The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-07-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will estimate the annual cost to his Department of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.
Amber Rudd
The Department of Energy and Climate Change’s estimate of annual costs incurred for ministerial replies to Hon. Members is (a) £60 for stationery and (b) £5k for postage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the protections currently available under planning law for parcels of land which are subject to planning applications and which are close to National Parks.
Nick Boles
The Government made clear in the National Planning Policy Framework that National Parks have the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty and that great weight should be placed on their conservation. In developing the planning guidance, which was published in March 2014 to support the Framework, the Government took account of feedback raised during the ‘Beta’ test phase. . The guidance, which is a material consideration in planning decisions, explains that section 11A(2) of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 requires authorities to ‘have regard’ to the purpose of National Parks ‘in exercising or performing any functions in relation to, or so as to affect, land’ in National Parks. The guidance is clear that the duty is relevant in considering development proposals that are situated outside National Parks, but which might have an impact on the setting of, and implementation of, the statutory purposes of these protected areas.
Through the Localism Act, the Government has strengthened the role of Local Plans to shape where development should or should not go. This would allow councils to protect the countryside close to National Parks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to deter inappropriate development in National Parks in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.
George Eustice
Policy on national parks and planning are devolved matters. For Wales, they are a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government. National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty are given the strongest protection from damaging development through the National Planning Policy Framework.
Defra works closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure planning policies take account of the special character of England’s protected landscapes. For example, as made clear on 6 March by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Nick Boles, the extended permitted development rights for conversion of agricultural buildings to a dwelling house will not apply in national parks or areas of outstanding natural beauty (6 Mar 2014, Official Report, column 50WS).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of her Department to Brighton; and if she will make a statement.
Karen Bradley
The Department has no plans to (a) relocate staff to Brighton and
(b) relocate offices to Brighton.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made in implementing the Military Covenant; and if he will make a statement.
Anna Soubry
There is a statutory obligation on the Defence Secretary to report annually on progress in implementing the Armed Forces Covenant. The second annual report was published in December 2013 and contains comprehensive updates on the four major areas specified in the Armed Forces Act 2011, namely healthcare, education, housing, and the operation of inquests.
I look forward to significant further progress in the coming year, including supporting Service personnel to buy their first home through the £200 milion Forces Help to Buy scheme, improving patient care by establishing a unified defence primary healthcare service, and allocating £40 million to support charities which assist veterans with housing needs.
The Covenant is not just a matter for the Government; recognising and respecting the specific needs of the Armed Forces community is a duty incumbent on the whole of society. Charities, employers, local authorities and individuals can play their role in providing the support and fair treatment that our Service personnel, veterans and service families so richly deserve.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses; and if he will make a statement.
Michael Fallon
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has put in place a robust framework to reduce the burden of regulation on all businesses, particularly small business.
In January 2011, we brought in the One-in, One-out rule. This required departments wanting to introduce new regulation which generated costs for business to first identify a corresponding cut in regulation elsewhere with the same value. In January 2013 this was increased to a more demanding One-In, Two-Out rule so that departments now need to find £2 of savings for every £1 cost they introduce. To date, as set out in the 7th Statement of New Regulation published on 17 December 2013, we have cut the annual cost of domestic regulation by £1.19 billion.
We are also reducing the stock of regulation through the Red Tape Challenge, with over 3,000 regulations now having been identified to be scrapped or improved. When fully implemented, we expect that these changes will bring estimated annual savings to business of over £850 million.
Specifically to help small business, in April 2011 we introduced a moratorium exempting micro and start-up businesses from new domestic regulation for three years. From 1 April 2014 this was extended to include small businesses (with up to 50 employees) through the introduction of the Small and Micro Business Assessment (SaMBA).
