Tag: Jim Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-19.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of hotel bookings his Department made for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in each of the last five years.

Harriett Baldwin

Information on hotel spend for Ministers is publically available on gov.uk as part of the Transparency agenda. The information is published quarterly and is up to date for quarter 3 of financial year 2015-16 and can be found at the following web link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was spent on research by her Department in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

Research and development (R&D), analysis and monitoring and surveillance provide important input into evidence for decision-making, ensuring Defra’s polices are based on a sound, comprehensive understanding of current evidence. It helps us find new policy solutions and identify and tackle future issues.

The term ‘evidence’ encompasses material from a variety of disciplines – science research, statistics, economics, social research or operational research, and geographical information.

Core Defra’s spend in ‘evidence’, including its share of Research & Development (R&D), during the last five years is summarised in the table below.

Year	Core Defra total evidence spend	Core Defra R&D spend (within the evidence total)
2010/11	£209m	£106m
2011/12	£199m	£110m
2012/13	£189m	£101m
2013/14	£149m	£91m
2014/15	£123m	£71m

These figures include work commissioned by core Defra from its laboratory agencies, namely the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; the Food and Environment Research Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Due to both financial factors and wider changes in the context for how research and innovation are being organised (e.g. as set out in the Higher Education White Paper), Defra’s approach is evolving more towards that of consumer rather than commissioner of research. Defra’s role will be to set out its key evidence needs and work with providers to co-design research and other evidence, increasingly looking to the wider stakeholder community to deliver the necessary evidence. For that to work effectively Defra will strengthen relationships with research councils, other research funders, other government departments and other overseas governments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from local transport authorities on the implementation of audio-visual systems on public transport in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

I am not aware of any representations having been made to the Department by local transport authorities over the past twelve months with respect to the installation of audio/visual equipment on public transport services.

Accessible on-board information can be key to giving many people the confidence to travel by bus, and I encourage operators to consider the benefits of providing it for all their customers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applications were made by developers for housebuilding on green belt land in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis

The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the numbers of planning applications made in the Green Belt.

The department’s Land Use Change Statistics estimate that 3% of new residential addresses created in 2014-15 were in the Green Belt; unchanged from 2013-14. This equates to an estimated 3,900 homes – 2.9998% of the total homes built in the Green Belt in 2013-14, and 4,600 homes – 2.9997% of the total homes built in 2014-15.

The figures in the 13/14 publication are the first in the new series and so are not directly comparable to the previous Land Use Change Statistics which last published data covering the year 2011. Figures for 2011 and prior are available from the department’s website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/land-use-change-statistics-in-england-2011

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40363, what estimate she has made of the cost of energy imports by the UK in each of the next five years.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) does not produce projections of the cost of energy imports by the UK. The latest available estimate of the cost of UK energy imports is for the year 2015, valued at £37.9 billion.[1] Future costs of energy imports will depend on the volumes traded and also on fuel prices, which are inherently uncertain.

[1] The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of the value of trade according to internationally agreed classifications (SITC), with category 3 comprising most energy products (coal, crude oil, oil products, gas and electricity). This data is republished by DECC in table G7 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), and shows estimates of the value of energy trade.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 41301, whether he has made an estimate of the total cost to his Department of hiring additional lawyers, financial and trade experts as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 June given in response to PQ 41301. Structures and funding required for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are to be determined.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the time that will be required for the UK to reach a trade deal with the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Garnier

It is in the interests of all parties to secure an agreement that provides the basis for the fullest possible market access. The timescale will partly be determined by the discussions held prior to Brexit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on British nationals detained in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We continue to raise our strong concerns about British prisoners in Iran at the highest levels in both London and Tehran. Both the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) did so in their introductory calls with their Iranian counterparts recently, and the Foreign Secretary followed up in writing to Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 29 August.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his global counterparts on cruelty in the global dog meat trade; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma

The consumption of dog meat is legal in many countries, and the United Kingdom has no grounds to intervene or take trade measures to prevent this. We continue to make our views known to the governments of those countries where this practice continues; most recently I raised this issue with the South Korean Ambassador ahead of the Westminster Hall Debate on 12 September. Our Ambassador in Seoul has also raised the dog meat trade with the South Korean authorities, most recently on 1 September, highlighting our concerns about the treatment and welfare of animals. As I stated in the Westminster Hall Debate, it is promising that in countries where dog meat is consumed, there are signs that attitudes are changing amongst the young and emerging middle classes. We encourage that change.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research her Department has commissioned on the effect of selective education on the educational attainment of children in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb

The Department has reviewed a wide range of external research and evidence on the impact of academic selection, including research on the impact of selection on the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

The evidence shows that grammar schools provide a good education for those who attend them. Grammar school pupils outperform those of similar ability in comprehensive schools and they also make more progress than other pupils with similar primary school results. Nearly 78 per cent of high ability pupils achieve the English Baccalaureate at grammar school, compared to just over 52 per cent at comprehensive schools, and the attainment gap for disadvantaged students in grammar schools is practically eliminated

This evidence is based on the existing system of grammar schools. We are proposing significant changes to the requirements placed on selective schools to ensure that they raise standards for all pupils as part of a diverse schools system.

Our proposals will help deliver a school system that works for all children and offers parents genuine choice by increasing the number of good and outstanding school places.