Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have applied for asylum on the basis of sexual orientation; how many of these claims have been unsuccessful; on what grounds those unsuccessful applications were refused in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Home Office is currently undertaking a process to quality assure information on its Case Information Database relating to sexuality based asylum claims.

Until this exercise has concluded it is not possible to provide an accurate picture of the number of asylum claims based solely, or partly on sexuality.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) opportunity for students and (b) universities in general of not having access to the (i) Erasmus and (ii) Interreg programmes after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker

We have been clear that we want to create an environment in which the UK as a whole can continue to be a world leader in research, science and the tertiary education sector more broadly. The government has already announced that UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 funding projects while the UK is a member of the EU and the Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. The Treasury will also guarantee funding for European Territorial Cooperation projects signed before we leave the EU and which continue after we have left, where they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. Horizon 2020 funding supports collaboration between EU Member States or Associated countries.

Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. We will consult with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.

The UK remains a member of the EU until our withdrawal is completed. There is no change to those currently participating in, or about to start, programmes such as Erasmus+ exchanges. Erasmus+ is open to a number of countries across Europe and beyond. We are not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiations, but we will work hard to get the best deal for Britain, its universities, and the wider research sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the qualifying threshold for baseline assessment providers was set at 10 per cent of primary schools.

Nick Gibb

The reception baseline contracts contained a number of criteria for approving suppliers.

The 10 per cent threshold was set to ensure a statistically reliable sample size for each supplier when determining the relative progress measure for each pupil.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November to Question 14860, whether all of the providers approved by her Department to provide baseline assessment for primary schools reached the qualifying 10 per cent threshold for providers by the 30 April 2015 deadline.

Nick Gibb

The contractual acceptance criteria for reception baseline suppliers had two levels related to the volume of schools recruited. If fewer than four suppliers met the 10% threshold, suppliers were still accepted if they had recruited more than 1,000 schools. All approved suppliers met the minimum volume criteria.

The reception baseline contract is published online at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive/contract/1656259/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the size of the (a) solar, (b) wind, (c) offshore wind and (d) renewable heat sector is; and by what proportion she plans for these sectors to grow in the next (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 20 years; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

The latest available data on the size of the low carbon sectors is published in a BIS report on ‘The size and performance of the UK low carbon economy’. The report contains estimates on turnover, Gross Value Added (GVA), number of firms and number of jobs supported by various low carbon sectors. These estimates are presented in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Size of the solar, wind and renewable heat sectors in 2013

Sector	Number of firms	Number of jobs	Turnover (£m)	Gross Value Added (£m)
Solar	2,400	34,400	8,400	3300
Wind	500	32,700	9,800	2,700
Onshore	300	19,000	6,300	1,700
Offshore	200	13,700	3,500	1,000
Renewable heat	2,300	86,000	37,600	17,500
Total	5,200	153,100	55,800	23,500

Note: Renewable heat includes the following sectors: Energy generation from waste and biomass, biomass equipment, geothermal, heat pumps, solar thermal, heat networks and alternative fuels. Some categories also include activity not relating to renewable heat. Jobs, turnover and GVA include supply chain activity.

Source: BIS (March 2015) “The Size and Performance of the UK Low Carbon Economy

Future growth in these sectors will depend upon a number of factors, such as technological development and cost reduction.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) budget to cover both domestic and non-domestic schemes has been confirmed to March 2021, with funding rising each year to £1.15bn in 2020/21. We believe that this is sufficient to heat the equivalent of 500,000 homes. We are planning to reform the RHI with a particular view to improve value for money, reduce cost and improve cost control.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 718W, on AWE Aldermaston, what the final write-off costs were of the cancellation of Project Hydrus at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Michael Fallon

The final write off costs for the termination of Project Hydrus were £117.7 million. The hydrodynamics testing capability will now be delivered through the joint UK and France programme, Project Teutates. Components valued at £71 million which were constructed under Project Hydrus have subsequently been incorporated into Project Teutates.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study covering the establishment of a Brighton Mainline 2; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry

The London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study is examining the strategic case for investment in the Brighton Main Line corridor, and alternate schemes such as the Brighton Main Line 2 concept. Initial findings of the Study were shared with the Department in late 2015 and the Study is expected to be completed early in 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much G4S was paid for (a) bedding, (b) children’s birthdays, (c) Christmas allowances, (d) children’s sports and PE costs, (e) educational materials, (f) electricity, (g) staff uniforms, (h) staff training materials and (i) stationery at Medway Secure Training Centre for Young People in each year since 2009.

Andrew Selous

The Youth Justice Board does not hold this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to accept the invitation from the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Tax Rulings to meet it to discuss how to ensure a fair corporate tax regime in the EU.

Mr David Gauke

On behalf of the Chancellor and as Minister responsible for tax policy, I met with delegates of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Tax Rulings when they visited London on 18 June 2015, to explain the UK position that tax policy is a matter for national governments, and to provide information on the international and domestic action taken by this Government to counter tax evasion and avoidance.

The Chancellor will consider any formal requests to meet the Committee in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 24 of the Joint Ministerial Declaration on UK/French co-operation on managing migratory flows in Calais, published in August 2015, what progress has been made on the commitment to take stock of the operational effectiveness of the Dublin III Regulations.

Karen Bradley

The UK government supports the Dublin III principles and welcomes the swift processing of asylum claims made in Calais. For migrants to be processed under Dublin III they must first claim asylum in France. The UK government will consider any request made by the French asylum authorities under the Dublin Regulation to take responsibility for an asylum applicant in France because they have close family in the UK.

To ensure that the provisions of the Dublin Regulation are used efficiently and effectively in both countries, a joint contact group has been established in line with the commitment in the Joint Declaration. The UK has held regular discussions with French Interior Ministry colleagues, including visits to Calais and Dunkirk to examine the processes and the information made available to migrants.