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.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he has taken to secure the long-term provision of energy for the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Michael Fallon
This Government published its Energy Security Strategy in November 2012 which sets out the range of policies in place to deliver energy security and meet demand up to 2050. The strategy sets out the Government’s approach which is based on competitive markets combined with effective regulation to deliver diversity of supply and robust infrastructure for consumers. This is supported through measures in a number of areas which will enhance energy security further whilst also delivering wider energy goals.
These measures include resilience measures to prevent possible disruptions ranging from flooding through to industrial action, and to reduce the impact of incidents if they do occur and energy efficiency measures to lower our exposure to domestic and international energy market risks. We also work to maximise economic production of our oil and gas reserves to provide reliable energy supplies which are not exposed to international energy supply risks as well as working to improve the reliability of global energy markets to help ensure that, where the UK does require the supply of energy from overseas, it is dependable and affordable. In addition, reliable networks ensure that the energy we need is delivered, where we need it. Lastly, decarbonising our energy supplies will help to reduce our dependence on international fossil fuel markets in the longer term.
Further details are set out in the document which can be found at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people of pensionable age in Brighton, Kemptown constituency; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, 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.
Mrs Helen Grant
The Department has no plans to bring forward such proposals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations he has received regarding the need for a vaccine for bovine TB; and if he will make a statement.
George Eustice
We have received representations on all aspects of tackling Bovine TB, including vaccination for cattle and badgers, from a very wide range of stakeholders. The role that cattle and badger vaccination can play in eradicating Bovine TB is outlined in our comprehensive Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free status for England.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of young people in (a) Brighton, Kemptown constituency and (b) East Sussex who have been unemployed for longer than 12 months in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, 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.
Jenny Willott
We do not have any plans at this time to relocate staff or offices to Brighton.
BIS currently has one active property in Brighton, Crown House, which houses the Insolvency Service.
Any future decisions to move staff and offices to Brighton would be led by the business needs of BIS which would be supported by the Property and Asset Management Team.