Tag: Nicholas Soames

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assurances he has received from Govia Thameslink Railway on the recruitment, training and in-service dates of train drivers.

Claire Perry

The Department is in regular dialogue with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and each railway period they provide a report relating to drivers which details headcount, new driver recruitment and number of drivers expected to complete their training in the future. Since the start of the year over 120 drivers have completed their training across the GTR franchise and there are currently over 200 drivers in training.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the scale of Acute Oak Decline (AOD); what research her Department is undertaking into AOD; and what steps she is taking to tackle AOD.

George Eustice

Over the past five years Forest Research, in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, has conducted a systematic survey to model the distribution of acute oak decline (AOD) in England and Wales. The results show that the condition currently affects several thousand oak trees, mostly across East Anglia, the Midlands and southern England.

Since 2013, Defra has invested £1.1 million in research to understand the causes, distribution and scale of AOD in the UK.

Earlier this year Defra, in collaboration with the Research Councils, the Scottish Government and the Forestry Commission, launched a further £2 million call for research proposals on ‘oak health’ and Phytophthora. The successful bids from this call are due to be announced shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 2.152 of Budget 2015, published in March 2015, whether his Department has had discussions with the European Commission on the compatibility of the Horserace Betting Right with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Tracey Crouch

Officials have held discussions with the European Commission on the compatibility of a new Horserace Betting Right with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to maintain a strong commercial bus market.

Andrew Jones

Buses play a vital role as the backbone of our public transport system and are key to a healthy growing economy. We want to see the bus industry thrive and are introducing a Buses Bill which will provide local authorities and bus operators with a wider, more effective range of tools to improve local bus services. The Bill will include arrangements to allow commercial bus operators to work more effectively in partnership with local government and other local stakeholders.

Furthermore, the Government decided that financial support for bus services provided through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) system – around £250m a year – should be protected as part of the 2015 spending round, preserving millions of bus passenger journeys. Around £200m of that is paid to individual bus operators, according to how much fuel they use in running their services. The remaining funding is paid to local authorities to help support bus services in their areas. DfT is reforming BSOG to make it more effective, and plans to publish details of changes to the system in early 2016. This should improve the grant’s effectiveness in supporting bus services, and provide better value to the taxpayer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to support and develop the export potential of UK dairy through the Dairy Exports Strategy.

George Eustice

There is great global demand for quality British dairy products and we are working to maximise this opportunity by opening up new markets around the world. Eight dairy companies accompanied the Secretary of State on a trade mission to China in November, and next month a Chinese dairy delegation is visiting to discuss opportunities for investment in our domestic industry.

Further trade missions are planned over the coming months to the US, Japan and China. Together with UKTI we will continue to promote our fantastic British dairy brand.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the organisation and deployment of UK-based armour is.

Penny Mordaunt

The organisation of British armour based in the UK is as follows:

1st Armoured Infantry Brigade

Household Cavalry Regiment – Windsor

The Royal Tank Regiment – Tidworth

1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – Tidworth

1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment – Bulford

12th Armoured Infantry Brigade

The Royal Lancers – Catterick

The King’s Royal Hussars – Tidworth

1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment – Warminster

1st Battalion the Royal Welsh – Tidworth

20X is based in Germany

The following UK based armoured units support these Brigades:

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry – Bovington, Salisbury, Cirencester, Paignton, Exeter & Swindon

1st Artillery Brigade

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery – Tidworth

19th Regiment Royal Artillery – Tidworth

8 Engineer Brigade

22 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers – Perham Down

26 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers – Perham Down

101 Logistic Brigade

4 Armoured Medical Regiment – Aldershot

5 Armoured Medical Regiment – Tidworth & Catterick

4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Tidworth

6 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Tidworth

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to replace the fleet of mine countermeasure vessels after 2020.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking a lengthy assessment phase for a replacement Mine Countermeasures and Hydrographic capability through multi-national co-operation; principally with France as part of the Lancaster House agreement. A range of options is being considered to modernise mine countermeasures systems and remove the man from the minefield through use of the latest unmanned technological solutions and remote operating systems. Decisions on the type and number of platforms which will operate these systems will follow later in programme

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of NATO military interoperability.

Mr Julian Brazier

The Readiness Action Plan (RAP), agreed at the NATO Summit in Wales in September 2014, is progressing well and it will deliver enhanced NATO Response Forces, including the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), by the time of the NATO Summit in Warsaw in July 2016. The UK has played a leading role in the implementation of the RAP: we have committed to spending 2% of GDP on Defence, and 20% of that on new equipment; we will lead a capable and credible VJTF (Land) Brigade in 2017; we have increased our commitment to NATO’s Standing Naval Forces this year; and will continue to provide Airborne Early Warning, Air to Air Refuelling, Tornado and Typhoon aircraft to the VJTF (Air).

Considerable work on survivability, sustainability and readiness of NATO forces has been undertaken. The RAP includes a commitment to generate an enhanced NATO Response Force (eNRF) including a VJTF. To enhance survivability, the eNRF has been designed from the outset as a Joint, Multi-National force with an appropriate quantity and balance of forces needed to effectively conduct the full range of potential operations. Integral logistic structures, which include the newly created Multi-National Corps Headquarters in Poland and a Multi-National Division Headquarters in Romania, ensure the sustainability of the enhanced NRF and VJTF. Enhanced NRF forces are designed to meet the readiness timelines that are laid down in NATO’s strategic planning documents, including the Alliance’s Graduated Response Plans.

Considerable work on Interoperability has also been undertaken since the end of combat operations in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. This has built upon NATO’s Connected Forces Initiative to ensure that NATO’s Multi-National forces force are able to continue to operate together effectively beyond the end of combat operations in Afghanistan. For our lead of the VJTF (Land) in 2017, the British Army will operate alongside the armed forces from 13 contributing nations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Russian government on the Arctic.

Mr David Lidington

The UK has not recently discussed the Arctic bilaterally with the Russian government. The UK is a State Observer at the Arctic Council, of which the Russian Federation is a full member. The UK participates in all Arctic Council meetings, including the most recent senior official meeting in March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to encourage apprenticeships in cyber studies.

Matthew Hancock

Government has supported a Cyber Higher Apprenticeship programme delivered by the Tech Partnership with Training Provider QA, creating more than 250 new roles across industry for school leavers. New Cyber Intrusion Analyst and Cyber Security Technologist Trailblazer Apprenticeships have been developed which are now available to Employers and Apprentices. We have also integrated a cyber stream into the Fast Track Civil Service Apprenticeship scheme, offering 50 new roles across government with another cohort joining this year. Additionally, GCHQ has its own apprenticeship scheme incorporating cyber security. Since 2012, over 170 new apprentices have either graduated or joined the tailored two year foundation degree course.

As announced by the Chancellor in November 2015, we are working with Employers to develop a Cyber Security Higher Apprenticeship pilot scheme that will address cyber skills gaps in three critical sectors: Transport, Finance and Energy. These apprenticeships will combine relevant cyber content, with sector-specific training. Industry in each sector will play a leading role in defining the additional course content. We will launch a targeted marketing campaign to encourage businesses and young people to consider a cyber apprenticeship with opportunities being advertised shortly.