The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what savings his Department has made from ending the paper vehicle tax disc.
Andrew Jones
In the first six months following the abolition of the tax disc between 1 October 2014 and 31 March 2015, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency saved £4.2m. The savings for financial year 2015/16 are not yet available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of diplomatic and economic relations between China and the UK.
Mr Hugo Swire
Our relationship with China is stronger than ever. Last year’s State Visit by President Xi delivered £40bn in commercial deals, benefiting the UK economy, and establishing a new partnership to work together on global challenges. This global partnership is already delivering results, with the launch of a new visa agreement to boost tourism and business during the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond’s) visit to Beijing in January. The Foreign Secretary has also intensified co-operation with China on the Syria crisis. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Secretary of State, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne’s) visit to China last week was a further opportunity to strengthen economic co-operation bilaterally and through the G20, and encourage China to open up further to foreign investment and address over-capacity. The Government has a relationship with China which maximises the opportunities for the UK and allows frank discussion of difficult issues, such as human rights
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 33531 and of 14 April 2016 to Question 33450, what further government activities are planned to promote the Government’s position on the EU Referendum prior to 23 June 2016.
John Penrose
The Government will comply fully with the statutory restrictions that will be in place from 27 May. The Government will continue to set out its position that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost is to the public purse of school expenditure on supporting pupils who do not have English as their first language.
Mr Sam Gyimah
Under current funding arrangements, local authorities devise funding formulae through which to distribute funding to schools in their localities. One of the factors local authorities can include is an English as an additional language (EAL) factor. EAL funding is determined on the basis of census data which records whether or not a pupil’s first language is English. In 2015-16, a total of £267 million was allocated through this factor to school budgets. This figure does not represent the cost of supporting pupils with EAL; instead, it forms part of the school’s core budget. It is then for school leaders to determine how best to use their whole budget so that all pupils can reach their full potential.
We will introduce a national funding formula from 2017-18 so that funding is fair and matched to need. Our first consultation, which closed on 17 April, proposed that the formula should include an EAL factor. We are reviewing all the responses and will set out the precise detail of the formula in our second consultation, to be published later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library the raw data from each English Housing Survey detailing the nationalities of the Household Representative Person.
Brandon Lewis
Raw data from the English Housing Survey are publicly available via the UK Data Service (archive for survey and economic data). These publicly available datasets undergo rigorous disclosure control to ensure the anonymity of our respondents is protected and, as such, do not include individual level nationality data.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will estimate the level of structural funding that the EU Commission will allocate to (a) Wales and (b) the Valleys in the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework.
Alun Cairns
I refer my hon Friend to the letter signed by the then Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable MP, on ‘European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund: UK allocations 2014-2020’.
The post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework has not been proposed.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the UK to leave the EU since 23 June 2016; and what further such steps his Department plans to take in the remainder of 2016.
Chris Skidmore
The Department for Exiting the European Union has responsibility for overseeing preparations for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and conducting these withdrawal negotiations in support of the Prime Minister. In doing this it is working very closely with other government departments, including a wide range of other interested parties.
I also refer my Hon. Friend to my answers of 7 September 2016, Official Report, Cols. 317-318, on cross-government departmental resourcing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of refunds unclaimed by people who sold their vehicles but then failed to apply for a refund of vehicle tax since 2010.
Andrew Jones
Prior to October 2014 motorists could apply for a refund or transfer the vehicle licence to the new keeper of the vehicle. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold information about how many keepers chose not to claim a refund. Since vehicle excise duty was made non-transferable in October 2014, vehicle keepers no longer have to apply for a refund. This is issued automatically when the DVLA is notified of the sale of a vehicle.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from pub tenants and pub tenant groups on the appointment of the new Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Anna Soubry
As of 18 March 2016, my Department has received one piece of correspondence from an individual pub tenant and three pieces of correspondence from pub tenant groups on the appointment of the new Pubs Code Adjudicator, since the appointment was announced.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what polling and research his Department has conducted into public opinion on the EU and the EU referendum since 1 January 2015.
John Penrose
Cabinet Office asked independent polling company TNS to carry out a survey in March (2016). This poll found showed that 85% of the public wanted more information on the EU referendum from the Government. TNS published this poll on their website.