Tag: Maria Eagle

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s expenditure was on 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 risk assessment his Department made 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, what his Department’s spending on the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit was in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Intellectual Property Office has funded the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit as follows;

(a) 2013-14 £0.975m

(b) 2014-15 £1.423m

(c) 2015-16 £0.677m billed to September 2015 (funding period still ongoing)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, by when he expects all households and businesses to have access to fibre optic broadband.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government will launch a public consultation early next year in preparation for the implementation of a new broadband Universal Service Obligation by 2020, with the ambition to give people the legal right to request a connection to broadband with speeds of 10 Mbps, no matter where in the country they live. Almost 90% of households and businesses in the UK currently have access to superfast broadband – and we are on target for this to reach 95% by the end of 2017.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to publish the results of the consultation into a universal service obligation for superfast broadband.

Mr Edward Vaizey

In November 2015, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to introduce a broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) with the ambition to give people the legal right to request a connection to broadband with speeds of 10 Megabits per second (Mbps), no matter where they live. We intend to publish a consultation on our approach to introducing a broadband USO shortly, and will respond to that consultation in due course.

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 assessment he has made of the potential effect on consumers of a merger between BT and EE; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey

It is for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to assess the potential impacts of company mergers in the UK. Its role is to protect competition for the benefit of consumers, not the commercial interests of competitors.

In the case of the takeover of EE by BT, the CMA considered the merger and all representations made to it and published its final decision in January, which can be found here [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-clears-btee-merger]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to pages 13 and 39 of the White Paper, A BBC for the future: a broadcaster of distinction, published in May 2016, what his Department plans to spend the £85 million of new funding for the World Service on.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The additional Government funding for the BBC World Service was agreed as part of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 and will be provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It will be used to provide additional language services subject to agreement by the Foreign Secretary and the BBC Trust.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on ensuring financial support will be made available for local businesses in Knowsley and Liverpool once tolls are introduced on the Mersey Gateway bridge.

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.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of UK-based jobs in each region likely to be sustained by his Department’s decision to procure the Boeing P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft fleet.

Mr Philip Dunne

The UK is in negotiations with Boeing on the route to contract for P-8, which will determine how the programme will affect UK-based jobs. It is expected the P-8 will have a significant impact on the UK economy: P-8 is based on the Boeing 737, the supply chain for which already includes UK industry, and the UK also manufactures subsystems of the P-8. Purchase of the aircraft will also create opportunities for UK industry to bid for training and support contracts, and basing of this fleet at RAF Lossiemouth will bring significant economic benefits to Scotland. Boeing estimates that in total, its entire P-8 programme could generate over US$1 billion to the UK supply chain and economy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, when he plans for the new class of general purpose frigates to be in service.

Mr Philip Dunne

The cost and schedule of the general purpose frigate programme outlined in the White Paper National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence And Security Review 2015 (Cmd 9161) has yet to be determined. The programme will be scoped during a concept study as part of the programme announced by the Prime Minister on 23 November 2015 (Official Report: column 1049).