The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 12 September (HL1533), whether work has commenced on the third Offshore Patrol Vessel contracted for in August 2014; and if not, why not.
Earl Howe
Construction of the third Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMS TRENT, began in October 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 16052, if he will estimate the number of vehicles likely to be tested; and what criteria is being used to decide which models will be tested.
Andrew Jones
The two Skoda cars tested are part of the Vehicle Certification Agency fleet. Their engines are of the type that VW has confirmed as being equipped with software that recognises test conditions. Our testing has confirmed differences in exhaust emissions when measured using the type approval tests and with an alternative procedure. However, it cannot be guaranteed that a single alternative procedure would identify defeat strategies on other vehicles and therefore our planned programme of work will involve a number of alternative tests, including real driving, to interrogate their emission behaviour.
Our programme will consider, without bias, approximately 40 vehicles that are representative of some 70 different models in the UK market. These have been selected based both upon the volume of sales over each of the last 5-years and the overall number of each model currently licensed for use on the roads of Great Britain.
We have agreed with ministers in France and in Germany to exchange knowledge and understanding as our respective programmes develop. This collaboration may allow our programmes to be rationalised to avoid duplication of testing and secure best value for the taxpayer.
An update on progress will be prepared early in the New Year and a full report will be issued at the conclusion of the work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statement of 1 December 2014, HC Deb, 46W, what assessment he has made of the performance of the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than arrests being made at night.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
On 2 June, the Minister of State, my noble Friend, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE met the Israeli Military Advocate General and discussed the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than be arrested at night. We understand that the scheme has functioned well and has been used in a significant proportion of arrests. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv continue to push for further progress on the issue of children held in military detention with Israeli officials. On 23 November, an official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met Israel’s Chief Prosecutor and discussed the issue of child detention and on 27 August, our Ambassador to Tel Aviv lobbied the Israeli Military Advocate General on Children in Detention where the issue of child detention was also discussed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support he is providing to the Inside Out programme run by Durham University.
Mr Shailesh Vara
We want prisons to be places of hard work, rigorous education and high ambition, with incentives for prisoners to learn and for prison staff to prioritise education and work.
The Inside Out programme run by Durham University in selected north east prisons during 2014-15 is an excellent example of an innovative local partnership, aimed at higher level prisoner learners.
The National Offender Management Service supported the programme through re-prioritising prison staff resources to make sure the learning could take place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department is providing for the development of (a) technologies for the improved storage of electricity and (b) locally-based smart grids.
Andrea Leadsom
More than £80m UK public sector support (including Ofgem innovation funding) has been committed to energy storage research, development and demonstration activities since 2012, which is helping to drive down the costs of storage and bring new technologies closer to market. The Department has provided more than £18m of innovation funding for development and demonstration storage technologies; including funding for four technology demonstration projects.
We are facilitating the deployment of a smart grid through:
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how (a) much funding has been paid to and (b) many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Advisory. Conciliation and Arbitration Service in each year since 2009-10.
Nick Boles
Set out below is the amount of funding paid to Acas and is full-time equivalent staff for each year since 2009-10.
|
Financial year |
Staff no. (FTE) |
Grant in Aid (£’000) |
|
2009-10 |
880 |
55,687 |
|
2010-11 |
876 |
47,200 |
|
2011-12 |
827 |
48,009 |
|
2012-13 |
787 |
46,450 |
|
2013-14 |
787 |
45,800 |
|
2014-15 |
784 |
44,240 |
|
2015-16 |
782 (end Feb) |
44,478 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department last reviewed its statutory guidance on post-16 transport to education and training.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The statutory guidance for local authorities on post-16 transport was updated in February 2014 following the implementation of Raising the Participation Age (RPA). It was last reviewed in February 2016 and was found to be still up-to-date; there are no immediate changes planned to the guidance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the annual budget is for food produced for his Department’s offices; and what proportion of food produced for his Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The requested information is not recorded in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
My department follows the Government Buying Standard for food and catering to be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418072/gbs-food-catering-march2015.pdf.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-07-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will review the technical guidance on householder permitted development rights to minimise the visual impact of loft extensions.
Brandon Lewis
Permitted development rights for householders are set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. The rights allow for loft extensions to the rear or side of dwellinghouses. To minimise the impact on the amenity of an area there are conditions limiting their size and appearance. These are explained in the Technical Guidance which was reviewed and updated in April 2016. Where the development exceeds the thresholds, or is to the front of a dwellinghouse, an application for planning permission is required.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hughes of Woodside on 2016-09-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 12 September (HL Deb, col 1308), what are the remit and terms of appointment of the anti-corruption champion, and what staffing and financial support arrangements have been put in place to assist him in carrying out his duties.
Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
The Anti-Corruption Champion, Sir Eric Pickles, is a personal appointment of the Prime Minister. The main elements of the Champion’s role were set out in the UK’s Anti-Corruption Action Plan and include: scrutinising the performance of departments and agencies, as co-chair of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Anti-Corruption; responsibility, along with Home Office Ministers, for approval of the UK’s Anti-Corruption Plan and for parliamentary and public accountability of the Government’s performance against the Plan; responsibility, along with other Ministers, for leading the UK’s push to strengthen the international response to corruption; and a mandate to engage with external stakeholders, including business and civil society organisations. The Champion is supported by the Joint Anti-Corruption Unit.