Tag: Lord Mawson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2015-12-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical actions they are taking to promote and encourage inward investment into the Lower Lea Valley.

Lord Maude of Horsham

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has overall responsibility for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK. For investors with an interest in London it shares leads with London & Partners (London’s promotional organisation) to land those investors here in what is a very competitive international market for FDI.

The Mayor of London is also responsible for attracting FDI into London and as such London & Partners also generates its own leads.

As part of its ‘UK First’ approach to attracting inward investment, UKTI actively supports these efforts and those of London Councils, including those that cover the Lower Lea Valley.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to remove graffiti from the rail network.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Graffiti removal on the rail network is an operational matter for Network Rail, but the company has advised me that it currently spends around £3.5 million a year for this purpose.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2015-12-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to connect the building developments in East London Tech City with the developments in the Lower Lea Valley.

Lord Maude of Horsham

The Mayor of London is responsible for economic development in London, as well as housing policy and delivery and strategic planning. These responsibilities come together through the statutory London Plan. Thus it is for the Mayor and the Greater London Authority, working with the relevant London boroughs, to make the most of the important opportunities provided by the developments in East London Tech City and the Lower Lea Valley.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the health and safety implications of discarded pieces of rail and equipment alongside tracks across the rail network.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The independent regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), is responsible for monitoring and enforcing health and safety matters in respect of Britain’s railway. It has confirmed that Network Rail has standards in place regarding the removal of material and equipment following the completion of works and that Network Rail provides adequate guidance to its staff on this issue in order to minimise health and safety risks. However, the ORR has noted some inconsistent application of these standards; its inspectors are therefore actively engaging with Network Rail to address this issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of the rail network in England and Wales that has a reliable wireless internet signal.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Our current assessment forecasts that between 68% and 85% of the UK rail network will have mobile network coverage by the end of 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the upkeep and tidiness of the rail network in Japan; and if so, what lessons they have learnt that could be adopted within the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Her Majesty’s Government has not made any such assessment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the wireless internet signal on the train network, in particular between London and Sheffield.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Availability of mobile broadband services on trains can be an issue, partly due to physical barriers to radio signals reaching the railway track, include railway cuttings and tunnels and due to signal weakening, called attenuation, caused by train carriage walls and windows.

In June 2015, the Government launched a Call for Evidence to support delivery of improved coverage, with the intention to build on the work that has already happened across industry. On-train Wi-Fi addresses some of the issues, however we recognise that there is more to do that will require enhancements to trackside infrastructure. That’s why we are working with the rail and telecommunications industries to reach a shared understanding of the technical and commercial challenges, and seek out potential solutions for the rail network, including the London to Sheffield line.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on inward investment to the UK of the condition and environment of the UK rail network.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

There is extensive evidence of the importance of transport and connectivity to attracting inward investment in to the UK economy. HM Government is always seeking to maximise such opportunities, however we have made no specific assessment of how the UK’s railways are currently bearing on inward investment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the effect on UK businesses, and (2) the cost to the UK economy, of inadequate internet connections on trains.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government has not yet made an assessment of the effect on UK businesses and the cost to the UK economy of inadequate internet connections on trains but our policy of investing in fitting out trains with new Wi-Fi equipment and improving mobile phone signals has been evaluated based on existing evidence that there will be a net economic and social benefit to society from the investment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered the merits of exempting social enterprises from paying corporation tax.

Lord Young of Cookham

Many social enterprises are charities, which are exempt from Corporation Tax on most income and gains if they are used for charitable purposes.

The Government has also taken steps to support social enterprises by introducing the Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR). SITR provides tax relief to individuals when they invest in qualifying social enterprises.

The Government has no plans to exempt all social enterprises from paying Corporation Tax, but keeps all tax policy under review.