Tag: Parliamentary Question

Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will take steps to ensure that storage or disposal of nuclear waste is compliant with the obligations outlined in Article 29 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Jesse Norman

The storage and disposal of radioactive waste in the UK is, and will continue to be, carried out in accordance with the requirements of national and international law.

01/01/2023
Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of the National Grid’s assumption of electricity supply from interconnectors increasing from 0GW to 1GW of electricity at the same time as electricity margins on the continent shrink on the UK being able to import electricity at times of peak demand.

Andrea Leadsom

National Grid makes an assessment of the extent to which all GB interconnectors can be relied upon to provide electricity to GB when needed. The assumptions around electricity imports are informed by an assessment of connected markets, including consideration of their electricity margins, the wider network to which they are connected and the chance of coincident scarcity with the connected markets.

Beyond these market arrangements, should GB need additional support, it is also possible for National Grid as the System Operator to call upon interconnectors at a time of system stress.

01/01/2023
Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether part-time students applying for maintenance support from 2018-19 will continue to be eligible for benefits.

Joseph Johnson

Eligibility criteria and specific rules of the scheme will be set out as part of the consultation.

01/01/2023
Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will amend guidance to planning authorities in order to strengthen their advice on (1) measures for the prevention and alleviation of flooding when determining planning applications, including off-site improvement works funded by section 106 obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy; (2) effective sustainable drainage systems; and (3) restrictions on building on flood plains and other sites with a high liability to flooding.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

We already have clear, robust planning policy and guidance on flood risk in place. There are strict tests in the National Planning Policy Framework to protect people and property from flooding which all local planning authorities are expected to follow, underpinned by our on-line planning practice guidance.

The Framework is clear that through their Local Plans and planning decisions, local planning authorities should avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. They should develop policies to manage flood risk from all sources and look to safeguard land from development that is required for flood management. They should also use opportunities offered by new development to reduce the causes and impacts of flooding. The Framework makes clear that new development should not increase flood risk elsewhere. In areas at risk of flooding, the Framework states the development should only be considered appropriate where it gives priority to the use of sustainable drainage systems.

Planning law requires that planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The Framework is a material consideration in planning decisions.

Updated planning guidance is designed to support local planning authorities in the effective implementation of these policies. This includes guidance on sustainable drainage systems which was strengthened last year and the use of mitigation measures to make development safe. Where appropriate, local planning authorities can secure off-site works through planning obligations or the Community Infrastructure Levy. We have made very clear in the guidance that where the Framework’s tests to protect people and property from flooding are not met new development should not be allowed.

01/01/2023
Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they or the EU plan to produce a simple guide to the Dublin III Regulations for potential applicants for asylum and their advisers; and if so, whether that guide will be made available, at least in English and French, at refugee camps in Calais and Dunkirk, and at other points of entry into the EU.

Lord Bates

In line with the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK and France have increased the frequency of joint communications campaigns which involve speaking to migrants in Calais and Dunkirk to inform them of their options and providing advice on their rights to claim asylum in France. This includes speaking to vulnerable people and those who claim a link to family members in the UK. But we are very clear that the primary responsibility for the welfare and treatment of migrants in Calais lies with the French authorities.

A leaflet detailing the Dublin III Regulations is provided to applicants who have claimed asylum in France and indicate that they have family members in the UK.

The UK is also funding a project to identify those in the camps who are especially vulnerable and at risk of trafficking and exploitation, and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

01/01/2023
Baroness Burt of Solihull – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull on 2016-03-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will consult on maintenance loans for part-time undergraduate students.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

The Government announced in the Spending Review that, for the first time, student finance would be available to part-time students to help meet both tuition and living costs. Discussions are ongoing with stakeholders regarding the new maintenance loan product for part-time higher education students and our current plan is to consult later in the year.

01/01/2023
Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the trade and other economic links between the UK and Djibouti.

Lord Price

HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics report the value of UK trade in goods with Djibouti. In 2015 the UK exported £11.9 million of goods to Djibouti, in the same year the UK imported £1.4 million of goods from Djibouti.

Data on the value of trade in services and other types of economic transaction between the UK and Djibouti is not available.

01/01/2023
Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support innovation in assistive technology for use by people with dementia.

Jane Ellison

Dementia is a key priority for the Government. That is why in February 2015, the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia 2020. The Government will implement the Prime Minister’s Challenge in full to make sure that dementia care, support, awareness and research are transformed by 2020.

As part of the 2020 Challenge, we want to see greater provision of innovative and high quality dementia care, delivered in a way that is personalised and appropriate to the specific needs of the person with dementia, their family and carers. This includes providers incorporating new ideas including technology solutions into everyday practice. We also want to see research on assistive technologies and assisted living, including research on how information and communication technologies can best help people with dementia and carers.

The Department and NHS England recently launched seven ‘Test Bed Sites’ in England. These sites will evaluate the real world impact of technologies, testing them together with innovations in how the NHS services are delivered, to improve health and care outcomes. Three of the Test Beds will have a focus on dementia.

A number of programmes have been launched to support usage of technology for the benefit of people including those with dementia and their carers. These include:

– The Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS) Programme;

– A TECS resource for Commissioners; and

– The Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare and Regional Innovation Fund initiative.

01/01/2023
David Nuttall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Nuttall on 2016-07-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that all outstanding complaints relating to class 2 national insurance contributions are resolved before those contributions are abolished.

Mr David Gauke

Each year HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receives and responds to 50 million phone calls and 15 million letters from Self Assessment and PAYE customers. HMRC commits to responding to complaints within 15 days of receipt and therefore expects that, excluding any that may be received in the last few weeks before abolition, outstanding complaints will have been cleared.

The number of complaints relating to Class 2 contributions received in the last three years is set out in the table below:

Year

No. of complaints

2013/14

1122

2014/15

1210

2015/16

831

01/01/2023

Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the budget for the National Measurement System was spent through (a) NEL Ltd, (b) the National Physical Laboratory and (c) LGC over the last five years.

Margot James

The National Measurement System (NMS) is funded by BEIS, on behalf of Government as a whole, through a portfolio of programmes encompassing a wide range of scientific disciplines.

The budget distribution across the NMS programmes was informed by the NMS Strategy 2009-2016.

	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16	2016/17
NPL*	£39.2M	£39.4M	£39.3M	£39.3M	£40.3M
LGC	£6.7M	£6.8M	£6.9M	£7M	£7.1M
NEL	£3.6M	£3.5M	£3.5M	£3.4M	£3.5M
NMO	£1M	£1M	£1M	£1M	£1M**
NGML	£75k	£75k	£75k	£75k	£75k
Int. Subs	£900k	£900k	£900k	£900k	£900k

* Figure quoted for NPL is adjusted to reflect the rent returned to the department by NPL.

**Now included within BEIS operating costs.

01/01/2023

Year	No. of complaints
2013/14	1122
2014/15	1210
2015/16	831