capacity assessment.

    Once someone has been appointed, they will remain in that role until (a) they wish to relinquish it (b) they themselves lose capacity (c) the claimant regains capacity or (d) they abuse their position by not acting in the best interests of the claimant and the appointment is revoked. This latter requirement is stressed to the prospective appointee when the appointment is being considered and they are required to sign form BF56 to confirm that they understand their responsibilities. The Department also has a review system in place.

    The vast majority of revocations of an appointeeship occur because of information received from a third party alleging financial abuse which is subsequently confirmed on investigation.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number and value of projects funded by the Landfill Communities Fund in each of the last five years.

    Damian Hinds

    Information on projects funded by the Landfill Communities Fund is published by the regulator of the fund, ENTRUST. This information is available on their website at:

    http://www.entrust.org.uk/environmental-bodies/project-search/

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