Measures that this Department has introduced specifically to reduce the burden of regulation on small businesses include giving small and medium-sized enterprises the flexibility to determine the most appropriate set of accounting rules for them, along with flexibility in how they submit their company reports through regulatory changes to audit rules. We have also extended the qualifying period of unfair dismissal to two years and introduced a new employment status of employee shareholder.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Francis Maude
Staffing is kept under review but I have no plans to move Cabinet Office staff to Brighton.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department takes to support parents whose children attend a school in special measures; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Timpson
The Government is clear that the best way forward for any school judged inadequate by Ofsted is for it to become an academy with the support of a strong sponsor. We consider that sponsored academy arrangements will safeguard the long-term future of such schools and will secure rapid and sustained improvement, which should reassure parents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what research and development into the commercial application of robotics his Department funds; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Willetts
This Department has worked with the Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB) Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Special Interest Group to develop a National Strategy for robotics in the UK, which will identify commercial opportunities in key sectors of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
The Department and its partner organisations fund research and development into the commercial application of robotics as follows:
BIS
This Department is currently providing funding of £1.5m to support the development of autonomous road vehicles. The consortium (which includes Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the Transport Systems Catapult and other partners) will develop small pod-like vehicles capable of carrying up to 2 passengers and which will ultimately be capable of autonomous operations.
BIS has previously funded a two year automation programme with the British Automation and Robot Association that ended in September 2013. The £600k programme over two years enabled the provision of a one day manufacturing review and diagnostic to small and medium-sized enterprises on the potential to apply robotics and automation in their businesses. The programme also provided the opportunity for more detailed interventions. Over 268 one day reviews were carried out, and more detailed interventions accounted for a further 282 days of advice.
Research Councils
The Research Councils current investment into research related to the commercial application of robotics is £36.5m, which includes a £10m investment through the Natural Environment Research Council into Marine Autonomous Systems.
Technology Strategy Board
The TSB is the prime channel through which Government supports business-led technology innovation. Since 2010 it has invested £8 million in robotics and robotics related projects, helping business develop and commercialise new products and services.
The TSB is arranging an entrepreneur-led overseas delegation to the US in June 2014 to develop the UK’s brand in robotics and to engage with the rapidly growing robotics cluster in San Francisco and San Diego. This creates a real opportunity for UK robotics companies to capitalise on this growth and take a lead in integrating their technologies in a range of markets that could exploit them. The message behind the mission is that the UK is open for business and has innovative robotics companies that are interested in the US market and are ready to engage in dialogue, form partnerships and do business in the international arena.
In addition, the Government (through TSB) has previously funded research and demonstration of civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicles through the £62m ASTRAEA programme over the past seven years. The programme has made possible the ‘unmanned’ flight of a Jetstream 31 from Lancashire to Inverness, clocking up to 2,500 miles in flights between Lancashire and Inverness and around the Irish Sea.
UK Space Agency
The UK Space Agency encourages and supports companies and research organisations to spin-out technology developed through space exploration into non-space sectors. The funding provided by the Agency is for feasibility studies. The relevant studies funded are:
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.
Brandon Lewis
Whilst noting the many virtues of Brighton, as recognised by the conferring of City status to the towns of Brighton and Hove by Her Majesty in 2000, I am afraid I have to disappoint my hon. Friend. My Department has no current plans to dig out our bucket and spade and move to the seaside.
Since May 2010, my Department’s priority has been to rationalise our wider estate to reduce costs. This has seen the Department surrender six leasehold office properties through a combination of lease breaks and expiries generating net savings in the period of around £7 million per annum. The Department has also successfully sub-let surplus space across its leasehold office estate during the same period, reducing the overall property costs by around £11.1 million.
The Department has also negotiated the early surrender of Eland House and is shortly scheduled to relocate to 2 Marsham Street to share premises with the Home Office. This move will reduce our Department’s running costs by a further £9 million a year and generate savings for the taxpayer of £220 million over the lifetime of the building’s lease. This illustrates the scope for Government and, indeed, the public sector as a whole to make sensible savings through better property management.
However, I commend the hon. Member for his cheerleading of the City as a place to do business.