Tag: Maria Eagle

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when he plans for his Department to achieve its target strength for the Royal Air Force Reserve.

Mr Julian Brazier

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by my right hon. Friend the previous Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) on 19 December 2013, (Official Report, column 124WS) on Future Reserves 2020, and the accompanying document that was placed in the Library of the House which sets out the planned growth of the trained strength of the Reserve Forces, together with the enlistment targets for the next five years.

I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2015 to the hon. Member for Strangford (Mr Shannon) to Question 11812 which explained the improvements we have made to ensure we reach our target strength of 35,000 trained volunteer Reservists by 31 March 2019.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 80 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what the 170 investments to sustain and enhance defence capabilities are.

Mr Philip Dunne

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cm 9161) set out the range of capabilities that, taken together, will sustain and enhance our ability to fulfil Defence’s contribution to UK National Security.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff were employed at the Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex-Services in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster

The Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex-Services (SPACES) is a charitable project working in partnership with Ministry of Defence (MOD) Joint Service Housing Advice Office. There have not been any MOD employees at SPACES since 2010.

SPACES assists the most vulnerable single Service Leavers to secure appropriate accommodation as they leave the Armed Forces in order to reduce the likelihood of them becoming homeless or rough sleepers. In order to ensure the provision of this service, the MOD has paid SPACES the following:

FY2010-11 = £170,750

FY2011-12 = £175,019

FY2012-13 = £179,394

FY2013-14 = £179,394

FY2014-15 = £179,394

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of making the Defence Infrastructure Organisation government-owned contractor-operated.

Mark Lancaster

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has been led by a Strategic Business Partner (SBP) since September 2014. The SBP contract allowed for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to instruct the incorporation of DIO as a Government-owned company (GovCo), subject to a value for money review.

I announced the conclusions of the review in my written statement of 10 December 2015 (Official Report, columns 55-56WS). The GovCo model would have been led by the SBP but 100% owned by the Secretary of State for Defence. A GovCo is distinct from a Government-owned contractor-operated organisation (GOCO) which has a different legal construct. The MOD has never proposed for the DIO to become a GOCO.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many successful convictions were secured by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Figures for the years in question are as follows;

(a) 2013-14, 16 arrests, 2 cautions

(b) 2014-15, 33 arrests, 11 cautions

(c) 2015-16, 13 arrests, 1 caution, 1 conviction

Securing convictions is not the sole aim of the unit. Equally important in the fight against IP crime is the Unit’s work on taking down infringing websites and pursuing broader disruptive activity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with counterparts in the Cabinet Office on the privatisation of Channel 4 in each year since 2010.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Ministers and officials regularly meet with counterparts in other departments to discuss a range of issues. Historic records of internal government meetings are not kept.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to help arts and cultural organisations apply for funding from the EU’s Creative Europe programme.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Creative Europe Desk UK, which is part-funded by DCMS, raises awareness of the opportunities offered by the EU’s Creative Europe programme; encourages the UK’s creative sectors to engage in the programme through taking part in supported international initiatives and networks‎; and provides advice and support to UK-based applicants of Creative Europe. The Desk is led by the British Council and the BFI with a consortium of partners in the UK (Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Welsh Government).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department’s planned expenditure on wi-fi provision for public libraries is for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Public libraries are funded and run by local authorities. However, the Government provided funding in 2015-16 which means that by March 2016, free WiFi will be available in 99% of public libraries in England. In total, 70 local authorities will have received funding of around £2.7 million to upgrade or install WiFi in 1017 public libraries. In addition, through the Government’s super connected cities programme, WiFi was previously installed in 288 libraries across 14 cities, UK-wide by the end of March 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the Government’s targets for participation in grassroots football were for (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14, (e) 2014-15 and (f) 2015-16.

David Evennett

Through Sport England’s Whole Sport Plan process the FA has been challenged each year to demonstrate an increase in the number of people playing grassroots football in this country. In 2010/11 the target number of people aged 16 and over playing football for at least 30 minutes every week was 2,219,700; in 2011/12 it was 2,257,200; in 2012/13 it was 2,294,700; in 2013/14 it was 2,150,050; in 2014/15 it was 2,208,902 and in 2015/16 it is 2,267,386.

As set out in ‘Sporting Future’, The Government has set out our intention to increase the number of people who engage in all types of sport and physical activity. However, from now on will move away from our historic focus on how many people are playing one sport or another at a particular moment to understanding how active people are overall. As part of this, we will also target funding at groups which have traditionally had lower participation rates, including by extending Sport England’s remit to engage people from as young as five, to help create a much healthier and more active nation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding he is making available to (a) Warrington and Cheshire West and (b) Chester councils to enable residents to travel toll-free across the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge when they open in 2017.

Andrew Jones

Following the previous Chancellor’s further statement in July 2015 that the Government is looking at extending Mersey Gateway bridge toll discounts to residents of Chester West & Chester and Warrington, officials are currently working through what the proposed further extension means for the scheme both by way of the cost to the Department but also and importantly what this would do to the commercial structure of the contracts already signed for the scheme. Once this is clear we will be able to provide more information.