Tag: Andrew Rosindell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many national insurance numbers have been issued to migrants from Eastern European countries in the last two years; how many of those numbers are being used; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel

The available information for the number of foreign nationals registered for national insurance numbers is published and can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started—SuperWEB2.html

Information relating to how many of these National Insurance numbers are being used can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to combat the (a) decline in the use of local shopping centres and (b) fall in employment rates by local shopping centres; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government is committed to helping our high streets and town centres thrive and is supporting them through a billion pound package of investment. This includes:

– targeted tax breaks;

– the doubling of small business rate relief;

– sensible planning changes to allow business to respond flexibly to changing market conditions; and

-taking action to tackle over-zealous parking practices.

As a result, we have seen some very positive signs that our local centres are fighting back. Vacancy rates are in decline, retail sales are up for the 31^st consecutive month and there was encouraging news on footfall over the festive period.

My Department also ran the Great British High Street Competition, which this year received nearly 200,000 votes from the general public. This shows that local people cherish their high streets and that, if the broader retail sector can adapt to their changing needs, it can thrive.

The devolution agenda also provides significant opportunities as we’re ensuring local areas that encourage growth reap the rewards. Councils will keep 100% of local taxes – including all £26 billion from business rates – by the end of this Parliament, providing a much stronger incentive to engage proactively with businesses in their local area.

I am also aware that, in my hon. Friend’s constituency of Romford, local partners are pushing forward a range of exciting and innovative programmes such as the redesign of the local market. This work is regenerating the wider area and creating jobs. I would like to applaud Romford for this work and suggest that others look to follow their example.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners on day release have absconded in the last 12 months.

Andrew Selous

The information requested could not be obtained in the time available. I will write to you in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016, what steps her Department is taking to encourage the development and implementation of low carbon hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

Through the Energy Innovation Programme, DECC is supporting development of hydrogen fuel cell technologies. These technologies may deliver low cost, low carbon heat and power at high efficiency to homes. Following DECC funded technology development, Ceres Power, a UK based company, has recently announced an agreement with Honda R & D Ltd based in Japan, to jointly develop Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for a range of potential power equipment applications. Most current domestic fuel cell technologies can operate on natural gas but will offer better performance, and result in lower GHG emissions, if natural gas is replaced with hydrogen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts during the renegotiation of the terms of UK membership of the EU on EU fisheries policy; and if she will take steps to secure a better outcome for the British fishing industry within that policy.

George Eustice

The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK, so that we get a better deal for the UK and secure our future. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation. We believe we can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.

Separately, the UK continues to pursue effective implementation of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy through full use of the new provisions for regionalised decision making, and including the elimination of the wasteful practice of discarding fish. The UK is also seeking to simplify technical regulations in the fisheries sector, for the benefit of the UK fishing industry and the sustainability of fish stocks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times Russian military (a) aircraft and (b) ships have entered British territory in the last 12 months; what the average response time was for the armed forces on each of those occasions; and what the type and model was of the aircraft or ship on each of those occasions.

Penny Mordaunt

I can confirm that there have been no unauthorised incursions by Russian military aircraft into UK sovereign airspace in the last twelve months.

There have been three authorised Treaty inspection flights by Russian military An-30b aircraft in UK airspace under the auspices of the multi-national Open Skies Treaty. On each occasion the UK received advance notice of the aircraft’s arrival and it was hosted for the duration of its mission at RAF Brize Norton.

For information on Russian naval assets entering UK territorial waters I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 March 2015 by the previous Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mark Francois) to Question number 218391.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the savings to the public purse of the proposed reduction of child benefits paid overseas.

Damian Hinds

The Government’s new settlement means that EU nationals whose children live abroad will ultimately receive Child Benefit at a rate that reflects the conditions – including the standard of living and child benefit paid – of the country where their child lives. This will restore fairness to the system.

Savings relating to the indexation of Child Benefit will be confirmed once the rates have been finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the effect is on the public purse of not annually uprating the UK state pensions of British pensioners living overseas.

Justin Tomlinson

The Government has a clear position, which has remained consistent for around 70 years: UK state pensions are payable worldwide and uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so for example in the European Economic Area or countries where we have bilateral agreements. There are no plans to change this.

Not uprating where there is no legal requirement to do so frees up about £0.5 billion a year which can be used to fund Government priorities in this country.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what mechanisms are included in the proposed EU-Turkey refugee agreement to monitor the use of funds sent to Turkey under the terms of that agreement.

Mr David Lidington

At the March European Council on 17-18 March the EU agreed to speed up disbursement of the €3bn Refugee Facility for Turkey and to mobilise an additional €3bn of EU support once the initial €3bn is used in full. The UK has secured strong Member State oversight as part of the governance arrangements for the Refugee Facility for Turkey and will be an active member of the EU Steering Committee for the Facility. This will deliver development assistance through existing EU instruments to meet the objectives articulated in the EU Turkey Joint Action Plan. The use of these funds will be monitored through existing governance and fiduciary controls.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK economy of the use of helicopter funds by the European Central Bank.

Mr David Gauke

HM Treasury monitor the impact of developments in the global economy, including those in the Euro Area, on an ongoing basis.

To date, the European Central Bank have not implemented “Helicopter Money”. The ECB President noted on March 10 that the ECB “hadn’t really studied the concept”.