Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to page 86 of her Department’s publication, Review of the Feed-in Tariffs Scheme: Government response, published in December 2015, what work her Department is undertaking to better understand the whole-system impacts of different electricity technologies; when she plans to complete and publish such work; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC recognises the importance of considering the whole system impacts (both costs and benefits) of different electricity technologies when formulating future government policy, since it is a crucial element in delivering secure, clean and affordable energy to consumers.

    In order to continue to improve its evidence base in this area and inform future policy developments, DECC has commissioned a project on the Whole System Impacts of Electricity Generation Technologies on the electricity system. This project will improve DECC’s understanding of what these system costs are (for example, the impact of electricity technologies on wider system balancing actions and networks requirements), as well as improve DECC’s modelling capability to quantify these system costs and their dynamics. The project covers both conventional and low-carbon large- and small-scale technologies.

    This project is currently ongoing and given the complex modelling involved, it requires a rigorous quality assurance process to ensure the analysis is robust. A report will be published in due course.

    Once this project is completed, DECC will be able to better quantify system costs to inform policy decisions. Any future policy development, such as future renewable support, will be informed by the improved evidence base developed through this project.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with (a) bodies in the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on the future of nuclear power in Northern Ireland.

    Andrea Leadsom

    None of the eight sites listed in the Nuclear National Policy Statement as potentially suitable for new nuclear power stations in the UK is in Northern Ireland. Since the General Election I have had no discussions with bodies in the Northern Ireland Assembly or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on the future of nuclear power in Northern Ireland.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much and what proportion of his Department’s overseas development assistance budget his Department spent was subject to the International Development Act 2002 in each of the last three years.

    Mr David Lidington

    All of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocation has been subject to the International Development Act since its enactment. This has amounted to: £321 million in financial year 2013/14; £344 million in financial year 2014/15 and is estimated to be over £400 million for the financial year 2015/16.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30557, how many people who have arrived in the UK through the camp in Calais have successfully claimed asylum in the UK since June 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    HM Government publish data on asylum intake which can be found at: Immigration statistics, October to December 2015: data tables – Publications – GOV.UK . The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to increase take-up of government-funded adult learning courses; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    We have maintained funding for the core adult skills participation budgets in cash terms at £1.5bn and are increasing opportunities in technical and professional education by doubling the level of spending on apprenticeships by 2019-20 in 2010-11 cash terms, including income from the new apprenticeship levy.

    The new Adult Education Budget (AEB), which replaces three separate funding lines will engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. It will enable more tailored programmes of learning to be made available, to help those furthest from learning or the workplace.

    The combination of the levy, the protection of the AEB, the extension of loans, and the introduction of the youth obligation means that by the end of the Parliament, the cash value of core adult FE funding to support participation will be at its highest ever. By 2019-20, spending on apprenticeships in England will be £2.5 billion and the total spending power of the FE sector to support participation will be £3.41bn, a cash terms increase of 40% compared with 2015-16 (real terms 30%).

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the application from Mr Hamde Abu Rahma to visit Scotland was rejected; and if she will instigate a review of that decision.

    James Brokenshire

    In order to safeguard an individual’s personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office is limited in what information it can provide when the request is made by someone who is not the applicant. The Home Office is therefore unable to provide the information requested.

    All applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with the Immigration Rules.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce new national regulations for private hire driver licences in line with Transport for London’s new regulations for private hire drivers which will come into force on 1 October 2016.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government wants to see taxis and private hire vehicles prosper in London and elsewhere. The regulations issued by Transport for London are a matter for them as the local licensing authority. The legislation that provides for licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle services is enabling in its nature, giving local licensing authorities the discretion to set standards that they deem to be appropriate for their area.

  • Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government under what circumstances a student may currently obtain a loan from the Student Loans Company for the fees for an equivalent level qualification at degree or sub-degree level.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    Students must already hold an honours degree and must be personally eligible for support in order to qualify for a tuition fee loan for an equivalent level qualification.

    In addition, they must be studying for a part-time degree in engineering, technology or computer science, and study should be at least 25% intensity of a full-time equivalent course. Graduates entering full-time study must be studying on a graduate entry accelerated medical or dental degree of no more than four years’ duration.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security implications of the various options for disposal of plutonium.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    We expect the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to submit a report to DECC to support us in our considerations on the policy options in due course. Informed by the advice from NDA, ministers will then make an assessment of the options, and decide on the appropriate next steps. Only when the Government is confident that its preferred option could be implemented safely and securely, in way that is affordable, deliverable, and offers value for money, will it be in a position to proceed.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of her Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    It remains the Government’s belief that effective use of evidence and research has enormous potential to help schools and teachers improve educational standards and outcomes for pupils. It offers a way to make more informed decisions, to understand the impact of changes and improve professional development of teachers and other professionals. We are committed to ensuring that evidence-informed approaches to practice are a growing feature of education and children’s services.

    The Spending Review set out settlements for departments and showed how the government will deliver on its priorities, eliminate the deficit, and deliver security and opportunity for working people.

    Final decisions on internal departmental funding allocations for future years, including for research and development, have not yet been made.