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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2014, Official Report, columns 170-1W, on employment and support allowance, how many decisions on eligibility for employment and support allowance have been made in each month since May 2010.

    Mike Penning

    We have interpreted the question to be for Employment and Support Allowance Work Capability Assessments decision outcomes. This information is published in table 1a for initial functional assessments and table 1b for repeat functional assessments at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-june-2014

    “

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, in how many meetings of the British-Irish Council he has taken part.

    Jo Swinson

    My Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not held any meetings with the British-Irish Council within the last year.

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Geoffrey Cox – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, against what criteria he will consider the recovery of an appeal against the refusal of an application for planning permission for a wind turbine.

    Kris Hopkins

    I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 April, Official Report, Column 12-13WS.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many community referendums there have been as a result of the Community Right to Build.

    Stephen Williams

    A key priority for the Coalition Government has been to give communities greater control over shaping the development of their area. The Localism Act 2011 created new powers for communities to write their own neighbourhood plans and to gain planning permission for community-led development through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.

    Nearly 1,400 communities, covering six million people, are now engaged at different stages of the neighbourhood planning process, giving millions of people the chance to participate in identifying, and voting on, where development takes place and what it looks like. All 52 referendums held to date have resulted in big ‘yes’ votes and 34 plans have been ‘made’ (brought into force) and therefore are part of the development plan, the starting point for determining planning applications.

    The popularity of neighbourhood planning has shown that when given the opportunity, communities are keen to shape future development in their areas, and we expect the number of community-led developments to increase as more neighbourhood plans are finalised. Over the last two years there have been over 3,100 enquiries and 14,000 web hits relating to the Community Right to Build. The Community Right to Build gives communities the freedom to build new homes, shops, businesses or facilities where they want them, without going through the normal planning application process. Experience has shown that following discussions with the local planning authority for community-led development proposals, community groups have chosen to submit a planning application for their project, rather than a Community Right to Build Order.

    To ensure groups undertaking community-led development have the right support and advice to gain planning approval, we broadened the remit of available support funding to assist community groups to bring forward development either through Community Right to Build Orders or community-led planning applications.

    This has led to significant take up of funding for community-led projects coming forward, with over 100 applications for funding already approved by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Greater London Authority. Locality and their partners have also been working with 60 groups to provide assistance and advice.

    The first three referendums for Community Right to Build Orders took place in December, all of which were passed and are now in force.

    We have allocated a further £3.5 million to support the Community Right to Build and community-led planning applications for housing in 2015-18. On 17 February, my department announced a further £6 million funding boost to the community rights programme. This new funding will mean:

    • like-minded communities will be able to network and learn from each other through the new My Community Network;
    • communities will have access to tailored advice through a phone and online advice service to help them use the range of community rights and other neighbourhood approaches;
    • 100 more neighbourhoods will be supported to use the Our Place approach, enabling councils and other public sector providers, voluntary and community groups, local businesses and the community to work together to tackle important local issues from job creation to health priorities;
    • 100 communities will receive support to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and develop Community Action Plans;
    • 50 communities will receive support to develop economic plans to address local economic priorities like job creation and enterprise;
    • 50 local authority/community partnerships will receive advice, support and grants to support the transfer of multiple or complex publicly owned assets into community ownership; and
    • 6 new contracts have been awarded to external partners to support communities in using the community rights in 2015-16.

  • Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Site Licence Companies were awarded in efficiency fees and support and overhead cost reduction fees in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority paid its Site Licence Companies total efficiency fees, including support and overhead cost reduction fees where applicable, of £29.6m in 2010-11, £32.2m in 2011-12, £18.4m in 2012-13 and £16.0m in 2013-14.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which secure units young people ordinarily resident in Scotland have been accommodated in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    The Youth Justice Board (YJB) are responsible for placing young people under 18 years of age in custody in England and Wales, and make every effort to place them as close to home as possible. The appropriate placement of young people into the secure estate is undertaken on a case-by-case basis and is based upon a combination of factors unique to each young person entering custody.

    According to the most recent snapshot of data held by the National Offenders Management Service (NOMS), taken in September 2014, there was one young person ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in an under-18 Young Offender Institution in England and Wales. Information about where this young person was held cannot be disclosed as this could possibly result in the identification of the offender, which could lead to a potential breach of the Data Protection Act.

    In snapshots taken each September between 2010 and 2013, there were no young people ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in under-18s Young Offender Institutions in England and Wales. There is no data held for Secure Children’s Homes and Secure Training Centres.

