The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding the Green Investment Bank has invested in fracking projects in the UK.
Anna Soubry
The Green Investment Bank has not invested in any fracking projects.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were being accommodated by Serco in the North West region on the latest date for which figures are available.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office publishes quarterly data on the number of asylum seekers in Section 95 dispersal accommodation, by local authority. In Q3 2015 there were 7,531 in dispersed accommodation in the North West region (Asylum Vol 4. Table 16q).
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2015/asylum
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-03-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many and which courts in England and Wales court counters have closed in the last 12 months.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Court counters have closed at the following courts in the last 12 months:
Grantham Magistrates’ Court; and
Skegness Magistrates’ Court.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of unlawful marketing of knives in each year since 2010.
Mike Penning
Knife crime has no place on our streets and the government continues to work with the police and partners, including retailers, to ensure that we reduce violence and knife crime. There are strict laws on sales of knives and on how knives can be marketed, which are enforced by the police and Trading Standards. Anyone who markets a knife in a way that indicates or suggests that is suitable for combat or is likely to encourage violent behaviour faces a prison sentence of up to four years.
There were no convictions for the offence of unlawful marketing of knives, in England and Wales, from 2010 to 2014 (the latest available), on a principal offence basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many tests for Vitamin D were carried out by pathology laboratories in England in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14; and what the cost to the NHS was of providing such tests in each of those years.
Jane Ellison
This information is not held centrally. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning laboratory testing locally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects the first sale of higher value council housing allowed by the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to take place.
Brandon Lewis
Under the Housing and Planning Act, local authorities have a duty to consider selling vacant higher value housing. Local authorities will know which homes will be defined as higher value, and therefore which homes they have a duty to consider selling, once Parliament has scrutinised and approved the regulations, including the higher value regulations which are subject to affirmative resolution.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the contribution of Scottish Gaelic language to British culture and the creative industries.
Matt Hancock
We recognises the important contribution Gaelic language makes to British culture and the creative industries. The Heritage Lottery Fund recently provided £4 million funding to reopen Lews Castle where over 20 community heritage societies have come together to shape the way the story of the Outer Herbrides is celebrated and shared. Interpretation is in Gaelic first with English subtitles throughout the museum.
UK Government and its agencies are committed to working with the Scottish Government to help the creative industries continue to grow in Scotland, through the provision of broadband and mobile infrastructure, fiscal incentives, export promotion, advocacy and facilitation and the provision of official statistics.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by telecoms company Ericsson that the UK is lagging behind other countries in rolling out 5G networks, despite the opening of the 5G Innovation Centre at University of Surrey to improve mobile networks.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Government is committed to ensuring that Britain seizes the chance to be a world leader in 5G technology, which it supports through research and innovation; building on areas of UK excellence; and creating the right regulatory framework.
The Surrey University 5G Innovation Centre is already acquiring an international reputation as one of the top three centres for 5G research globally. It is not alone – other UK universities including Bristol, Southampton, Lancaster, Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt and Sheffield are also conducting world-leading research in areas that are vital for the implementation of 5G.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what effect the policies outlined in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 will have on the amount his Department plans to spend on policies and services which in Scotland are devolved to the Scottish Government.
Brandon Lewis
My Department does not have responsibility for policies or services in Scotland. These are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. However, the increased funding for Housing announced in the Autumn Statement will deliver benefits to Scotland, thanks to the application of the Barnett formula. This Spending Review delivers a 14% real terms increase in capital budgets for the Scottish Government, which is equal to £1.9 billion over the spending review period. This is in addition to existing borrowing powers of over £2 billion. This will enable the Scottish Government, should they chose to do so, to support hard-working people who aspire to own their own home, and deliver the homes that communities want.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of its policies on the automotive sector on the competitiveness of that sector.
Anna Soubry
The Government works closely with the automotive industry, in particular through the Automotive Council, on competitiveness issues affecting the sector. In November 2015, the Automotive Council published an assessment of the UK’s international competitiveness on their website. UK automotive sector productivity is the highest in Europe compared to other major European producers. Car production reached a 10-year high in 2015 at 1.59 million vehicles, with almost 80% of these exported to over 100 countries. In addition, the value of UK sourced components by vehicle manufacturers has increased from 36% in 2011 to 41% in 2015. The sector is at the forefront in the design and use of high quality Apprenticeships to ensure the skilled workforce required to support future growth.