Tag: Jim Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to safeguard levels of research funding in universities as a result of the outcome of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Joseph Johnson

The Government recognises the importance of our research base, which is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament.

The future of UK access to European research and innovation funding will be a matter for the new Prime Minister and government to decide. The Government is determined to ensure that the UK continues to play a leading role in European and international research and innovation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to set new climate targets as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd

The Government remains committed to meeting its commitments under its existing domestic climate framework, the Climate Change Act (CCA). Climate change remains one of the most serious long-term risks to our economic and national security.

Under the CCA, the Government has now set the fifth carbon budget (2028-2032) at an equivalent 57% reduction on a 1990 baseline. This is in line with the recommendations of our independent Committee on Climate Change. The referendum does not affect this domestic decision, or our commitment to meet our emission targets cost effectively.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the budget of his Department in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Jones

The new Department for Exiting the European Union is properly resourced. Detailed work is underway to establish the final budget required to fulfil the Department’s set-up and responsibilities. The budget of the Department will be set out to the House and approved as part of the supplementary estimates in the new year, as is standard practice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have had their tax credits stopped and subsequently reinstated by Concentrix in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

On 16^th September I responded to a number of parliamentary questions on the number of mandatory reconsiderations requested by tax credit claimants this year.

Where a discrepancy is detected, claimants are given 30 days to contact HMRC or provide the relevant information. If after 30 days HMRC has had no contact, tax credit payments are either suspended or reduced. HMRC then gives the claimant a further 30 days to contact HMRC before making a decision on the tax credits award using all the available information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of full-time equivalent officials in his Department employed on cases of mandatory reconsideration; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

HM Revenue and Customs currently has 627 full-time equivalent officials employed on mandatory reconsiderations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many legally trained staff are contracted to his Department for the purposes of their legal expertise; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker

The Department for Exiting the European Union has a dedicated legal team that is provided by the Government Legal Department. That team includes 28 qualified lawyers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for phytosanitary certification measures for the importation of plant material after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

We recognise that the UK’s exit from the EU may have implications for the way in which current UK plant health services operate, including phytosanitary certification on imports, quarantine measures to mitigate the highest risk pests and diseases, and plant passporting.

We are considering the implications and possible options as part of our planning for, and negotiations on, the UK’s exit.

Continuing to deliver a risk-based, proportionate plant health regime that effectively protects the UK from plant pests and diseases, whilst maximising the free movement of goods, remains of the highest priority.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2015 to Question 13690, what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing her Department’s Great Britain Invasive Non-native Species Strategy, published August 2015; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

The aim of the GB Strategy is to avoid the environmental, social and economic impacts of invasive non-native species by taking early and targeted action. An implementation plan associated with the renewed Strategy includes an assessment of the costs associated with communicating the need for action, rapid responses to avoid higher costs if species become established, and the costs of managing widespread established species to minimise their impacts where possible. A prioritisation exercise that will form the basis of the assessment of costs will be completed by the end of November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November to Question 14627, what estimate her Department has made of the total funding that will be available to the Waste and Resources Action Programme in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart

Future funding of WRAP will depend on the outcome of the current spending review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of how many people were recorded as homeless in each county region in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Department for Communities and Local Government collects and publishes data on statutory homelessness in England at a local authority district level only.

The figures for the number of households accepted as statutorily homeless for each local authority district are available within Live Tables 784 and 784a at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

This Government has provided more than £500 million to tackle and prevent homelessness since 2010. This has resulted in local authorities preventing 935,800 households from becoming homeless since then.