    There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State and the Scottish Government on the accommodation of young people from Scotland in the youth secure estate in England.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on golf clubs of differences in VAT rules applying to propriety-owned and member-owned golf clubs; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Upper Bann to discuss this matter.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the hon. Member to the HMRC briefing paper (25/14) of June 2014.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to bring forward housing development on brownfield land.

    Brandon Lewis

    We have introduced a package of measures designed to accelerate the development of brownfield land and deliver more homes. We expect local authorities to be proactive in bringing forward housing on brownfield land and to ensure they have local development orders in place, granting planning permission for new homes on over 90 per cent of brownfield land suitable for housing by 2020. This reflects the priority given to re-using brownfield in the National Planning Policy Framework. In particular:

    • We have reformed the planning system to ensure that it supports the delivery of housing, including homes on brownfield land. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning should encourage the effective use of land by re-using brownfield sites, provided they are not of high environmental value and that local councils can set locally appropriate targets for using brownfield land.
    • We have amended planning practice guidance to stress the importance of bringing brownfield land back into use
    • Local authorities have been invited to bid for funding from a £4.4million incentive fund to support up to 100 local development orders.
    • We are currently consulting on measures to underpin the Government’s programme.
    • We are developing a support package, including local development order templates, to help authorities develop local development orders on smaller sites.
    • Included powers in the Infrastructure Act which will enable the Mayor of London to produce Mayoral Development Orders that will remove planning obstacles to help deliver more housing in London.
    • We are providing £400 million of recoverable investment funding to create Housing Zones to support development on brownfield land. 9 housing zones have already been announced in London.
    • We have changed the Community Infrastructure Levy rules to provide an increased incentive for brownfield development, and extended exemptions for empty buildings being brought back into use.
    • We have also introduced changes to national policy to lift Section 106 burdens on vacant buildings being returned to use or demolished for re-development and made it easier to convert empty buildings into homes.
    • We have introduced a new national Starter Homes exception site planning policy to make it easier to secure planning permission for Starter Homes on underused or unviable commercial and industrial land which is not currently identified for housing – to be offered exclusively to young first time buyers at a 20% discount
    • We have provided tax relief where brownfield land suffers from contamination
    • We have provided access to funding for developers through initiatives such as the Local Infrastructure Fund, Get Britain Building investment fund and the Growing Places Fund
    • We have secured the release of enough unused public sector land to build over 103,000 new homes and announced the establishment of a London Land Commission, based at the Greater London Authority, which will be tasked with identifying public sector brownfield land that is no longer needed in London.

    We have also, as outlined in Question UIN 227326 of 17 March, implemented a package of proposals to get empty homes back into use.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in which countries rabbit meat sold in the UK in each of the five most recent years for which data is available was produced.

    George Eustice

    Rabbit meat was imported into the UK from the following countries. We have no data on whether this meat was then sold in the UK.

    Country

    Volume and Value

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    Jan to Nov 2014

    Belgium

    Tonnes

    19

    38

    42

    137

    108

    £000s

    77

    160

    160

    556

    428

    France

    Tonnes

    237

    232

    225

    475

    334

    £000s

    905

    848

    838

    1,221

    794

    Germany

    Tonnes

    1

    0

    £000s

    4

    6

    Irish Republic

    Tonnes

    1

    22

    72

    87

    £000s

    3

    67

    227

    301

    Italy

    Tonnes

    6

    11

    14

    14

    9

    £000s

    22

    41

    41

    40

    26

    Netherlands

    Tonnes

    2

    75

    170

    84

    £000s

    5

    119

    984

    817

    Poland

    Tonnes

    0

    £000s

    1

    Portugal

    Tonnes

    5

    4

    6

    9

    8

    £000s

    24

    15

    21

    22

    26

    Spain

    Tonnes

    12

    75

    54

    £000s

    43

    284

    191

    Crown Copyright

    Source: HM Revenue and Customs

    “

  • Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the US administration on strengthening diplomatic ties between the US and UK.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We place great importance on the strength of the diplomatic relationship we hold with the US. We have regular discussions with the US administration on a range of key foreign policy issues, including most recently during the visit of the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) to the US on 15 and 16 January. In a joint press conference with President Obama, the Prime Minister stated that “For almost two centuries, …, America and Britain have stood as kindred spirits in defending our freedoms and advancing our shared prosperity”. The President acknowledged the UK as “one of my closest and most trusted partners in the world”.