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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the annual budget is for food produced for her Department’s offices; and what proportion of food produced for her Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department does not have an annual food budget. Catering services are provided via a contract with Interserve Plc, and is operated on a nil subsidy basis.

    Annual spend is determined by the contractor and is informed by private sales to members of staff.

    Approximately 60% of products across all food and drink categories were sourced from British producers as of March 2016. This proportion reflects that a large volume of food and drink sold includes non-indigenous products such as rice, tea and coffee.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on transferring powers and functions currently held by the EU to devolved administrations once the UK exits the EU.

    Mr David Jones

    The Government is committed to working with the devolved administrations as we prepare for a new negotiation with the EU. We will engage fully with the devolved administrations, as well as Gibraltar, the Crown Dependencies, the other UK Overseas Territories and other key parties, in accordance with their various constitutional relationships with the UK, to ensure that all of their interests are taken properly into account.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the new National Funding Formula for schools will be introduced.

    Nick Gibb

    In July, the Secretary of State committed to introduce national funding formulae for schools and high needs from the financial year 2018-19. We will set out detailed proposals later in the autumn, and make decisions early next year, for the new system to be in place from April 2018.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to improve the energy efficiency of homes; and whether any of the National Infrastructure Committee’s funding will be available for use to increase home energy efficiency.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Since 2013 the Government has supported industry in delivering over 1.6 million measures which were installed in over 1.3 million households through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) alone. We are now working with the industry and consumer groups on a new value-for-money approach.

    We’ve also commissioned an independent review led by Peter Bonfield to investigate quality, standards and consumer protection to ensure that the system properly supports and protects consumers.

    The National Infrastructure Commission will be resourced to carry out its task of advising Government on the UK’s infrastructure needs and priorities. It will not have adirectrole in funding infrastructure delivery.

    We are clear that support should be focussed on those with the greatest need.

  • John Healey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) housing benefit claimant count and (b) average weekly housing benefit award is for tenants in supported accommodation in each (i) county, (ii) region, (iii) local authority and (iv) valuation office agency area.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not available.

    DWP and DCLG have commissioned an evidence review to provide more robust and up-to-date information relating to supported housing. The report will be published in 2016.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how much has been lost to the National Insurance Fund from salary sacrifice schemes for occupational pensions in each of the last five years.

    Damian Hinds

    Department for Work and Pensions has published estimates on salary sacrifice available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-pension-provision-survey-2013 Estimates are not available for the number of active members who take advantage of these schemes or the loss to the National Insurance Fund.

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  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff from Crown Post Offices that were franchised in 2014 and 2015 (a) transferred to employment with a franchise partner and (b) reached settlement agreements with the Post Office to leave its employment.

    George Freeman

    Post Office Limited runs and manages its directly managed Crown post offices. Arrangements for employees of these offices and changes to the Crown network are the operational responsibility of the Post Office.

    I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to you on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress his Department has made in encouraging private companies to create or expand their apprenticeships programmes.

    Nick Boles

    There have been over 2.4 million apprenticeship starts over the previous parliament, and 153,100 between August and October 2015, demonstrating the continued expansion of the apprenticeships programme.

    We are taking action to support and encourage the growth of apprenticeships in all sectors to meet our commitment to reaching 3 million starts by 2020. The UK-wide levy will be introduced in April 2017 for all employers in public and private sector with a pay bill of £3m or more, to help fund the increase in quantity and quality of apprenticeship training in England. All employers that hire apprentices will benefit from the levy.

    Our apprenticeship reforms are giving employers the opportunity to create new apprenticeship standards. More than 1300 employers are involved with 204 new standards published (of which over 60 are Higher and Degree Apprenticeships) and more than 150 are in development. So far there have been over 1,000 starts on the new standards.

    We are continuing to support small employers to hire apprentices through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), which provides eligible employers with a £1,500 grant per apprentice (aged 16 to 24) for up to five new apprentices currently. The AGE will continue to operate until the apprenticeships levy is introduced in April 2017. From April 2016, all employers will not be required to pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under age of 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) the digital inclusion strategy and (b) other digital inclusion measures in each year since 2011.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy, created under the last Government, is a multi sector strategy setting out a series of collective commitments for government and the private and voluntary sectors.

    Increasing the level of digital engagement in the UK requires commitment from all sectors. To date, 93 organisations have signed up to collaborate with government departments and each other to increase digital engagement in the UK. A wide range of activities and programmes have been delivered by partners across the UK.

    Government has invested heavily in basic digital skills; for example, BIS funds a programme to help people gain the skills needed to access employment, education and wider opportunities. In addition, last year Arts Council England oversaw government investment of £2.7m in free WiFi in libraries in England.

    The Digital Engagement team moved to DCMS from the Cabinet Office in November 2015. Historically the team has been funded by different Departments. We anticipate DCMS’s contribution to staff costs during the last financial year to be approximately £200,000. The Digital Engagement team did not fund any specific digital inclusion measures between November 2015 and March 2016.

  • George Kerevan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    George Kerevan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Kerevan on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on involvement by the China National Nuclear Corporation in the illegal supply of 5,000 ring magnets to Pakistan of a type suitable for use in gas centrifuges to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There were media reports in the mid-1990s of a transfer of 5,000 ring magnets by the China National Nuclear Corporation to Pakistan. China strongly denied government awareness or involvement. In 2004 China joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group, of which the UK is also a member, which agrees guidelines for the transfer of potentially sensitive nuclear-related technologies and material between states.