Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on ensuring that energy efficiency in the private rented sector is improved to meet new regulations regarding E-grade standards for properties to be let.

    Jesse Norman

    The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 requires that all landlords of domestic and non-domestic privately rented property in England and Wales ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach an energy performance rating of at least an E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies.

    The Department has undertaken, and will continue to undertake, engagement activity with landlord groups to help them understand the requirements of the regulations. Officials are currently preparing guidance to assist non-domestic landlords in complying with their obligations under the regulations, and we will prepare similar guidance for domestic landlords in due course.

    The Department is also developing a landlord exemptions register, a requirement of the Regulations, which will be used by enforcement authorities to help target their enforcement activities, and which will allow landlords to register online any exemptions that apply.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Emma Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which of her Department’s projects have received funding under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund 2007 to 2013; what the location is of each such project; and how much each such project received.

    George Eustice

    The European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) is known as Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), composed of direct payments to farmers and market measures. In the UK, from 2007 to 2013, expenditure under the EAGF totalled €23 billion, which is around £17 billion in sterling at current exchange rates. These payments were made to eligible farmers all over the UK.

    Details of payments made since 2013 are available on the CAP payments website (http://cap-payments.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx). This is managed by the UK Co-ordinating Body (UKCB) on behalf of the four agricultural paying agencies in the UK.

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  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Exchequer received from the HM Land Registry trading fund in 2014-15.

    Anna Soubry

    Land Registry total revenue for 2014/15 was £297.1m. Land Registry paid a dividend of £19.1m to the Exchequer.

    As a Trading Fund, Land Registry is subject to government rules set out in Managing Public Money. This specifies that the charges it makes for its core statutory functions should cover its full costs, 3.5% to reflect the cost of capital used in providing services. As a Trading Fund, Land Registry is required to return the charge for cost of capital to the Consolidated Fund as a dividend. In 2014/15 this ordinary dividend was £19.1million.

    In 2014/15 Land Registry also paid a special dividend of £100million to the Exchequer. This reflected over-recovery from customers in previous years as a result of higher than forecast volume of transactions.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the context of parity of esteem as outlined in the Belfast Agreement 1998, what discussions they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland regarding its policy of only recruiting Irish speakers for official posts.

    Lord Dunlop

    As has been explained previously to the Noble Lord, the UK and Irish Governments meet regularly at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. These include matters relating to the implementation of the Belfast Agreement.

  • Baroness Morgan of Ely – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Morgan of Ely – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Morgan of Ely on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the legal advice sought from First Treasury Counsel in relation to the impact of the Trade Union Bill on the devolved administrations of the UK, in particular in relation to Wales; and whether they will place a copy of that advice in the Library of the House.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    As noble Lords would expect, the Government has carefully considered a range of legal issues in relation to the Trade Union Bill. The Government does not disclose the content or the source of its legal advice. It is essential to good government that ministers of the day are able to seek and receive legal advice on a confidential basis. To do otherwise might inhibit governments from seeking legal advice in the future.

  • Lord Teverson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Teverson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the impact on the electricity market of limiting operational run hours for gas-reciprocating-engine-driven electricity back-up plants under environmental permitting legislation.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Defra will consult later this year on options which will include legislation that would set binding emission limit values on relevant air pollutants from small engines – which may include proposals that would be implemented under environmental permitting legislation. As part of this process Defra will assess the impacts of any policy options it proposes to take forward, and will work with DECC to understand any implications this may have for the electricity market.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the capacity of existing multi-academy trusts to absorb the remaining community schools in (a) England and (b) Yorkshire.

    Edward Timpson

    Existing schools are choosing to join or form a multi-academy trust (MAT); in 2014/15 over 90% joined or formed a multi-academy trust with one or more other schools. They are doing this because forming these MAT partnerships creates capacity in the system allowing schools to pool resources, share best practice, and benefit from strong leadership.

    We are committing over £500M to build capacity and convert schools over the next four years – including recruiting excellent sponsors and encouraging the development of strong multi-academy trusts.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prevent atrocities, such as the Gatumba massacre, from taking place in Burundi.

    James Duddridge

    The UK is playing a leading role in trying to build a strong and coherent international response to the crisis in Burundi. I visited Burundi in December 2015 and have consistently urged the Government of Burundi, in the strongest terms, to end the violence and engage in inclusive dialogue. Through the conflict, stability and security fund, we will be increasing our efforts on the ground which will include deploying a Burundi coordinator to Bujumbura.

    DFID offices in Kigali and Dar Es Salaam have stepped up their analysis and coverage of the crisis to ensure they can respond to an evolving situation and increasing humanitarian assistance as necessary. My Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, Nick Hurd MP, has visited the Burundi refugee camps in Tanzania and DFID has provided £14.25 million in Tanzania and £6.9million in Rwanda to support refugees.

    In March I addressed the UN Security Council and regional leaders of the Great Lakes, highlighting the need for urgent action in Burundi. British Ambassadors and High Commissioners across the region continue to lobby their host Governments on the importance of taking action to resolve the situation in Burundi.

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is providing to Sri Lanka.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    DFID’s bilateral aid to Sri Lanka ended in 2006 when middle income status was achieved. We continue to support them through multilateral organisations and through centrally managed DFID programmes. In 2014 these amounted to at least £28m.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what his policy is on the export of UK arms to Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Garnier

    The Government’s policy has always been to rigorously assess all licence applications on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria. A licence would not be granted if to do so would be a breach of the Criteria, including if there was a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.

    The framework for arms export licensing remains as set out in the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, known as the Consolidated Criteria.