Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Julie Elliott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent steps she has taken to increase the UK’s energy self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported fuel sources; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK boasts a diverse range of energy sources including oil and gas, nuclear, a number of different renewable technologies and coal. These are home grown sources and it is our policy to add new nuclear and shale gas to the existing mix.

    The recently established Oil & Gas Authority is working to maximize the economic recovery of UK conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources. In addition, the UK has six refineries which supply fuel into the domestic market and DECC is working closely with the industry to remove market distortions and ensure relevant regulations are fit for purpose, so they can continue to be competitive.

    Furthermore, we are seeking to increase our domestic electricity generating capacity by working with three developers taking forward proposals to build six new nuclear power plants in the UK, including the recent commitment by EDF and CGN to take forward the Hinkley Point C Project. Renewables are also increasing our domestic generating capacity having provided nearly one fifth of the UK’s electricity needs in 2014 and we are on track to reach our target of 30% by 2020.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the two new offshore patrol vehicles announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review will be run operationally alongside the existing seven.

    Earl Howe

    The three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) currently under construction will enter service as replacements for three of the four in-service OPVs. As announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review [Cm9161], two further River Class OPVs will be built, resulting in a more modern and more capable fleet of up to six OPVs in the Royal Navy.

  • Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has spent on the Darwin Initiative in each year since 2010.

    Rory Stewart

    The Darwin Initiative has funded biodiversity projects in developing countries since 1992 and is managed by Defra. Since 2011 it has been co-funded by Defra and the Department for International Development (DFID). The total expenditure on Darwin Initiative projects and running costs since 2010 is as follows:

    2010/11 – £6.1 million

    2011/12 – £4.3 million

    2012/13 – £5.7 million

    2013/14 – £6 million

    2014/15 – £6.9 million

    Darwin Initiative funding from DFID can only be spent on projects which meet Official Development Assistance (ODA) criteria and this ODA expenditure (reported by calendar year) is as follows:

    2010 – Zero

    2011 – £2.4 million

    2012 – £2.4 million

    2013 – £3.1 million

    2014 – £5.3 million

    Defra additionally manages the Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund (also known as Darwin Plus) which is co-funded by Defra, DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The total expenditure since it was established in 2012 is as follows:

    2013/14 – £720,000

    2014/15 – £1.8 million

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of refunds unclaimed by people who sold their vehicles but then failed to apply for a refund of vehicle tax since 2010.

    Andrew Jones

    Prior to October 2014 motorists could apply for a refund or transfer the vehicle licence to the new keeper of the vehicle. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold information about how many keepers chose not to claim a refund. Since vehicle excise duty was made non-transferable in October 2014, vehicle keepers no longer have to apply for a refund. This is issued automatically when the DVLA is notified of the sale of a vehicle.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether energy suppliers are obligated to report to the National Measurement and Regulation Office when a heat network is established or a lease is acquired.

    Joseph Johnson

    Under Regulation 3(2)(b) of The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 heat suppliers have a duty to notify the National Measurement and Regulation Office in relation to a district heat network or communal heating that commences operation after 31st December 2015, on or before the first date of operation.

    If a change of ownership occurs (or a lease is acquired) on a district heat network or communal heating that has already been notified there is no requirement to re-notify within four years of the date of the first notification submitted. If the network has not been previously notified, then the duty to notify applies.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the (a) effect of lower-than predicted growth rates on the Overseas Development Assistance budget and (b) implications of such rates on the budget for her Department.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Budget document set out reductions to the Official Development Assistance budget of £650m in 2019/20 to reflect revised economic forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility. As in the last Parliament, the government has and will continue to adapt spending plans to ensure the 0.7% target is met.

    The allocation of ODA will be decided by HMG in due course, in line with the UK Aid Strategy, and taking into account the relative value for money of ODA programmes and strategic fit with HMG objectives.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the intake of BAME servicemen and women was as a proportion of total intake for each year from 2006 to the latest available figures.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The information held by the Ministry of Defence is as follows:

    Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) intake as a proportion of Total UK Regulars1 Intake each year April 2008-April 2015.

    12 Months ending

    1 April 2008

    1 April 2009

    1 April 2010

    1 April 2011

    1 April 2012

    1 April 2013

    1 April 2014

    1 April 2015

    % BAME

    8.3

    9.4

    6.8

    5.6

    7.3

    7.9

    7.0

    5.7

    Source: Defence Statistics (Tri-Service)

    Older information is not available as the current systems date back to 2007 only. Information on Reserves intake is due to be released as part of the UK Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics on 26 May 2016. The most recent data can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-2015

    Notes

    1UK Regular Forces comprises Full-time personnel but does not include Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service personnel and Reservists. Percentages exclude those personnel with an unknown ethnicity.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place in the Library copies of all letters, leaflets and other material from his Department circulated to (a) stakeholders and (b) members of the public on the EU referendum; what the costs of the production and distribution of that material has been since 1 January 2016; and what he estimates the cost of any further production and distribution of such material will be between 6 May 2016 and 23 June 2016.

    Andrew Selous

    I refer my hon. Friend to the response given by Cabinet Office to Question 38811 on 08 June 2016.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to make dietary supplements to address osteoporosis available through the NHS.

    David Mowat

    General practitioners can prescribe any product, which they consider to be a medicine necessary for the treatment of their patients providing that the product is not included in Schedules 1 or 2 to the NHS (General Medical Services contracts) (Prescription of Drugs etc.) Regulations 2004 and the doctor is prepared to justify any challenges to their prescribing by their local primary care organisation.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Attorney General, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by the Law Officers’ Departments are non-UK nationals.

    Robert Buckland

    All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

    Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

    More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. There are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.