The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with representatives of the UK ceramics industry on the effect of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Anna Soubry
I can confirm that I met on 3 February 2016 the British Ceramics Confederation. BIS officials are also in regular contact with the sector on all energy and environment matters.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-02-19.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many migrants residing in the UK claim benefits on behalf of children living abroad; and what the value is of such claims by country of residence of the child.
Damian Hinds
The information is not available in the form requested.
The Government’s new settlement means that EU nationals whose children live abroad will ultimately receive Child Benefit at a rate that reflects the conditions – including the standard of living and child benefit paid – of the country where their child lives. This will restore fairness to the system. Meanwhile, Child Tax Credit is being phased out, and we do not have to pay the new Universal Credit for children living in other countries. That means as Universal Credit is fully rolled out, the only benefit we will pay for children living in other Member States will be the indexed rate of Child Benefit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when all schools become academies, how they will ensure that the Department for Education has the capacity to respond quickly and positively to catastrophic events, such as the recent floods in Cumbria.
Lord Nash
We expect all schools, including academies, to have emergency management plans in place, drawn up in conjunction with their local authority, to deal with crises such as the recent floods. This is reinforced by the Department’s White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, published by the Secretary of State on 17 March 2016 that states that local authorities will continue to take a lead in crisis management and emergency planning for all schools in their area. Further details of the future role of local authorities will be announced in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make a comparative assessment of energy costs for heavy industry in the UK and in other EU countries.
Anna Soubry
UK industrial gas prices are among the lowest in Europe, while electricity prices are among the highest. Industrial energy use overall is split relatively evenly between electricity, gas and other fuels.
We are addressing the fundamental causes of the UK’s relatively high electricity costs, through:
Short-term cost control measures, including the Levy Control Framework actions on solar and onshore wind, announced in summer 2015;
Longer term measures including investment in new energy infrastructure (such as nuclear); and interconnection with French, Belgian and Norwegian networks which should help to reduce the difference between the electricity prices here and in Continental Europe.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-06-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department plans to take to make young working families aware of ways in which they can access (a) proposed Government schemes in the Lifetime Savings Bill and (b) other Government schemes relating to long-term savings.
Harriett Baldwin
We are committed to supporting savers of all incomes and at all stages of life. From April 2017, the Government will introduce a Lifetime ISA for adults under 40 to help save for a first home or retirement. The Government will also introduce a new Help to Save scheme, available from no later than April 2018, to support working families on low incomes to build up a rainy day fund.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that all consumers can access high quality, affordable advice so they can make informed decisions about their hard-earned money. That is why we will replace the Money Advice Service with a new commissioning body that will identify gaps in the financial guidance market and commission targeted money guidance accordingly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for a further round of Countryside Stewardship schemes in (a) January 2018 and (b) other years.
George Eustice
On the 13 August, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that any agri-environment agreements signed or with funding agreements in place before the Autumn Statement will be fully funded, even when those agreements continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.
The Government will make a further announcement before the Autumn Statement about arrangements for assessing how guarantees could be given to projects that might be signed after the Autumn Statement, but while we remain a member of the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what records her Department holds of (a) children currently in Europe who potentially qualify for resettlement to the UK under the Dublin III convention and (b) children currently in Europe who potentially qualify for resettlement to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 who do not have a family member in the UK; and what the (i) dates are and (ii) source is from which such records were received since 1 January 2016.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Dublin Regulation is the mechanism to transfer individuals to other Member States for consideration of their asylum claim, rather than a mechanism for resettlement. The number of unaccompanied children in the process of seeking asylum in other Member States is a matter for individual Member States. However, our secondees in France, Greece and Italy are working to identify and assess eligible cases, and transfers are underway.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many voluntary redundancies there have been in his Department in 2015.
Justin Tomlinson
To date in 2015 there have been no voluntary redundancies in the Department for Work and Pensions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 884, Arrests in Malawi of Cuthbert Kulemela and Kelving Gonani.
James Duddridge
The British Government’s position is clear: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual persons should not be discriminated against in any way. The British High Commission in Lilongwe discussed the arrest of the two men involved in this case with the Government of Malawi soon after receiving media reports and we made clear our concerns about the case. We welcome the 19 December statement by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs that affirms the moratorium on the arrest and prosecution of consensual homosexual acts. We understand criminal charges against the men involved in this case have now been dropped. We welcome the Government of Malawi’s commitment to review the laws on homosexuality under the penal code and their invitation to involve civil society in that process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy that comprehensive statistics are collated on the incidence of deaths and hospitalisations as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.