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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Karen Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Karen Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to appoint the Chair of the review of the localisation of council tax benefit; and by what process he plans for that Chair and other people working on that review work to be selected.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The details of the Chair and terms of reference for the independent review of local council tax support schemes will be published in due course. A Review team comprising four full-time equivalents staff has been set up to provide project and analytical support to the Chair.

    The Review will be completed by the end of March 2016.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 19258, if he will estimate the reduction in pounds in the amount of tax collected from the manufacturing sector as a consequence of reductions in the corporate tax rate.

    Mr David Gauke

    Over the course of the previous Parliament, the main rate of corporation tax was cut from 28% to 20%. The small profits rate was also cut to 20% and the two rates were merged to simplify the tax regime. Overall the cuts delivered since 2010 will save businesses £10bn a year from 2016-17. In this Parliament the Government is going to go further, and cut the rate to 19% in 2017 and 18% in 2020, further benefitting over one million companies across the economy.

    Given that a number of factors impact on tax receipts from individual sectors it is difficult to estimate precisely how much tax the manufacturing sector has saved as a result of these cuts in corporation tax. But according to HM Revenue and Customs’ corporation tax statistics, published at the link below, over the past five years the UK manufacturing sector has paid an average of £5bn a year in corporation tax. So it is clear that the sector will have benefitted substantially from the tax cuts delivered since 2010, and will benefit further from the reductions to come in this parliament.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/456459/Corporation_Tax_Statistics_August_2015.pdf

    “

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the BBC on an extension of the current BBC Charter period by order of the Queen in Council.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    I and my officials continue to have an ongoing dialogue with the BBC regarding the content and process of the BBC Charter Review.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what investment his Department has made in video-conferencing facilities in each of the last five years.

    Joseph Johnson

    My Department has a total of 45 extant video conferencing facilities in place in 12 of its locations in England, Scotland and Wales. The investment costs of those facilities are as detailed below:

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Total for 5 years

    Investment costs

    £599,144

    £213,752

    £82,887

    £85,821

    £981,604
  • Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, incentive payments will continue to be made available for (1) small firms offering apprenticeships, (2) apprenticeships offered to 16–18 year olds, and (3) successfully completed apprenticeships.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    In English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 vision we set out our plans for introducing a simple and transparent funding model alongside the introduction of the apprenticeship levy. We want this to continue to encourage employers to take on 16-18 year old apprenticeships, as well as encourage take up of the higher quality training offered by apprenticeship standards. Further information on new arrangements will be made available by the summer.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32147, whether his Department plans to bring forward proposals to enable police to issue fixed notices for people smoking in cars with children present.

    Jane Ellison

    The police use traffic offender reports to record information on a range of offences, including for smoking in private vehicles carrying children. Local authorities can then take appropriate enforcement action, including the issue fixed penalty notices, rather than the police.

    Guidance on the use of traffic offender reports to share information with local authorities has been circulated to police forces.

  • Flick Drummond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Flick Drummond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Flick Drummond on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to support breastfeeding services; and what assessment he has made of the importance of breastfeeding to national health policy.

    Ben Gummer

    Support and information about breastfeeding is currently available to health professionals and parents through: the NHS Choices website under the Start4Life banner; the National Breastfeeding Helpline; UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative; and local peer support programmes.

    Parents-to-be and new mums and dads can also sign up to the Start4life Information Service for Parents. Subscribers receive regular free emails, videos and SMS messages offering high quality advice and information, based on the stage of pregnancy and the age of the child, including breastfeeding support. The service also signposts parents to other quality assured information about parenting, relationship support and benefits advice.

    Breastfeeding delivers significant health benefits both for the mother and her baby and is more cost effective for mothers than other methods of infant feeding. A mother’s milk provides a perfect balance of nutrients and vitamins, so exclusive breastfeeding is all a baby needs for around the first six months. This is why the Department in line with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines encourages exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) funding and (b) guidance his Department provides to local authorities to enable people who have recently been granted refugee status to benefit from rent deposit schemes if they are not considered to be in priority need for housing.

    Gavin Barwell

    Any person, including those granted refugee status, who is not in priority need is eligible for homelessness assistance. Local authorities have a duty to provide advice and information on homelessness, free of charge, to anyone seeking help. Wherever possible local housing authorities will try to stop households from facing the stress and upheaval of a homelessness crisis by taking steps to prevent their homelessness. That is why government has maintained and protected homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, totalling £315 million by 2019/20.

    Statutory guidance does not mandate the use of specific preventative tools but sets out a wide range of options so that local authorities can meet the specific needs of an individual on a case by case basis. Rent deposit and rent bond schemes are included within this guidance and the majority of local authorities will operate one.

    Since 2010 local authorities have prevented homelessness for over 1.1 million households. We have committed to work with local authorities, homelessness charities and across departments to consider options, including legislation, to put prevention at the centre of our approach to tackling homelessness.

  • Alistair Burt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alistair Burt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Burt on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress she has made on implementing 30 hours’ free childcare for working parents.

    Caroline Dinenage

    We pledged to introduce the manifesto commitment to give working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds 30 hours of free childcare from September 2017, and we have already made excellent progress in meeting this deadline.

    We have already put in place legislation to support 30 hours through the Childcare Act 2016, announced increased funding of £1billion extra per year by 2019/20 to support the introduction of 30 hours and launched a consultation on how we can allocate funding in a fairer way. We have also: identified £50million of capital funding to create new childcare places; consulted on the operational delivery of 30 hours; and have worked to provide parents applying for 30 hours and Tax-Free Childcare with a single online application process for both government offers.

    We have brought forward the implementation of the additional 15 hours to September 2016 for some families in eight areas. These areas will test how we can implement 30 hours in a way that works for children, parents and childcare providers.

    Since the beginning of this month, working parents in York, Northumberland, Newham, Wigan, Staffordshire, Swindon, Portsmouth and Hertfordshire have been enjoying the benefits of 30 hours of free childcare.

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the agreement signed with China to fund Hinckley Point C nuclear reactor includes funding from China for (a) decommissioning costs and (b) emergency clean-up costs.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The basis on which Chinese companies will invest in the Hinkley Point C project is set out in the strategic investor agreement agreed between EDF and CGN in October. The terms of this agreement are a matter for EDF.

    Operators of new nuclear power stations are required to have a Funded Decommissioning Programme (FDP) approved by the Secretary of State before nuclear related construction can begin. The FDP sets out how a new nuclear operator will make secure financial provision for decommissioning their power station and managing and disposing of its waste without recourse to the taxpayer.

    Operators of nuclear power stations are also required to put in place insurance or other financial security to meet their nuclear third party liabilities.