Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical role they have played in the Clean for the Queen initiative.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Clean for the Queen campaign, organised by Country Life and Keep Britain Tidy, was the biggest community-led clean-up the country has ever seen. Keep Britain Tidy distributed 200,000 bags to collect litter; more than 1,500 Costa, McDonald’s, Greggs and KFC stores took part; events were held as far north as Isle of Lewis and as far south as Jersey and Guernsey; and more than 100,000 volunteers took part. We hope the campaign will help lead to a lasting legacy of a cleaner, tidier Britain.

    Defra supported the initiative with a grant of £9,500 towards providing resource packs to help support and encourage schools to participate in the campaign, and to support monitoring and evaluation of the impacts and effectiveness of the campaign. The Department for Communities and Local Government also spent £5,000 on promoting the initiative through Facebook. Having ownership of social media ensured the Department was able to engage with the public effectively, and be proactive and responsive when necessary in its social communications.

    In the lead-up to the initiative, Ministers from Defra and the Department for Communities and Local Government wrote to every Member of Parliament with an English constituency and every English unitary and district local authority, to encourage their participation and leadership in this worthwhile campaign.

    Ministers from both Departments took part in litter pick events in London and Nuneaton. Staff from both Departments also took part in a joint litter pick in Westminster.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to ensure the adequacy of provision of affordable homes to rent to help house London’s homeless population.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government has committed to investing £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable housing starts across the country.

    Also we are providing £110 million to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness. This will deliver at least 2,000 accommodation places and will support projects helping to get people off the streets.

    We have invested more than £500 million since 2010 to help local authorities prevent almost one million households from becoming homeless.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of (a) trends in the take-up of academy places and (b) the performance of academies in Stafford constituency.

    Edward Timpson

    The number of pupils on roll in academies in the Stafford Constituency from January 2012 to January 2015 was as follows:

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    The Weston Road Academy

    824

    819

    797

    813

    The Rural Enterprise Academy

    N/A

    40

    84

    94

    Rowley Park Primary Academy

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    161

    John Wheeldon Primary Academy

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    428

    Source: School Census, January 2012 to 2015

    The percentage of pupils achieving level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths at key stage 2 in 2015 (the first year for which the academies had results) for primary academies in Stafford constituency was as follows:

    2015

    Rowley Park Primary Academy

    83%

    John Wheeldon Primary Academy

    62%

    Source: School Performance Tables

    The percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and maths GCSEs at key stage 4 in 2014 to 2015 of the secondary academies in Stafford constituency was as follows:

    2014

    2015

    The Rural Enterprise Academy

    22%

    40%

    The Weston Road Academy

    55%

    51%

    Source: School Performance Tables

    The Weston Road Academy also has a Sixth Form where 79% of pupils passed at least 3 A-Levels (A*-E) in 2015.

    Data for key stage 4 for years before 2014 are not comparable due to reforms to qualifications, notably the removal of many previous equivalent vocational qualifications and counting only the first attempt at a qualification in the performance tables in English Baccalaureate subjects.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will ensure full access to the EU single market for the renewable energy industry following UK withdrawal from the EU.

    Mr David Davis

    The Government has been engaging with key energy stakeholders, including investors in the renewable energy sector, to make it clear that we are open for business. We will want the strongest possible economic links with our European neighbours. The UK remains an attractive environment for investors in energy.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will commission research into the economic, social and environmental contributions of small farms in England to inform policy and funding of this sector once the UK leaves the EU.

    George Eustice

    As part of our commitment to evidence-based policy making, we regularly collect and analyse data on all farm types – including small farms and organic enterprises. We will continue to develop our evidence base to inform policy development, and are committed to working with the industry to ensure a vibrant and productive future for all agricultural sectors outside of the European Union.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to comments made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport at a meeting about rail services between London and the Sussex coast on 27 May 2015, whether his Department’s target of six months to stability for commuters between London and the Sussex coast has been met; whether rail services between Brighton and London are still flashing red at his Department; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    Performance of rail services between London and the Sussex coast is being closely monitored as it has not yet reached an acceptable level. Govia Thameslink Railway and Network Rail have developed a Joint Improvement Plan to improve services. My officials and I are meeting with both companies on a regular basis in order to monitor and support improvements. Performance has stabilised through London Bridge following timetable adjustments made in the spring and the timetable to be implemented in December is expected to further improve performance.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department intends to expand the range of technologies available under the Renewable Heat Incentive as part of its process of reviewing the scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We intend to reform the RHI to improve value for money and reduce costs; improve cost control and budget management; and explore the best way to support less able to pay households. Ofgem will continue to run the RHI under the current rules, while we consider the reform of the scheme. Officials have begun discussions with stakeholders, and we plan to consult on the changes early in 2016.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with representatives of the UK ceramics industry on the effect of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

    Anna Soubry

    I can confirm that I met on 3 February 2016 the British Ceramics Confederation. BIS officials are also in regular contact with the sector on all energy and environment matters.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-02-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many migrants residing in the UK claim benefits on behalf of children living abroad; and what the value is of such claims by country of residence of the child.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not available in the form requested.

    The Government’s new settlement means that EU nationals whose children live abroad will ultimately receive Child Benefit at a rate that reflects the conditions – including the standard of living and child benefit paid – of the country where their child lives. This will restore fairness to the system. Meanwhile, Child Tax Credit is being phased out, and we do not have to pay the new Universal Credit for children living in other countries. That means as Universal Credit is fully rolled out, the only benefit we will pay for children living in other Member States will be the indexed rate of Child Benefit.

  • Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when all schools become academies, how they will ensure that the Department for Education has the capacity to respond quickly and positively to catastrophic events, such as the recent floods in Cumbria.

    Lord Nash

    We expect all schools, including academies, to have emergency management plans in place, drawn up in conjunction with their local authority, to deal with crises such as the recent floods. This is reinforced by the Department’s White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, published by the Secretary of State on 17 March 2016 that states that local authorities will continue to take a lead in crisis management and emergency planning for all schools in their area. Further details of the future role of local authorities will be announced in due course.