The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marion Fellows on 2016-01-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take fiscal steps to support exports by SMEs.
Mr David Gauke
The government has provided significant support to first time exporters, many of whom are Small and Medium Enterprises.
A significant package was announced at Autumn Statement 2014, and funding for this initiative was continued at Spending Review 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Krebs on 2016-02-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the levels of compliance with the Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999, as amended, and the effectiveness of those Regulations in reducing lead poisoning of waterbirds.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Through the Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999, the use of lead shot ammunition is restricted to protect waterfowl from lead poisoning. Its use is banned on all foreshores, certain Sites of Special Scientific Interest and for the shooting of all ducks and geese, coot and moorhen. The supply of lead weights for fishing is also prohibited. One recent piece of research suggests compliance with the Regulations is relatively low with around 70% of wild duck carcasses bought from game dealers in England having been shot with lead ammunition. We will continue to look at how the Lead Shot Regulations can be better implemented.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 8 February 2016 on behalf of a constituent concerning Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent training sessions in PSHE lessons.
Mr John Hayes
The correspondence was passed to the Department for Education for response. They accepted the transfer on 12 February 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the letter from Lord Bates on 21 March following the Report Stage of the Immigration Bill, which states that migrants who do not understand whether they may qualify for permission to rent may contact the Home Office to establish whether this is the case”
Lord Keen of Elie
Under the Right to Rent scheme, landlords must check the immigration status of those renting, to ensure they are here legally. Where a migrant’s documents are with the Home Office, landlords can confirm the right to rent through the Landlords Checking Service using the migrant’s case reference number.
In some limited circumstances, such as where there are genuine obstacles to them leaving, migrants here without leave may be afforded permission to rent although disqualified from renting. Where a migrant is unsure as to whether they qualify for permission to rent, they may contact the caseowner or team that is dealing with their case or ask when they attend the Home Office in compliance with reporting conditions.
Guidance on right to rent and when permission to rent may apply is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/landlords-right-to-rent-checks-guide. As I wrote recently, the Government is reviewing the guidance that has already been published and this will provide further detail on how migrants may make these enquiries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what projection he has made of the cost savings from the proposed closure of the Marine Office in Norwich in 2019.
Mr Robert Goodwill
There are no projected savings from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) proposals to close Norwich Marine Office because the plan put forward proposes to invest in a Marine Office nearer London.
Just closing the office would realise savings of £66K per annum. The only value to the MCA is the value of the lease. The value of land and building assets reside with the landlord.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much (a) National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and (b) his Department spent on external consultancy fees related to NOMS in each of the last five years.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The information requested for the MoJ is published in the department’s annual accounts. These can be found on gov.uk.
Data for core NOMS spending on consultancy can be found in the table below.
|
Year |
NOMS Consultancy Spend |
|
2011/2012 |
£6,473,000 |
|
2012/2013 |
£288,000 |
|
2013/2014 |
£217,000 |
|
2014/2015 |
£1,881,000 |
As of 2015/16, NOMS consultancy spend is published in the annual report and accounts, which is available on gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the date most recently set for the declassification and release to the National Archives of the papers relating to Lord Denning’s Report on the Profumo affair, published in 1963 (Cmnd 2152).
Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
The Cabinet Office has transferred the papers of Lord Denning’s Report into the Profumo Affair to the National Archives. I refer the noble Lord to their publicly-available catalogue, which states that that they will remain closed until 1 January 2048. This follows a decision by the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.
This date reflects the fact that individuals mentioned in the Denning files are still alive, and Lord Denning gave assurances to those from whom he took evidence that the papers would never be published.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of recent changes in the currency exchange rate on levels of tourism in the UK.
Tracey Crouch
It is too early to draw significant conclusions about the impact of changes in the currency exchange rate on tourism. Many trips to the UK were booked far in advance and, thanks to our world-class attractions, incredible heritage and GREAT marketing campaign, July and August saw a new record for inbound visits and spend for these months
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many written complaints her Department received about academy brokers in each year since 2010.
Edward Timpson
All of the contractors offering specialist educational advice are now defined as ‘Education Advisers’. Some of the Education Advisers work as academy brokers but may undertake other functions. All complaints made against Education Advisers have been recorded centrally since June 2011.
Since then, the Department has received 13 written complaints in total. Investigations have been concluded and resolved to the Department’s satisfaction; the majority were found to be without basis.
In each case the complainant was given feedback on the investigation and was informed of how they could pursue their complaint further if they were not satisfied with the outcome. In two cases, complaints were partially upheld; and another was upheld.
Providing further information about the nature of the complaints, and the grounds on which they were partially or fully upheld, would risk identifying individual cases and therefore jeopardise the confidentiality afforded to the complainant and subject, and be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage economic development in rural areas within English metropolitan counties.
Rory Stewart
In August, the Secretary of State launched the Government’s Rural Productivity Plan. This sets out a series of measures to help rural communities and businesses reach their full potential and contribute to increasing national productivity.
By investing in education and skills, increasing wages, improving infrastructure and connectivity, and simplifying planning laws for rural businesses and communities, this will help create thriving rural areas where generations of families can open and expand their businesses, buy a home and educate their children at first class schools.