The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-02-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to increase the £250,000 threshold for properties outside London under the Help to Buy ISA scheme.
Harriett Baldwin
The government does not plan to revise the eligibility criteria for the Help to Buy: ISA scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2016 to Question 27251, what estimate she has made of the cost of testing badgers in cull areas; and when she expects to make a decision on testing to assess the impact of the Government’s policy.
George Eustice
Costed options for cost effective surveillance for TB in badgers are being prepared
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost to Highways England was of its contract with Amey for services in Area 7; and which other companies bid for that contract.
Andrew Jones
The contract awarded by Highways England was for a value of £422,720,000 over 15 years. This is the maximum spend allowable through this contract and includes for inflation over its duration. Other companies that bid for the contract were: –
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many families of deceased civil servants received death in service benefits in each of the last six years.
Matthew Hancock
Civil servants are eligible to be a member of either the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) or the Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pension Scheme (CSOPS) subject to when they joined the Civil Service. Depending on which scheme they are in, a lump sum death benefit of either two or three times the civil servant’s final pay is payable on their death in service, plus a pension to a surviving spouse or civil partner and any eligible children. Details of the benefits payable are in the rules of the schemes which are available at http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/about-us/scheme-rules
The lump sum payable on death in service is payable to whoever the scheme member has nominated to receive it (this can be an individual or a corporate body such as a charity). The number of death benefit lump sums paid in each of the last 6 years is as follows:
Scheme Year Number of death in service cases
2010/2011 1195
2011/2012 1119
2012/2013 1007
2013/2014 904
2014/2015 664
2015/2016 447
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2016 to Question 37807, on Thameslink railway line: rolling stock, whether he expects the Class 700 Thameslink rolling stock to come into revenue-earning service in 2016.
Claire Perry
The new Class 700 Thameslink trains are expected to enter into revenue earning service shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dairy farmers there were in each of the last five years.
George Eustice
The number of dairy farms in England from 2011 to 2015 is shown below along with the number of cows in the dairy herd on these farms. The source of cattle population data is the administrative Cattle Tracing System (CTS) data.
|
Year |
Number of dairy farms(a) |
Number of cows in the dairy herd |
|
2011 |
9 041 |
1 112 459 |
|
2012 |
8 663 |
1 104 676 |
|
2013 |
8 342 |
1 098 610 |
|
2014 |
8 092 |
1 128 548 |
|
2015 |
7 982 |
1 148 089 |
(a) Sourced from Cattle Tracing System (CTS). Defined as the number of holdings with more than 10 female dairy cows over 2 years old in the milking herd (i.e. with offspring)
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the energy-saving capacity of 5v USB outlets; and what assessment he has made of their potential effect on national domestic energy consumption.
Joseph Johnson
The Department has not made a specific assessment of whether 5v USB outlets offer any energy-saving capacity nor of their effect on national energy consumption.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people currently claiming legacy benefits he expects to have transferred to universal credit by the end of the current Parliament.
Priti Patel
It is not possible to predict whether or not people currently claiming benefits will claim Universal Credit in the next five years. The numbers of claimants in receipt of Universal Credit at any given point will vary according to a number of factors, such as the economic climate and developments in Government policy. Even if this data was published, such forecasts may change over time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what her policy is on extending the time in which women may take a pregnancy and maternity discrimination case against their employers to a tribunal from three to 12 months.
Caroline Dinenage
The Government awaits the final report on pregnancy and maternity discrimination and will carefully consider any recommendations from the Equality and Human Rights Commission before deciding on next steps.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Massey of Darwen on 2016-01-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pupils in Pupil Referral Units are reintegrated into mainstream education annually, and what support is available for that to happen.
Lord Nash
Every child, including those who have been excluded, should receive a good quality education to allow them to achieve their full potential. Information on the number of pupils in pupil referral units (PRUs) reintegrated into mainstream education annually is not readily available and it could only be determined at a disproportionate cost.
PRUs and other alternative providers should work with commissioners to develop a clearly defined set of objectives for each pupil’s time in alternative provision and their reintegration into mainstream education. Progress against these objectives should be frequently monitored and assessed to ensure that pupils’ needs are being addressed and they return to mainstream school when they are ready. An appropriate package of support should be in place to assist in the reintegration process.
The Department has published statutory guidance in 2013 on alternative provision with clearly defined objectives for commissioners of PRUs and alternative provision (AP) to support pupils back into school after an alternative education placement. A copy has been attached to this answer.