Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the value was of (a) private and (b) public sector investment in the British steel industry in each of the last 10 years.

    Anna Soubry

    This information is not collected centrally. However, the following are examples of Government investments in the UK metals sector since 2008:

    • £8.2 million from the Regional Growth Fund towards a new Tata Steel Europe R&D Centre at Warwick University
    • Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) – £12.7 million comprising £6.47 million grant and £6.25 million loan to a consortium of which Tata Steel Europe is a key partner, to develop the “Proving Factory” which specialises in the industrialisation and low-volume production of advanced propulsion systems to automotive standards.
    • AMSCI – CASCADE project and consortia of 11 companies led by Tata Steel – awarded grant of £4.6m in April 2015 for development of metal powders and processes for additive manufacturing
    • Over £100m in capital projects in universities (through the Research Partnership Investment Fund) in steel, composites, automotive and aerospace, which has leveraged funding from businesses such as Tata, Rolls Royce and JLR.
    • Over £100m in EPSRC’s grant programme in metals and alloys
    • Innovate UK have provided just under £4m in grants to Tata Steel and a further £2m (with £2m from EPSRC) for SPECIFIC – an innovation and knowledge centre at Swansea University.

    Information on private sector investment in the steel industry is not available from official sources.

  • Judith Cummins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Judith Cummins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Judith Cummins on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the provisions of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 on the total stock of affordable homes in Bradford.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Housing and Planning Act will help more people buy their own home and ensure that we are making best use of our social housing stock. It will also get the nation building homes faster, by giving house builders and decision makers the tools and confidence to deliver more homes.

    The Act sets out that planning authorities have a duty to promote the supply of starter homes and the starter homes requirements in the planning system. Local authorities will still be able to seek other forms of affordable housing in addition to the starter homes requirement where it would be viable.

    The impact assessment for the Housing and Planning Bill can be found here:

    http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning/documents.html

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  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to address non-payment of tolls, charges, penalties and fees by non-UK drivers.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Government takes the recovery of non-payment of tolls, charges, penalties and fees very seriously by UK and non UK drivers. The following sets out the steps used by the different organisations responsible in addressing the non-payment of UK charges and penalties.

    When a non-UK vehicle uses the Dartford Crossing without paying the Dart Charge, Highways England uses a European debt recovery agency to issue a Penalty Charge Notice. Highways England also runs seasonal compliance campaigns, providing translated material at ports, airports and poster sites in the Calais area to build broader awareness for foreign drivers heading to the UK.

    For the HGV levy, the Government has effective enforcement procedures that are delivering 95% compliance rates in Great Britain. The Driver and Vehicle and Licencing Agency (DVLA) has the powers to target non-compliant vehicles, and hold them until a penalty is paid.

    Enforcement of road traffic legislation is an operational matter for the police. They are able to issue penalties for speeding, and those who cannot provide a verified UK address can be required to make an on-the-spot roadside payment, known as a fixed penalty deposit.

    Local authorities have powers to clamp or remove foreign vehicles to ensure drivers comply with parking restrictions and pay any penalties.

    The Government will continue to look at the ways we collect tolls, charges, penalties and fees by non-UK drivers and ensure improvements are made where necessary.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 3 November (HL3059) concerning the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station project, what alternatives to the contract with EDF and China were explored, and with what results.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    When the then Government first asked for expressions of interest in Final Investment Decisions (FID) enabling, EDF was the only nuclear developer to come forward, so it was appropriate to enter bilateral negotiations with EDF on this project. This Government continues to explore many different options for providing secure, affordable and clean electricity, making use of different technologies and commercial developers, including nuclear developers. The UK requires reliable, safe, base load electricity from new nuclear, and other low carbon generation sources, and price is one consideration amongst a number for achieving this.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many magistrates there were on 1 April (a) 1989, (b) 1994, (c) 2000, (d) 2005, (e) 2010, (f) 2014 and (g) 2015.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The requested information that is recorded is provided in the table below. Data for 1989 is not recorded. The reduction in the number of magistrates reflects the reduction in the workload in the adult criminal court. The role of a magistrate remains a sought after one and competition for vacancies tends to be strong.

    1994

    30,054

    2000

    30,308

    2005

    28,253

    2010

    28,607

    2014

    21,626

    2015

    19,634
  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics on the issuing of special shares in the Green Investment Bank.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government is currently exploring with the Office of National Statistics whether there is scope to implement a special share style arrangement in a way that would not amount to a form of state control.

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government’s policy is on steps to increase cooperation between police forces and fire services.

    Mike Penning

    The Government is committed to supporting the police and fire services to work more closely together. The Policing and Crime Bill includes a duty to collaborate and enables Police and Crime Commissioners to make the case to take on responsibility for fire and rescue locally, extending the benefits of directly elected, accountable leadership and driving collaboration.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress as regards refugees and migrants they are seeking from the planned France–UK, internal EU, EU–Turkey and UNHCR meetings; and whether they will report to Parliament on the results of those meetings.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government has regular discussions with EU and non-EU partners on refugees and migration. The Government’s consistent focus is on securing a durable and comprehensive solution to the current migration crisis, which tackles the causes of migration as well as the consequences. The UK-France Summit Communiqué contains information on our bilateral cooperation in this area. The Government will report the details of all relevant meetings to Parliament as appropriate.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of officials of his Department resigned in each of the last six years.

    Harriett Baldwin

    A report was generated from the department’s data management system for the financial years requested. I can confirm that a total of 541 officials have resigned in the last six financial years. The proportion of resignations for each of those six years can be viewed in the table below.

    April 10 to March 11

    April 11 to March 12

    April 12 to March 13

    Resignations

    92

    104

    82

    Proportion of Officials (%)

    6.9%

    9.0%

    7.2%

    April 13 to March 14

    April 14 to March 15

    April 15 to March 16

    Resignations

    83

    101

    79

    Proportion of Officials (%)

    7.5%

    9.1%

    6.3%

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 36124, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the apprenticeship levy on apprenticeship completion rates.

    Nick Boles

    The apprenticeship levy is part of a range of reforms which we are introducing to increase investment in apprenticeships, raise their quality and make them more relevant to employers’ needs.

    High quality training that is more relevant to the needs of employers will encourage apprentices to complete their apprenticeships so that they are fully competent in their occupations.

    Information on apprenticeship achievement rates in England is published in the Statistical First Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

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