The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the lifetime cost to the public purse of the Royal Air Force Airbus A400M.
Mr Philip Dunne
The forecast costs of the main elements making up the A400M Atlas aircraft programme, including the acquisition, training and in-service support of the aircraft, is £3.6 billion.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether her Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.
Mr Nick Hurd
At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether her Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.
Nick Gibb
At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress her Department has made in its programme to increase the use of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets among children under five years of age and pregnant women in Uganda.
Mr Nick Hurd
Results from the 2014-15 internationally recognised Malaria Indicator Survey indicate that the proportion of children under five in Uganda who slept under treated nets had gone up from 42% in 2009 to 74%; and that the proportion of pregnant women who slept under a treated net had gone up from 47% in 2009 to 75%. The UK has been a significant contributor to bed nets in Uganda. We have funded procurement and distribution of 5 million bed nets and distributed an additional 4.5 million bed nets.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department were in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and what the cost to his Department was of providing that allowance for staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each such year.
Mr Julian Brazier
The requested information is provided in the following table and I have added the figures for 2009-10 for comparison.
Continuity of Education Allowance, Number of Claimants and Cost (UK and Overseas) by Financial Year (FY)
|
FY 2009-10 |
FY 2012-13 |
FY 2013-14 |
FY 2014-15 |
|
|
UK Claimants |
5,020 |
4,160 |
3,600 |
3,230 |
|
Overseas Claimants |
1,000 |
790 |
700 |
650 |
|
Total Claimants |
6,020 |
4,950 |
4,300 |
3,880 |
|
UK Cost (£ million) |
93.2 |
82.2 |
74.3 |
69.4 |
|
Overseas Cost (£ million) |
18.1 |
16.4 |
15.0 |
15.1 |
|
Total Cost (£ million) |
111.3 |
98.7 |
89.3 |
84.5 |
Note: all numbers are rounded
Continuity of Education Allowance was reviewed as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 since when improvements in governance have achieved a reduction of costs by around £30 million per annum along with an associated reduction in claimants. Work continues to further reduce the cost of the allowance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the dumping of Chinese steel in the UK at below-market prices.
Anna Soubry
Responsibility for anti-dumping investigations and imposing anti-dumping measures against imports into the EU and the UK lies with the European Commission. These investigations are driven by requests from EU producers.
The Government makes regular representations to the Commission concerning allegations of dumping of steel. My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister pressed for more action on dumping of steel at European Council on 17 and 18 March. The government judges each anti-dumping case on its merits, based on the evidence presented by the Commission and on representations from interested parties, including producers, users and importers, but is strongly in favour of effective trade defences to tackle unfair trade practices where justified. We have voted in favour of anti-dumping measures on several steel products since July, including the imposition of provisional anti-dumping measures on reinforcing bar in January, an investigation for which we lobbied the Commission successfully, and on cold-rolled flat steel products in February.
We have supported industry calls for higher duties on specific cases where this is justified by the evidence. For example, in the reinforcing bar case we have raised the steel industry’s concerns that the provisional duties were too low with the Commission. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills spoke with Trade Commissioner Malmström about this and received assurances that the Commission will reconsider this during the definitive stage of the investigation, if industry can provide the necessary evidence.
We also welcomed the opening of four new anti-dumping investigations involving steel products earlier this year.
The government continues to push the Commission for faster, more effective action to deal with dumping of steel. This was one of the conclusions of the Extraordinary Competitiveness Council on Steel in November, a meeting which my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills was instrumental in convening. In advance of the Commission’s energy-intensive industry stakeholder’s summit on 15 February – another key action from the Competitiveness Council – the government and several other EU Member States sent a joint letter to the Commission, pressing it to make full and timely use of all trade defence instruments to tackle unfair trade. I played an active role at this summit. My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has also raised these issues in discussions with Commissioner Malmström, most recently at the OECD conference on the challenges facing the steel industry on 18 April. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Minister for Intellectual Property reiterated the need for faster and more effective action on dumping at the Competitiveness Council held on 29 February and the Presidency conclusions of that Council reflected this message. I did likewise at the European Steel Day on 21 April. Officials also have regular discussions about anti-dumping cases with Commission officials and officials from other EU Member States.
The Government is also supporting a robust discussion of the issue of overcapacity through the EU’s ongoing dialogue with the Chinese and other governments, including at the OECD conference. My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has discussed this issue directly with President Xi and was told that China will take steps to reduce its overcapacity. My Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer also raised it during his visit to China in February and My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills raised it with his counterpart in February. Similarly, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised it during his visit to China in April.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made on the consideration of the Greater Essex Combined Authority bid.
Andrew Percy
We are encouraging all areas to come forward with locally led devolution proposals. If Greater Essex takes the decision to proceed with a combined authority and consults on those proposals, as statue provides, we will consider whether the creation of a combined authority is likely to improve the exercise of statutory functions in that area and lead to more effective and convenient local government.
We look forward to discussing with Greater Essex any proposals they have to form a combined authority.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to advise local authorities, under Section 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which powers are available to remove illegal traveller camps without recourse to the courts.
Brandon Lewis
In March 2015 the Government published a summary of the enforcement powers that enable the police and local councils to remove unauthorised encampments. This includes the powers under sections 61-62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which give the police discretionary powers to direct trespassers to leave land and remove any property or vehicles they have with them. The Government sent the summary of powers document to all Council Leaders, Police Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners in England and it is published on the Government’s website at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-illegal-and-unauthorised-encampments
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used for selection of Syrian refugees to come to the UK, outside the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.
Richard Harrington
Syrians in need of protection are predominantly resettled through the Syrian Resettlement Scheme which has been expanded to resettle up to 20,000 during this Parliament. This is in addition to those resettled through our global resettlement schemes: Gateway and Mandate. Individuals resettled through Gateway and Mandate must be UNHCR recognised refugees who are judged by UNHCR to be in need of resettlement. Individuals resettled under Mandate must have a family member in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether cost comparisons were made between the Boeing C-17 Globemaster and Airbus A400M prior to approval for procurement of the Airbus A400M.
Mr Philip Dunne
The business case for the acquisition of A400M was approved in 2000 and, I am advised that in accordance with extant Ministry of Defence policy, it was supported by a series of value for money assessments and comparisons, including with the C-17 aircraft.