Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much EU (a) 7th Framework Programme and (b) Horizon 2020 funding has been provided to (i) universities, (ii) other research institutions and (iii) small businesses in the UK in each of the last five years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The figures requested are set out below. These reflect the full value of grant agreements signed in each calendar year, not the money received in that year.

    Higher and Secondary Education Organisations (HES) agreed funding (€):

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    FP7

    832,679,583

    923,451,655

    1,017,766,046

    390,441,742

    22,102,754

    Horizon 2020

    178,789,606

    910,814,167

    Non-profit Research organisations (REC) agreed funding (€):

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    FP7

    109,612,016

    78,523,761

    107,290,576

    38,249,216

    1,469,761

    Horizon 2020

    48,957,471

    140,977,361

    All Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) agreed funding (€):

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    FP7

    127,491,096

    180,348,365

    229,312,029

    39,929,247

    241,625

    Horizon 2020

    49,215,444

    219,693,279

    Please note that the SME figures may include some HES or REC organisations.

    The variation in the figures across the years in part reflects the fact that calls are competitively bid for and vary considerably in the amount of funding available; and in part the fact that the FP7 budget was back-loaded, with increasing amounts of money available to award as grants in the final two years of the programme (2012-2013). In contrast, relatively few grants were awarded in the first year of Horizon 2020 (2014), which thereafter is due to run with annual budgets larger than those available to FP7.

    Overall, the UK was the second biggest recipient of EU research funding under FP7, and remains so under Horizon 2020.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Navy has deployed any unmanned maritime systems for the purpose of (a) anti-submarine and (b) port and harbour security.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Royal Navy currently deploys unmanned systems to enhance maritime surveillance and improve situational awareness in a number of air and sea environments.

    I am withholding further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total amount paid in compensation to people affected by the High Speed 2 project was in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The total amount paid for land and property to people affected by the HS2 project in the last twelve months is £125,953,179 with a further £3,345,403 in compensation payments associated with the statutory blight regime. The combined total expenditure in the past 12 months was £129,298,582.

    The monthly expenditure in the last year was as follows:

    Month

    Land and Property Expenditure

    Statutory Blight Compensation

    Sep-15

    £5,296,600

    £444,072

    Oct-15

    £6,781,500

    £436,980

    Nov-15

    £10,988,700

    £321,579

    Dec-15

    £12,969,010

    £490,082

    Jan-16

    £8,581,370

    £474,675

    Feb-16

    £8,856,450

    Mar-16

    £15,201,825

    £251,119

    Apr-16

    £12,030,678

    £346,051

    May-16

    £7,624,530

    £237,814

    Jun-16

    £11,032,550

    £242,986

    Jul-16

    £15,309,681

    £5,604

    Aug-16

    £11,280,285

    £94,441

    Total

    £125,953,179

    £3,345,403

  • Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for how long his Department plans that the Lifetime ISA will be on offer.

    Jane Ellison

    The Lifetime ISA will be available from April 2017. This is a long-term savings product and there will be no limit on how long people are able to hold funds in a Lifetime ISA for. The Government intends this to be a long-term reform and has no plans to limit the time that Lifetime ISAs will be available.

  • Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the UK is offering to Yazidi people.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    UK aid is reaching hundreds of thousands of people across Iraq, including the most vulnerable groups, such as Yazidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure that no-one is discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. The UK works with the Government of Iraq, Kurdish Regional Government, the UN and the international community to support the rights of all minorities and to ensure our aid reaches those in greatest need.

    To date, the UK has committed £79.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the NHS England cancer genetic testing service compared to the French system run by the Institute Nationale du Cancer in terms of equality of access as measured by the percentage of eligible patients who actually receive tests for (1) breast cancer, (2) lung cancer, (3) colorectal cancer, and (4) melanoma.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has not, to date, undertaken a direct comparison of the English and French health systems in respect of genetic testing practice for cancer.

    NHS England does not hold data on the percentage of stage 2b, or higher, cancer patients in secondary and tertiary centres who were genetically tested. Detailed information on the clinical circumstances, or reasons, for referral for genetic testing for individual patients is not currently collated on a national basis.

