Tag: Vicky Foxcroft

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of reducing the Feed in Tariff on the ability of the UK to meet its renewable energy targets.

Andrea Leadsom

We are on track to exceed our target of generating more than 30% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

The Feed-in Tariff has been extremely successful in deploying renewable energy sources. We have already exceeded our 2020/21 projections for wind, hydro, and anaerobic digestion under the scheme and, even with the action proposed in the consultation, we will be within the range of our solar projections.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that same-sex marriages are recognised in all Commonwealth countries; and what (a) meetings and (b) correspondence he has had on this issue.

Mr David Lidington

Our High Commissions continue to lobby at the highest levels on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights, particularly in countries where same-sex relations are criminalised. The UK wants the Commonwealth to do more to ensure that same-sex marriages are recognised across all member states. This has been a contentious issue for Commonwealth members, but we believe progress is fundamental to the Commonwealth’s ability to improve the lives of its people and develop peaceful societies.

Commonwealth members share a collective responsibility to live up to the values of the Commonwealth Charter and we will continue to be clear in pressing them to embrace these values. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary General in March and raised the importance of implementing the aims and aspirations of the Charter.

Last month, The Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, met the US Special Envoy for the Rights of LGBT persons to discuss how the UK could work with likeminded partners, including in the Commonwealth, to strengthen the work of civil society organisations and all those fighting to end discrimination.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement by the Prime Minister on 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 23, how many Syrian refugee families have been granted asylum in the UK to date.

James Brokenshire

437 Syrian refugee families have been granted asylum since 2006. This figure is based on main asylum claimants who claimed asylum from 1 October 2006 to August 2015, with 1 or more dependant linked to their asylum claim that was under the age of 18. This does not include individuals from the current resettlement programme, which will take 20,000 by the end of this Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times visa applications have been refused because of technicalities in each of the last four years; and how many such cases have been subject to a complaint or appeal.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is unable to provide the information requested, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 2.115 of the Summer Budget 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of freezing local housing allowance on the availability of private rented accommodation for claimants in London.

Justin Tomlinson

No assessment has been made of the effect of freezing rates on the availability or affordability of accommodation for claimants in London. There will be measures in place to help support people who may be impacted. Each year, 30 per cent of the savings from this measure will be used to create Targeted Affordability Funding to help areas where rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation. In addition the Government has enhanced its package of Discretionary Housing Payment funding – £800 million over 5 years- which is designed to enable local authorities to protect the most vulnerable claimants and support households adjusting to Welfare Reform changes, including the freeze to LHA rates.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.160 of the Summer Budget 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of aligning the rate of employment and support allowance for new claimants who are in the work-related activity group with jobseeker’s allowance on people who have mental and physical illnesses.

Priti Patel

The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effect of domestic violence on children.

Karen Bradley

The Government recognises the life changing impact domestic abuse can have on the lives of children. That is why we have expanded the Troubled Families Programme to reach up to an additional 400,000 families from 2015/16, including those affected by domestic abuse.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 2.115 of the Summer Budget 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of a four-year freeze on employment and support allowance on people with long-term disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel

The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website.

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html

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