Tag: Parliamentary Question

Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has conducted of the adequacy of the level of financial support offered to small businesses that have been in operation for two years or less; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

The Government recognises that new businesses can encounter difficulties in obtaining the finance they need to start-up or grow. However I am encouraged that net lending to smaller businesses has been recovering strongly since the end of 2014. The Bank of England has reported that credit conditions for SMEs seeking finance are improving and the SME Finance Monitor shows that 80% of SME loan and overdraft applications were successful in the 18 months to 2015 Q3, up from 68% in Q4 2013.

Latest figures show that net SME lending from banks participating in the Funding for Lending Scheme grew by £675m in the third quarter and the Bank of England recently announced that allowances earned by banks for increasing their net lending under the scheme will be available to draw down for a further two years. The government also continues to fund start-up loans, with more than 33,000 loans worth over £180 million issued so far and a target to deliver 75,000 loans by the end of the parliament.

I am also encouraged by our growing alternative finance sector, with the UK the leading fin tech centre of Europe.

A recent report from the Legatum Institute rated the UK as the best country in the EU in which to start a business and the government will continue to back our small businesses to start and grow.

01/01/2023
Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which children’s services departments have been visited by the Chief Social Worker for Children since her appointment.

Edward Timpson

The Department does not publish the diaries of staff members. Diaries often contain sensitive information and releasing them could impact both on the policy making process and the willingness of officials to meet with particular groups if this information were to be freely available.

Since her appointment, the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Isabelle Trowler, has visited the following local authorities: Bexley; Birmingham; Blackpool; Calderdale; Cambridgeshire; Camden; Central Bedfordshire; Cheshire West and Chester; Derbyshire; Doncaster; Enfield; East Sussex; Gloucestershire; Greenwich; Hackney; Hammersmith and Fulham; Haringey; Hull; Islington; Kensington and Chelsea; Kent; Kingston on Thames; Kirklees; Lancashire; Leeds; Liverpool; Manchester; North Lincolnshire; Northamptonshire; Portsmouth; Redcar and Cleveland; Richmond upon Thames; Rotherham; Sheffield; Slough; Solihull; Staffordshire; Tower Hamlets; Wandsworth; Westminster; Wigan; Wolverhampton; Worcestershire; and York.

As well as visiting local authorities, the Chief Social Worker meets with representatives of many children’s services departments.

01/01/2023
Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Leader of the House, when he plans to announce the date of the next State Opening of Parliament.

Chris Grayling

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 February 2016 to Question UIN 24624.

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01/01/2023

Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Significant Occurrence Notifications the Director of General Defence Safety Authority has been notified of which involved other nations’ military aircraft operating in the (a) Scottish Flight Information Region/Upper Information Region and (b) London Flight Information Region/Upper Information Region in each year since 2010; and what the (i) type of foreign military aircraft and (ii) country of origin was in each of those occurrences.

Penny Mordaunt

Since 2010 there have been no Significant Occurrence Notifications (SONs) involving other nations’ military aircraft in the Scottish Flight Information Region/Upper Information Region. Four SONs have been raised relating to other nations’ aircraft operating in the London Flight Information Region/Upper Information Region since 2010, all of which were notified to Director General Defence Safety Authority. These are detailed below:

Date of SON issue/ Event occurrence	Aircraft Type	Country of Origin	Occurrence Type
7 January 2014	HH-60G Pave Hawk	USA	Crash
8 October 2014	F-15 Eagle	USA	Crash
13 October 2015	Sea King CH-124A Mk3	Canada	Maintenance accident
21 October 2015	F/A-18C Hornet	USA	Crash

01/01/2023

Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on recruiting a permanent chair of the Single Source Regulations Office; and when he expects the new chair to be in place.