    NHS England does not consider business cases from individual National Health Service trusts in relation to the adoption of new genetic tests. Instead, NHS England considers national clinical commissioning policy proposals on the eligibility of a particular test, or treatments to be made available in the presence of particular genetic markers. These are considered and where agreed, funded consistently across England for services falling within NHS England’s direct commissioning responsibilities.

    Examples include the separate policies (published in July 2015) confirming eligibility for Ivacaftor for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in the presence of certain gene mutations, and confirming eligibility for testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, respectively. Copies of the policies are attached.

    In addition, the UK Genetic Testing Network currently presents new genetic testing proposals to NHS England for funding consideration based on the conclusions of their assurance programme. These are considered, alongside other new policy proposals, as part of the annual funding prioritisation process, where there is a net annual investment to be made to support their adoption.

    Information on the average turnaround time for cancer genetic tests is not currently collated, or analysed, nationally. However, NHS England will be undertaking a procurement exercise in the coming months to support the strengthened provision of genetic testing across England. This includes more consistent reporting of activity and other performance indicators, including the timeliness of reporting on receipt on referrals. The supporting national service specification, setting out the standards required of commissioned providers, has been the subject of a recent public consultation.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that staff dealing with universal credit are on the same rates of pay once staff from HM Revenue and Customs are transferred to his Department.

    Priti Patel

    DWP currently operates a pay system which, in common with other civil service departments including HMRC, uses pay ranges based on grade and location. Factors such as business needs and benchmarking of similar public and private sector organisations are considered as part of each DWP annual pay review

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 24 February 2015 to Question 224081, on social services: pay, whether HM Revenue and Customs has completed its investigations into the six social care companies.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has investigated over 400 care sector employers involving 330 complaints from workers and 79 targeted using our risking tools. Non-compliance has been found in about a third of completed investigations, identifying over £436,000 arrears for nearly 3,000 care workers. HMRC’s investigations have assured the working practices of the social care providers who employ almost 20% of the total workforce in that sector.

    HMRC has not completed all the investigations into the six social care companies. The Department does not discuss the results of specific investigations for reasons of confidentiality.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The tables below contain information on the overtime spend by the Department for Transport, including the following agencies, for February 2014 – January 2016:

    • Department for Transport (central)
    • Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
    • Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
    • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
    • Vehicle Certification Agency
    • Highways Agency (February 2014 – March 2015 only. From April 2015 HA became Highways England.)

    Month

    Feb-14

    Mar-14

    Apr-14

    May-14

    Jun-14

    Jul-14

    Overtime spend

    £1,239,198

    £1,599,619

    £927,703

    £1,280,082

    £1,268,173

    £1,261,126

    Month

    Aug-14

    Sep-14

    Oct-14

    Nov-14

    Dec-14

    Jan-15

    Overtime spend

    £1,249,497

    £1,341,766

    £1,413,538

    £1,160,553

    £1,158,340

    £1,122,994

    Month

    Feb-15

    Mar-15

    Apr-15

    May-15

    Jun-15

    Jul-15

    Overtime spend

    £1,247,224

    £1,664,032

    £1,395,002

    £1,339,767

    £1,290,854

    £1,403,393

    Month

    Aug-15

    Sep-15

    Oct-15

    Nov-15

    Dec-15

    Jan-16

    Overtime spend

    £888,400

    £911,069

    £1,051,989

    £775,587

    £357,148

    £446,784

    Both the twelve month periods shown above – February 2014 to January 2015 and February 2015 to January 2016 – show a reduction in overtime spend compared to the first twelve-month period of the Coalition government in 2010/11.

  • Mike Weir – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mike Weir – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the pension schemes of abolished non-departmental public bodies which lay within his Department’s remit efficiently discharge their liabilities to pensioners.

    Nick Boles

    The majority of the Department’s non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) contribute into existing multi-employer schemes, these include the PCSPS and Research Council Pension Scheme. Individuals also have the option to contribute to a partnership pension scheme operated by selected pension companies. In both these cases the responsibility to make payments to pensioners lies with the scheme, and not with the individual employer.

    Where an individual NDPB operating its own scheme was to be abolished, as part of that process a decision would be made whether it was appropriate to transfer the liability to the Department or to transfer that scheme to the management of the Cabinet Office.