Tag: Parliamentary Question

Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average hourly earnings were of her Department’s (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Karen Bradley

Table 1 provides the median average hourly rates for all employees (Senior Civil Service and below within the Home Office) for (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

The Civil Service is changing, and our recruitment seeks to reflect the make-up and composition of our nation as a whole. Historically, BME staff were under-represented across the civil service: both in terms of previous recruitment patterns and the number and proportion in higher grades, both of these factors can contribute to the differences in average salaries.

We are making progress, the proportion of BME staff in the Civil Service has risen from 9.2% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2015, but we recognise that there is still more to do.

In March, the Government published its 2016 Talent Action Plan for the Civil Service. It provides a progress update on initiatives to increase diversity in the Civil Service, including cross-Government talent programmes aimed at under-represented groups.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/talent-action-plan-2016-removing-the-barriers-to-success

January 1, 2023
Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many degree apprenticeship places will be taken up by 2020.

Robert Halfon

Degree Apprenticeships are designed by groups of employers working with higher education institutions and will be driven by employer demand.

We therefore do not use a top-down estimate of how many Degree Apprenticeships will be taken up by 2020, as part of our overall commitment to 3 million starts.

Degree Apprenticeships provide a valuable route for people to obtain a degree-level qualification alongside training for a career, with employment from day one.

January 1, 2023
Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what past roles her Department has had in (a) appointing superintendents of children’s homes and (b) the inspection of such homes in the London Borough of Lambeth.

Sarah Newton

Prior to 1971, when policy and operational responsibility for children was transferred under machinery of Government changes to the then Department for Health and Social Security (DHSS), the Home Office included a Children’s Department. The Children’s Department had responsibilities for reformatory and industrial schools, remand homes and approved schools. It also had responsibility for supervising local authority and voluntary provision for children.

Indexes of material held at The National Archives suggest that the Children’s Department did not appoint superintendents or heads of individual children’s homes as a part of its core business. It did however have an Inspectorate, which operated nationally.

January 1, 2023
Anna Turley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what criteria were used to cap the value of the Government support package to £80 million for people affected by the closure of SSI Redcar.

Anna Soubry

The package, worth up to £80 million, announced to support former SSI workers and the Tees Valley economy more broadly was based on an initial assessment of what could make an immediate and lasting difference to the people affected and the local economy.

We are looking closely Task Force to deliver proposals which they have identified will help recover from this closure, including funding to support apprentices complete their training, support for workers to retrain, and help for local businesses to grow. As the Prime Minister and Secretary of State have said, should more funding be needed, we will consider that.

January 1, 2023

Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the size of the (a) solar, (b) wind, (c) offshore wind and (d) renewable heat sector is; and by what proportion she plans for these sectors to grow in the next (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 20 years; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

The latest available data on the size of the low carbon sectors is published in a BIS report on ‘The size and performance of the UK low carbon economy’. The report contains estimates on turnover, Gross Value Added (GVA), number of firms and number of jobs supported by various low carbon sectors. These estimates are presented in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Size of the solar, wind and renewable heat sectors in 2013

Sector	Number of firms	Number of jobs	Turnover (£m)	Gross Value Added (£m)
Solar	2,400	34,400	8,400	3300
Wind	500	32,700	9,800	2,700
Onshore	300	19,000	6,300	1,700
Offshore	200	13,700	3,500	1,000
Renewable heat	2,300	86,000	37,600	17,500
Total	5,200	153,100	55,800	23,500

Note: Renewable heat includes the following sectors: Energy generation from waste and biomass, biomass equipment, geothermal, heat pumps, solar thermal, heat networks and alternative fuels. Some categories also include activity not relating to renewable heat. Jobs, turnover and GVA include supply chain activity.

Source: BIS (March 2015) “The Size and Performance of the UK Low Carbon Economy

Future growth in these sectors will depend upon a number of factors, such as technological development and cost reduction.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) budget to cover both domestic and non-domestic schemes has been confirmed to March 2021, with funding rising each year to £1.15bn in 2020/21. We believe that this is sufficient to heat the equivalent of 500,000 homes. We are planning to reform the RHI with a particular view to improve value for money, reduce cost and improve cost control.

January 1, 2023

Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers of the Lancashire Regiment were deployed in tackling recent flooding; how many reserve soldiers of that Regiment were involved; how long that deployment lasted; and what assessment he has made of the effect of those soldiers’ contribution to the wider recovery and rescue operation.

Penny Mordaunt

2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (2 LANCS) were the UK Standby Battalion throughout the period of the recent flooding. They were deployed as follows:

13-15 November 2015 – Three Liaison Officers (planners) were deployed: two in Penrith, Cumbria and one in Hutton, Lancashire. A company of around 100 troops were deployed constructing flood barriers at Braystones, Cumbria and Ribchester and Whalley, Lancashire. A further two companies of around 100 troops each were at 12 hours and 24 hours notice to support, but did not deploy.

6-16 December 2015 – Around 300 troops, 200 of whom were from 2 LANCS, deployed to conduct tasks across two counties; around 10 troops deployed to Lancaster Hospital, the remainder deployed throughout Cumbria to tasks at Carlisle, Patterdale and Glenridding, Appleby, St Michael on Wyre, Keswick, Cockermouth, Garstang and the clearance of the A591. In addition, there were around 300 troops held at notice in unit lines 200 of whom were from 2 LANCS.

28 December 2015 – 8 January 2016 – Around 400 troops from 2 LANCS deployed, as did around 100 troops from other Regiments. These troops conducted tasks within this period across four counties at: Croston, the River Douglas, Ribchester and Whalley in Lancashire, as well as locations across North and West Yorkshire and Cumbria. There were further around 1050 troops from other Regiments held at notice.

Although around 35 Reservists were employed during the December and January periods of support, and around 5 Reservists were held at short notice, none of them were from 2 LANCS.

The Armed Forces, particularly 2 LANCS as the UK Standby Battalion, were heavily involved in the emergency response in what was a very dynamic situation and they played a significant role in helping local authorities and the Environment Agency respond to the floods. I would like to take this opportunity again to thank all those involved in the response to the floods across all the affected areas, from troops on the ground to air crews and those in command roles.

January 1, 2023
Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of people in the Senior Civil Service are based in London.

Matthew Hancock

67% of the Senior Civil Service is based in London.

January 1, 2023
Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25153, what the 16 recommendations are of the Independent Power and Propulsion System Performance Review are; on which Type 45 Destroyers all those recommendations have been implemented in full; and when he expects the implementation of all those recommendations to be completed across the class.

Mr Philip Dunne

The recommendations include fourteen that are are technical in nature and two that are administrative. We are currently reviewing the Independent Power and Propulsion System Performance Review, to determine what redactions are necessary before a copy is placed in the Library of the House. As part of this process, we are considering what information about the sixteen recommendations can be released.

On the question of the adoption of those recommendations, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her to question 28036 on 1 March 2015.

January 1, 2023
Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in England are currently registered disabled as a result of having a stroke.

Justin Tomlinson

This information is unavailable as the department does not collect this data.

January 1, 2023
Hywel Williams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hywel Williams on 2016-04-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what meetings (a) he and (b) his predecessor had with cabinet colleagues (i) wholly and (ii) primarily about Tata Steel’s intentions for the Welsh steel industry.

Alun Cairns

My predecessor, the Rt hon Stephen Crabb MP, and I have, and continue to conduct regular meetings to discuss Tata Steel, and the Welsh Steel Industry with Cabinet colleagues, UK Government Ministers and Welsh Government Ministers.

January 1, 2023