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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans her Department has on funding for onshore wind energy development.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We are delivering our election commitment to end subsidies for new onshore wind. We are seeking to legislate through the Energy Bill to close the renewables obligation (RO) to new onshore wind capacity from 1 April 2016, one year earlier than planned. To protect wider investor confidence we are proposing to allow projects which meet certain criteria extra time to accredit under the scheme.

    Fifteen onshore wind projects, with a combined installed capacity of around 750MW, signed a Contract for Difference (CfDs) earlier this year following the first CfD allocation round. These projects are expected to commission between 2016/17 and 2018/19. We will be setting out our plans for delivering a new generation of cost effective, secure, electricity supplies and confirming decisions in relation to allocations of further renewables contracts in due course.

    Small-scale onshore wind projects up to 5 megawatts in scale are eligible for support under the feed-in tariff (FITs) scheme. DECC has proposed action, through the FITs review consultation, to control spending and put FITs onto an affordable and sustainable footing. Further information can be found online at:

    https://econsultation.decc.gov.uk/office-for-renewable-energy-deployment-ored/fit-review-2015.

    “

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of Feed in Tariff component of the Levy Control Framework cost is accounted for by the cost of ongoing support for the installations made before 2012.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The cost to consumers of the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs) in 2014/15 will be around £850m (in 11/12 prices). Our central estimate of the cost to consumers of FITs in 2020/21 is £1600m (11/12 prices) in the ‘do nothing’ option of the consultation impact assessment. The FITs levelisation fund in 2011/12, indicating total annual spend on the scheme at that point, was £151m (also in 11/12 prices). Therefore installations accredited in 2011/12 or before are forecast to make up approximately 18% of current spend on the scheme and 10% of the FITs LCF estimates in 2020/21.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer to Question 9571 of 14 September 2015, whether the Attorney General was clear there was a legal basis for this action in domestic law.

    Mr David Cameron

    As I said in my oral statement of 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 23, the action we took was entirely lawful.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-UK overseas armed forces personnel have been recruited or loaned by other countries to serve in the UK armed forces in the last five years; and how many such personnel hold which ranks in the UK armed forces.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The attached tables show the number of non-UK armed forces personnel by rank and nationality which have been recruited into the UK Regular Armed Forces.

    The information in respect of the number of non-UK armed forces personnel who have been loaned by other countries will take time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects to inform the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon renewable energy project of its contract for difference strike price.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We are in the first phase of a negotiation with Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay PLC for a Contract for Difference (CFD) for the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project.

    This first phase is a due diligence exercise to establish a better understanding of the project, including detailed scrutiny of its costs, timescales and potential benefits.

    Being in a bilateral negotiation does not mean that an agreement on a strike price will be reached or that a CFD will necessarily be awarded.

    If there were to be a decision to offer a CFD, it would be subject to strict value for money considerations, the funds available within the Levy Control Framework at the time of a decision and be subject to State aid approval by the European Commission.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Indian counterpart on (a) the treatment of and (b) the use of bullhooks on Asian elephants in the tourism and logging industry.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are aware of reports that some elephants in use in the tourist industry in India have been captured as calves and then beaten and mistreated. This practice is illegal in India. Officials have had discussions on this issue with Save The Asian Elephant (STAE), an organisation that hopes to stop this cruel procedure.

    The United Kingdom is committed to conserving Asian elephants and recognises the growing threats to their populations, particularly from poaching and cross-border, illegal trade in live animals to feed the demand by the tourist and entertainment industries. The United Kingdom has been working internationally through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in discussion with elephant range states, including India, to increase protection for Asian elephants. We secured agreement in 2014 for elephant range states to put in place measures to prevent illegal trade in live elephants.

    Although it is not for the Government to make British citizens aware of this practice, we will continue to work together with the Indian authorities, as well as STAE and other non-governmental organisations, on protecting elephants.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to expand embassy and consular facilities in Latin America; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    As part of the Government’s Canning Agenda over the past five years we have revitalised relations with Latin America. I have opened new Embassies in El Salvador, Haiti and Paraguay. We have also opened two new Consulates General in Brazil, in Recife in 2011 and most recently last month in Belo Horizonte. We have also increased the number of diplomats in priority Posts and the number of Ministerial visits to the region.

    All future resource decisions are subject to the ongoing comprehensive Spending Review.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will respond to the Care Quality Commission’s Community Mental Health Survey 2015.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department will not be responding to the Care Quality Commission (CQC)’s Community Mental Health Survey 2015. Surveys of this nature are an important part of the CQC’s role in improving services. We note them and take account of the findings when developing policies for improvement.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of the recommendations of the report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Operation Gullane have been implemented; and what form that implementation has taken.

    Karen Bradley

    The IPCC report on Operation Gullane makes a number of recommendations relating to police investigation of non-recent child sexual abuse.

    Since the publication of those recommendations the Home Office has:

    • prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat to empower police forces to maximise specialist skills and expertise to prevent offending and resolve cases

    • provided £1.7 million to Operation Hydrant which coordinates the handling of multiple non-recent child sexual abuse investigations specifically concerning institutions

    In addition:

    • the College of Policing has issued updated Authorised Professional Practice guidance for police in relation to child abuse and exploitation, and

    • a joint National Policing Lead and CPS review panel has been established to re-examine non-recent cases of sexual abuse where a decision was made that no further action would be taken and identify whether any issues require further exploration and investigation.

    Combined, these measures significantly improve the quality of police investigations non-recent child sexual abuse.

    I understand that the IPCC will write directly to the Honourable Member regarding implementation of the report’s recommendations.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of (a) women and (b) people from ethnic minorities in the police forces.

    Mike Penning

    It is vital that the police reflect the communities they serve and the Government is determined to improve BME representation in all 43 forces in England and Wales.

    Decisions on when and how to recruit individuals are for the chief officer of a police force. It is important that they use equalities legislation, including positive action provisions, to make better progress in terms of recruitment of under-represented groups.

    The Home Secretary announced on 22 October the publication of data showing the gender and ethnicity of police officers by force area. This represents an important step in making it easier for the public to access the data they need to see how representative their force is compared to the local population. It is clear that the current representation of women and officers from minority ethnic backgrounds in the officer ranks is not good enough and the Home Secretary has challenged forces to do more.

    The Government’s reforms have already made improvements, for example we set up the College of Policing which has embarked on a major programme of work, BME Progression 2018, looking at recruitment, retention and progression of black and minority ethnic officers, including the development of an evidence base of successful approaches used by forces.

    We have worked with the College to develop its Reverse Mentoring programme, which seeks to give police leaders an insight into the direct lived experience of officers from under-represented groups. I am grateful to the five Chief Constables who have signed their force up to the programme. We also worked with the College to produce its Positive Action Practical Advice, which advises forces on the use of lawful positive action to support the recruitment, retention and progression of officers from under-represented groups.

    Under this Government innovative schemes such as Direct Entry and Police Now are increasing the number of BME recruits to the police, showing that you can achieve better representation whilst attracting the best and the brightest into policing.

    Of the nine direct entry superintendents who began their superintendent training on November 2014 four (44%) are women and two (22%) are from an ethnic minority background. This is significantly more representative than the current make up of the superintendent rank which is comprised of 17% women and 4% ethnic minority.

    Police Now, implemented in the Metropolitan Police, appointed 69 people to start their training, up from an anticipated 50 owing to the high calibre of applicants. Of these, 43% are women and 9% are from a BME background, compared to the national BME proportion of 5.5%.