Tag: Parliamentary Question

Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided to The Future Leaders Trust in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb

The total funding provided by the Department to The Future Leaders Trust in each of the last three years is available via the links below. The accounts for 2015-16 will be published in July 2016.

For 2014-15 published accounts (page 235):

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517766/DfE-consolidated-annual-report-and-a-counts-2014-to-2015-Web-version.pdf

For 2013-14 published accounts (page 157):

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397024/DfE_consolidated_annual_report_and_accounts_2013_to_2014.pdf

For 2012-13 published accounts (page 153):

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275186/DFE_Group_Consolidated_12-13_ARA.pdf

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01/01/2023
David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the number of trade negotiators required to negotiate the UK’s trade deals when the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands

The Rt hon Member will be aware that my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has created a new Department for International Trade, which is responsible for promoting British trade across the world and ensuring the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us. We are building up our trade policy capability. The new Department has begun a process to recruit and train staff to work on the UK’s trade policy. We will adapt the resource devoted to trade policy in line with future demands.

01/01/2023
Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to make available research funding at the same level as currently received after the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson

The Government is committed to maintain and enhance the strength of our research base. This is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament, as well as committing to invest in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale – £6.9 billion over the period 2015-2021.

The Treasury decision to underwrite the grants of competitively bid for EU research funding will give British participants and their EU partners the assurance and certainty needed to plan ahead for projects that can run over many years. We will ensure that the UK continues to be a world leader in international research and innovation.

01/01/2023
Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assurances he has received from Govia Thameslink Railway on the recruitment, training and in-service dates of train drivers.

Claire Perry

The Department is in regular dialogue with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and each railway period they provide a report relating to drivers which details headcount, new driver recruitment and number of drivers expected to complete their training in the future. Since the start of the year over 120 drivers have completed their training across the GTR franchise and there are currently over 200 drivers in training.

01/01/2023
Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 15125, when she plans to publish draft proposals on eligibility requirements for free school meals within universal credit; when the consultation on those proposals will be launched; and when she plans to make a final decision on eligibility.

Mr Sam Gyimah

We plan to launch a public consultation on eligibility for free school meals under Universal Credit later in 2016, with a view to having the necessary regulations in place for the end of the year, when the roll out of the full Universal Credit Service to a broader claimant base will be well under way.

While this work is on-going, any child whose parent or guardian is receiving Universal Credit will continue to be entitled to free school meals.

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he plans to take to widen access to sources of alternative finance.

Anna Soubry

Alternative finance is a rapidly growing sector. Latest figures from the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association (P2PFA) show that new SME loans originated by their members increased by 89% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2015. Equity crowdfunded deal numbers and investment totals have also been steadily rising. The British Business Bank is an active participant in the sector and during the last 12 months has supported 3,301 businesses through the peer-to-peer platforms Funding Circle, RateSetter and Zopa.

A key element in the growth of the UK alternative finance sector has been a regulatory environment that supports innovation while protecting both investors and businesses. In addition, government is bringing into effect provisions in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 which will require the largest banks – where they decline lending requests from small business customers – to offer those customers the opportunity for their details to be referred to a government-designated funding platform. These platforms will help match SMEs with alternative finance providers and will be brought into operation later this year.

01/01/2023

Ms Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Angela Eagle on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the number of apprentices at each of the apprenticeship educational levels 2 to 6 whom the Government plans to be part of its target of three million apprentices by 2020.

Nick Boles

Apprenticeships are paid jobs and so their availability and level are dependent upon employers offering opportunities and recruiting apprentices. We will continue to support the growth in apprenticeships at all levels to meet our commitment to 3 million new starts in England by 2020.

We are committed to expanding Degree Apprenticeships, which combine a high quality degree with an apprenticeship. Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are widening access to the professions, providing the higher level technical skills employers need to improve productivity and giving young people an equally valid career route to purely university-based courses.

All Apprenticeship Starts by Level (2014/15 and 2015/16 – Reported to Date)

Level	2014/15	2015/16
	Full Year	August to October
Level 2	298,280	86,620
Level 3	181,760	60,140
Level 4	7,090	2,880
Level 5	12,590	3,200
Level 6	100	240
Total Higher Apprenticeships	19,770	6,320
Total Apprenticeships	499,900	153,100

01/01/2023

Lord Shinkwin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shinkwin on 2016-03-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the increase, if any, in abortions for disability of implementing new non-invasive prenatal testing techniques.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) commissioned a full review of the published scientific and cost evidence (systematic review) relating to Non Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). Based on the evidence from the systematic review and the pilot study, the UK NSC ran a three month consultation that closed on 30 October 2015 seeking views on whether NIPT be offered as an additional test to women identified with a higher risk of carrying a baby with a chromosomal condition.

The consultation was sent directly to 38 organisations and responses were received from 30 stakeholders. Details of the evidence recommendation can be found in the document titled, ‘cfDNA Systematic Review Final Report.’ Details of the organisations contacted can be found in Annex A of the document titled, ‘cfDNA Cover Sheet’ and consultation responses can be found in the document titled, ‘Screening for cfDNA Compiled Comments.’ All three documents were published on the UK NSC website and copies are attached.

The UK NSC review included the early findings from the Reliable Accurate Prenatal non-Invasive Diagnosis study. However, the possible introduction of NIPT for Down’s, Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes to the National Health Service foetal anomaly screening programme does not fundamentally alter the choices presented to prospective parents regarding entering the foetal anomaly screening programme or not, or in options and choices available when testing identifies a foetus with a syndrome. Therefore, no assessment was made of the impact of NIPT on the number of abortions, Down’s Syndrome community and medical professional and society’s attitudes towards people with Down’s syndrome.

As NIPT for Down’s, Patau’s and Edward’s syndromes is giving more accurate information than women already get, the UK NSC does not consider it to raise any new ethical issues. However, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics held a workshop in January 2016 to consider the ethical aspects of introducing NIPT.

01/01/2023
Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidelines he has issued to local authorities to require them to record the proportion of their procurement spent on small and medium-sized businesses.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government is committed to ensuring there is a simple and consistent approach to procurement across the public sector so that small businesses can gain better and more access to public sector contracts – either directly or as sub-contractors.

The Government produced guidance as part of the reforms included in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 which aim to make public contracts more accessible to businesses and in particular to small and medium enterprises. The reforms included the abolition of pre-qualification questionnaire for low value tenders; simplification of the pre-qualification questionnaire for high value tenders; advertising all local authority contracts of £25,000 or over (or the authority’s standing order limit if higher) on Contracts Finder; and paying down the supplier chain in 30 days.

The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 requires all local authorities to publish details of contracts exceeding £5,000 including information on whether or not the supplier is a small or medium sized enterprise and/or a voluntary or community sector organisation.

However, the Department has made no assessment of the amount or proportion of local government procurement spend going to small and medium sized businesses.

01/01/2023
Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage investment in (a) sustainable aircraft fuels and (b) other renewable technology.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The UK wants to ensure that the aviation sector makes a significant and cost-effective contribution to reducing global emissions. The Government supports a range of measures to achieve this, including the use of sustainable alternative fuels, technological improvements to aircraft, operational improvements in air traffic management, and market-based measures.

Sustainable fuels have an important role to play in reducing carbon emissions from transport, particularly in sectors where there are limited alternatives for decarbonisation such as aviation.

We are assessing the benefits of making sustainable aviation fuels eligible for certificates under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). We aim to publish a consultation on legislative amendments to the RTFO later this year including proposals for aviation biofuels.

01/01/2023