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999515

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadcasting: Disability Aids
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to increase the number of broadcasts which are required to include (a) audio description for people with sight loss and (b) subtitles for people with hearing loss.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	187059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Member to the answer to PQ 186377, answered on 5<sup>th</sup> November.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James grouped question UIN 187060 question first answered 06/11/2018 10:38:22 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

999516

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadcasting: Disability Aids
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it a requirement that all broadcasters use audio description access on all television channels.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	187060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Member to the answer to PQ 186377, answered on 5<sup>th</sup> November.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James grouped question UIN 187059 question first answered 06/11/2018 10:38:22 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

999519

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Housing: Insulation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing to improve energy usage through better domestic insulation.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
tabling member printed	Alex Norris
uin	187128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>Last year, the Government published the Clean Growth Strategy which set out our aspiration that as many homes as possible will be upgraded to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable. A number of policies have been put in place to help drive domestic insulation including:</p><p> </p><p>- The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme which requires obligated energy suppliers to install energy efficiency and heating measures to people’s homes in England, Scotland and Wales. ECO is funded at £640 million per annum (2017 prices, rising with inflation), and we are taking steps to focus that scheme on those in fuel poverty. The Clean Growth Strategy announced that we would extend support for home energy efficiency out to 2028 at least at the current level of ECO funding.</p><p> </p><p>- The Private Rented Sector Minimum standard regulations which were introduced on 1<sup>st</sup> April 2018 and require landlords to bring their properties to EPC Band E or above; or register an exemption, if one applies. We have recently announced that we will be strengthening those regulations further to require a contribution of up to £3,500 from landlords towards the cost of improvements.</p><p> </p><p>- Six local supply chain demonstration projects which are about to be launched across the country. They will focus on reducing the cost for retrofit and building supply chain capacity whilst also addressing the non-financial barriers to deeper retrofit, such as supply chain fragmentation and the high hassle costs of installing measures.</p><p> </p><p>- The Simple Energy Advice Service, which was launched as part of Green Great Britain Week. The new digitally-led service provides impartial and tailored advice on how homeowners can cut energy bills and make their homes greener. Individuals can also find out which insulation measure best suits their home, how much they could save and what governmental financial support is available.</p><p> </p><p>- The BEIS Thermal Efficiency Innovation Fund which awarded organisations £7.5m grant funding to develop technologies and approaches to improve the energy efficiency of existing UK (domestic and commercial) buildings in summer 2018. Funded project activities include piloting approaches to optimising the specification and performance of domestic insulation measures, and the development of innovative insulation materials and processes to reduce the installation costs of measures.</p><p> </p><p>- The launch of a new quality mark for home energy improvements following the independent Each Home Counts review to help provide greater consumer confidence in the quality of installations.</p><p> </p><p>We also committed in the Clean Growth Strategy to bring forward further measures in the future, including our intention to consult on making improvements to Building Regulations, and to look at a long-term trajectory for energy performance standards in the rented sector, with a view to as many rented homes as possible reaching EPC Band C by 2030.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 06/11/2018 11:08:09 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

999541

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homes (a) have been built and are occupied now and (b) are guaranteed to be built and occupied by the end of 2019 as a result of the Government's garden villages and towns policy.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	186945
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government currently supports 24 locally-led garden cities, towns and villages through its Garden Communities programme and sponsorship of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation. Locally-led Garden Communities are vital to delivering transformational housing growth that we need. We have provided £22 million of capacity funding to fund dedicated staff teams, key studies and assessments to underpin delivery of our garden towns and villages.</p><p>As of June, local authorities confirm that over 10,000 high quality homes have been completed, leaving a legacy for generations to be proud of – echoing the commitments made in our Housing White Paper.</p><p>Local authorities expect over 5,500 additional homes will be completed by the end of 2019.</p><p>We do not hold data on the occupancy rates of Garden Communities, but the number of long-term vacant dwellings across England remains lower than when records began.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 06/11/2018 11:24:10 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

