Tag: Justin Tomlinson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department plans to measure progress of the implementation of its sports strategy.

Tracey Crouch

Progress will be measured against the five outcomes set out in Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation. Information will be collected about the key performance indicators the strategy sets out, drawing on data from a range of sources. We will submit an annual report to parliament on the progress.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that government departments and executive agencies return people’s personal identification documents by secure delivery.

Ben Gummer

Personal identification documents can be requested by departments to verify an individual’s identity for a service that they provide. It is for each department to determine the most appropriate method for returning these documents to the individual, taking into account the risk of loss and potential for fraud. Departments that regularly handle personal identification documents are expected to have clear procedures in place to return documentation to the owner.

The government has also launched ‘Verify’ on the GOV.uk website. As more government services are provided online and using the Verify service, the need for personal identity documents to be sent in hard copy through the postal network will be reduced.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on introducing automatic compensation for rail users whose trains arrive late.

Paul Maynard

The majority of train operators now operate the Delay Repay scheme and we are continuing to roll this out to all train operators through refranchising and / or as opportunities arise.

It is important that claims can be made easily and that passengers are made aware of their rights. This can be supported by automated systems that notify passengers when they are eligible to claim and electronic claims forms.

Some train operators have introduced fully automatic Delay Repay compensation: Virgin Trains West Coast for Advance tickets purchased through the operator’s website or app for registered passengers, and by c2c for all passengers with a registered c2c Smartcard. This is feasible when the passenger has a ticket for a specific train purchased from the operator or a smartcard.

Northern, TransPennine Express and East Anglia are also planning to introduce fully automatic compensation for certain passengers who buy Advance or Season tickets.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many university technical colleges are (a) open and (b) planned in England in the next five years.

Robert Halfon

There are currently 47 open University Technical Colleges (UTCs). A further seven UTCs are in development, which plan to open from September 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the diplomatic and trade opportunities presented for the UK by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Qatar has an ambitious infrastructure programme for the 2022 World Cup worth over £140billion, offering significant opportunities for UK companies. UK Government officials are in regular contact with the Qatari World Cup’s organising body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. As part of their discussions they highlight British companies’ expertise in fields such as security, hospitality, stadium management in staging global sports events.

The UK wants Qatar’s 2022 World Cup to be a success and to be Qatar’s key delivery partner. As the UK showed during London 2012, international sporting events help to build stronger friendships between people of different countries. This is the first time that the Gulf has hosted this tournament and the UK has lots of experience it can share. This means opportunities for even stronger cooperation and engagement across all aspects of our bilateral relationship.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the effect on the number of children participating in sport of the increase in the school sport premium from September 2017.

Edward Timpson

Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have already received over £450 million of ring-fenced funding to improve the quality of their PE and sport provision. Evidence from an independent evaluation into the premium indicates the funding is having a major impact and 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities. The majority of schools also reported that they have introduced new sports in both curricular PE (74%) and extra-curricular sport (77%) since the premium was introduced.

However, we know that there is more to do and the doubling of the premium gives us a real opportunity to drive further progress in this area. We are keen that schools use the increased funding to continue making sustainable improvements to the quality and breadth of PE and sport provision, and help increase participation rates so that all pupils develop healthy active lifestyles.

We are currently exploring options for the allocation and evaluation of the doubled premium. Further details will be announced in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in (a) North Swindon constituency and (b) the UK have (i) had a reduction in the income tax they pay and (ii) been taken out of paying income tax since 2010.

Jane Ellison

By 2015-16 increases in the personal allowance since 2010-11 are estimated to have reduced the income tax liability of 27.9 million individuals in the UK and taken 3.97 million out of tax. The corresponding figures for the South West, which includes the Parliamentary Constituency of North Swindon, are 2.4 million and 344,000 respectively.

These estimates are based on the 2013-14 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2016 economic and fiscal outlook.

HM Treasury does not publish this information at constituency level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to reward local authorities that invest in renewable energy creation.

Jesse Norman

The Government provides support for renewable electricity generation through the Feed-in Tariff scheme – which is available to individuals, businesses, communities, schools and local authorities.

The Government provides support for renewable heating through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The RHI is open to all buildings – including local authorities, commercial, industrial, public sector, not for profit and domestic properties and also supports injection of biomethane into the gas grid.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission the Behavioural Insights Team to conduct research on efficiency and passenger journeys in the rail sector.

Paul Maynard

The Department has recently commissioned the Behavioural Insights Team to deliver a programme of workshops on the use of behavioural insights research in policy making, including rail passenger experience. In addition, the Department is currently exploring a range of behavioural insight approaches as part of its wider programme of rail research.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department to use to distribute funding accrued from the soft drinks industry levy to schools in order to extend their school day for physical activities.

Edward Timpson

The Department is currently determining the details of how funding will be allocated, with a view to beginning to distribute funding to schools in 2017. We will provide further details in due course so that schools have sufficient time to apply for the funding and to consider how they will deliver the new provision, including through appropriate consultation with parents.