Mr Philip Dunne

Each year the Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes an analysis of all new contracts which sets out whether they were placed competitively or non-competitively. This analysis appears in the Department’s Statistical Bulletin Trade, Industry and Contracts and the most recent period for which data is available can be found through the link below. Table six in the excel tables and page 11 of the pdf refer to the relevant information.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2015

Figures for amendments to existing contracts are not held centrally and, due to the large number of such cases, an analysis could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

All single source procurement contracts which met the criteria set out in Part two of the Defence Reform Act 2014 (DRA) are subject to the new single source procurement framework, apart from a very small number which have been specifically exempted from the framework by the Secretary of State for Defence, using the powers granted to him under section 14(7) of the DRA. The Department does not release details of these exemptions in order to avoid influencing future decisions.

Contracts which were signed prior to the new single source procurement framework coming into force can become subject to the regulations on amendment by agreement between the MOD and the contractor. To maximise the benefits from the regulations, the MOD intends to seek such agreement where appropriate, except where there are well founded commercial or practical reasons not to. However, the Department does not hold a central record of the number of contracts which have, on amendment, not been converted to Qualifying Defence Contracts, and the data could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Contracts which fall under the Regulations are only referred to the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO) when there is a disagreement between the supplier and the contracting authority which cannot be resolved through negotiation between these two parties. The subjects that can be referred to the SSRO are set out in the DRA, and include whether or not costs are allowable, attributable to the contract and reasonable. Should a referral be made by either the MOD or the supplier, the consent of the other party is not required. One such referral was made in 2015, by the MOD.

The MOD is currently pursuing the recruitment of a Chair for the SSRO. The SSRO has an Interim Chairman in post and the Department plans to advertise this substantive position shortly.

01/01/2023
Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many public engagement events to support (a) Scotland’s place in the world and (b) the reputation of Scotland internationally have been held at Dover House in the last 12 months.

David Mundell

A variety of events are held in Dover House, both by Scotland Office Ministers and by third parties, throughout the year.

The events are aimed at engaging stakeholders on a wide variety of policy issues and aspects of life in Scotland.

01/01/2023
Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Government Department or Executive Agency will be responsible for looking after the interests and pension rights of UK nationals working for EU institutions during the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Oliver Letwin

UK nationals employed by the EU Institutions are subject to the EU Staff Regulations. The FCO and the Cabinet Office are in discussions with the EU Institutions and UK nationals employed by them to ensure that their interests are safeguarded.

01/01/2023
Lord Blunkett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blunkett on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for the announcement of successful bids for the pilot scheme for capital loans to multi-academy trusts.

Lord Nash

We will notify multi-academy trusts (MATs) who have applied for the MAT capital loan pilot of their outcomes shortly.

01/01/2023
Lord Ramsbotham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ramsbotham on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the Shaw review into the welfare of vulnerable persons in immigration detention.

Lord Bates

On 9 February, the Home Secretary announced an independent review into the policies and operating procedures that have an impact on detainee welfare. Stephen Shaw CBE, the former Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, has completed the review and has recently submitted his report. His findings are being carefully considered. The report will be published by laying it before Parliament, alongside the Government’s response to the recommendations. We want to ensure that this is before the Immigration Bill completes its passage through Parliament.

01/01/2023
Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what modelling his Department has done to estimate the potential effect on household income for tax credit claimant families who are migrated to universal credit before 2020; and if he will place that modelling in the Library.

Priti Patel

The government is committed to moving the UK from a high tax, high welfare, low wage society to a lower tax, lower welfare, higher wage society. This remains the case, and Universal Credit (UC) is delivering this.

UC is fundamentally different from the current legacy benefit system and supports people into work and encourages them to earn more.

Therefore there is no meaningful way of comparing an unreformed Tax Credit system with UC. The Government has committed to transitional arrangements as we reform the benefits and Tax Credit system. Those transferred by DWP from tax credits to UC will receive Transitional Protection. In addition, estimates of entitlements under UC of the sort requested will vary depending on assumptions on the level of earnings.

01/01/2023