999548

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Railway Stations: Access
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of railway stations have step-free access.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	186946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>Around 20% of stations in the UK have step free access to and between every platform, which accounts for approximately 75% of journeys.</p><p>This compares with only 50% of journeys in 2005.</p><p> </p><p>We remain committed to continuing to invest in the accessibility of the railway and have made an additional £300m available for our Access for All programme during the next five year Control Period (2019-24).</p><p> </p><p>Information on the facilities available at railway stations is collected and held by the Rail Delivery Group, rather than the Department.</p><p> </p><p>Accessibility information about individual stations is published on the National Rail Enquiries website.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 06/11/2018 11:19:17 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

999561

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: British Petroleum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings have been held between representatives from BP and (a) his Ministers, (b) his officials and (c) representatives from the Oil and Gas Authority in each of the last two years.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	186940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>All Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with industry representatives, including those from the energy industry. A register of ministerial meetings is published on a quarterly basis as part of Departments’ transparency data.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 06/11/2018 11:06:54 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

999575

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Commonwealth: LGBT+ People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the protection of LGBT rights in each member state of the Commonwealth.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	186948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>​We continue to raise the importance of countering discrimination within the Commonwealth, including on grounds of gender identity or sexual orientation. In her speech to the Commonwealth Forums on 17 April, my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister set out the UK's readiness to support any member state wanting to reform outdated legislation that makes discrimination on the grounds of gender identity or sexual orientation possible. The Prime Minister was clear that while we must respect one another's cultures and traditions, we must do so in a manner consistent with our common value of equality, a value that is clearly stated in the Commonwealth Charter. We have since announced a £5.6m programme working with civil society organisations to support those countries who might wish to reform discriminatory legislation. Due to the highly sensitive and sometimes dangerous nature of this work, it would not be appropriate to name specific member states.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 06/11/2018 11:43:23 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

999580

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	WH Smith: Post Offices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the Post Office will spend on (a) retrofitting and (b) refurbishing WHSmith stores as a result of franchising agreements.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	187071
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.</p><p>While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to you on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 06/11/2018 11:07:19 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

999585

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Post Offices: Franchises
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will enable Post Offices that make a profit to remain as a Crown post office rather than being franchised.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	187072
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The Post Office has commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The decision whether to franchise a Crown post office is an operational matter of commercial judgement for the Post Office.</p><p> </p><p>There are over 11,300 branches (almost 98% of the total network) already operating successfully on a franchise or agency basis. Franchising is part of the Post Office’s modernisation programme designed to improve customer experience while putting the network on a sustainable footing and reducing the burden to the taxpayer. This helped Crown branches move from a £46 million loss in 2012 to a break even today.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 06/11/2018 11:07:37 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

999592

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government: Borrowing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of (a) total council borrowing and (b) council borrowing for housing was sourced through the public works loan board in each year since 2009-10.
tabling member constituency	Wentworth and Dearne
tabling member printed	John Healey
uin	186949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>Under the Local Government Act 2003 local authorities are able to borrow freely without Government approval. Local authorities must comply with the prudential framework when making decisions on borrowing. The Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) is one potential source of borrowing available to local authorities. The Government collects data on the total borrowing activity of local authorities each year. However, this does not split out the sources of borrowing. This data can be accessed using the following hyperlink: <br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-capital-expenditure-receipts-and-financing" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-capital-expenditure-receipts-and-financing</a>.</p><p>Data is collected on the amount of local authority borrowing that is outstanding each year and this is split out by category, including PWLB. The data shows the borrowing activity from 2013 up to the current financial year. It is collected on a quarterly basis. It is available through the following hyperlink:<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance#borrowing-and-investment" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance#borrowing-and-investment</a>.</p><p>Local authorities do not borrow specifically for individual projects but do so on an aggregate basis. Therefore, it is not possible to identify borrowing from PWLB that has been used for expenditure on housing.</p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 06/11/2018 10:44:54 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	400 label Biography information for John Healey