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229487

registered interest
date	25/03/2015
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	Tunisia and Lebanon
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the proximity of Tunisia and Lebanon to conflicts in Libya and Syria and the role of those states in hosting refugees, they intend to give priority for aid and investment to those states, in the context of the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the European Union Regional Strategy for Syria, the European Union–Tunisia Action Plan and existing association agreements.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL5948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>Lebanon and Tunisia are important partners and both the EU and the UK are committed to supporting them in addressing the problems stemming from crises in neighbouring countries. The UK has contributed over £190 million to support refugee and host communities in Lebanon since the Syria crisis began. In Tunisia we have committed £22 million to support political and economic development since the revolution in 2011. Both countries receive significant EU funding. Tunisia has been allocated up to €886 million from the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) for 2014-2020, and €16 million from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), the Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), the Non State Actors programme, the Civil Society Facility and ENI thematic instruments. Lebanon has an allocation of up to €385 million from the ENI for 2014-2020. In addition, Lebanon has been allocated a further €449.4 million in support from both the ENI and the IcSP to help it respond to the effects of the crisis in Syria. The Directorate General of the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection is also providing €172.3 million for humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, with the EIDHR providing €2.4m for 2014-2017. Both countries can also benefit from long-term loans and risk capital facilities, provided and managed by the European Investment Bank.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 15:53:25 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

229329

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	One Public Estate Programme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the success of the One Public Estate Programme in increasing co-ordination across the public sector on the use of public land and buildings; and what plans he has to expand that programme in the next Parliament.
tabling member constituency	Bromley and Chislehurst
tabling member printed	Robert Neill
uin	228890
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude question first answered 26/03/2015 16:23:09 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
tabling member	1601 label Biography information for Sir Robert Neill

229331

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Sector: Procurement
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that other Departments comply with guidance published by his Department in the Green Book (a) on the production and use made of business cases and related matters, (b) that such business cases are normally published in full at the time of the announcement of a public sector spending proposal to which they relate and (c) that where there is a statutory justification for an exemption to disclosure of any part of a business case, such justification will be published contemporaneously with such an announcement.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	228883
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>The Green Book sets out that all new policies, programmes and projects, whether revenue, capital or regulatory, should be subject to comprehensive but proportionate assessment, wherever it is practicable, so as best to promote the public interest. Training and accreditation in the use of Green Book methodology is being extended across the public sector through the Better Business Cases programme, which aims to embed use of the best-practice five-case model in public service culture. In general it is not the Government’s policy to publish business cases, although exceptions are made when the Government considers publication to be of exceptional public interest.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 26/03/2015 13:24:00 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

229332

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the progress made by the short-term credit industry on full market participation in real-time data-sharing.
tabling member constituency	Hackney South and Shoreditch
tabling member printed	Meg Hillier
uin	228940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>The Government has fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new, more robust regulatory regime is improving protections for consumers, including through the introduction of a cap on the cost of payday loans as required by Government.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government and the FCA have made it clear to payday lenders that real-time market-wide credit data sharing is key to more effective affordability assessments. In its November 2014 policy statement, the FCA set out there has been substantial progress made by the payday industry, with “the vast majority of the market now participating in real-time data sharing”. The FCA has committed to press the industry for further improvements, and has said it will make rules if it detects any loss of momentum.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The FCA can use its flexible rule-making powers across the consumer credit market where it deems necessary to support its objectives, including protecting consumers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 228941 228943 question first answered 26/03/2015 13:19:03 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	1524 label Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier

229342

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Personal Income
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the change in the average gross income of an employee in the (a) private and (b) public sector between the 2010-11 and 2015-16 financial years.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	228898
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 26/03/2015 14:09:49 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson attachment 1 file name PQ 228898 ONS 125.pdf title ONS Letter to Member - Average Gross Income
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

229345

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Parks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the National Trust on the preservation of public parks.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	228925
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published on-line as part of our transparency agenda. They are available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-communities-and-local-government&amp;publication_type=transparency-data" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-communities-and-local-government&amp;publication_type=transparency-data</a><br><br></p><p> </p><p>Through the Community Right to Bid, introduced as part of the Localism Act 2011, communities and local groups can protect local assets, such as parks, playing fields and allotments, by nominating them to be listed by the local authority as an Asset of Community Value. If the listed asset comes up for sale, local community groups can ‘pause’ the sale for a period of time in order to raise the finance to make a bid to buy it.</p><p> </p><p>In February, the Department held a green spaces seminar to explore barriers to pursuing innovative solutions to protecting green spaces and to consider what actions central government might usefully take to help remove some of these. The National Trust attended this seminar and presented the approach they are exploring in partnership with Sheffield City Council to create an endowment fund for the city’s parks. This work is being pursued as part of the £1 million Rethinking Parks project initiated by Nesta, Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery.</p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 26/03/2015 08:50:59 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

229348

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Research
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 20 March 2015, HCWS 438, on unpublished research reports commissioned by the last Administration, what the evidential basis is for the assertion that his Department commissions research better than did previous administrations.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough
tabling member printed	Mr David Blunkett
uin	228868
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>Since 2010 the Department’s processes for commissioning research from external organisations have been strengthened. All research proposals must meet a set of criteria agreed with Ministers before they can go to tender. These are:</p><ol><li>Is the project endorsed by Ministers or senior officials or is the proposal something the Department needs to or is reasonably expected to do?</li><li>Does the project need to be commissioned now or can the work be deferred to a later date?</li><li>What is the justification for this work?</li><li>Is the project value for money and is the Department’s share of the cost reasonable?</li></ol><p> </p><p>Ministers scrutinise prospective research proposals at an early stage which allows them to influence the research proposal and ensure external commissions meet the Department’s priorities and provide value for money.<br><br></p><p> </p><p>Fully-developed research proposals are scrutinised by the Department’s Research Gateway panel – which comprises the Heads of Analytical Profession and senior representatives from Finance and Procurement. This panel reviews the proposed research methodologies, costs and procurement strategy to ensure these are necessary and the commission will deliver robust results at reasonable cost to the tax-payer.<br><br></p><p> </p><p>Project officers are challenged by the panel to justify the need for the work, the proposed cost and the expected outputs. The panel routinely encourages the use of innovative research methods to drive costs down. Opportunities for co-funding are routinely investigated before research contracts are procured.<br><br></p><p> </p><p>Following approval by the Research Gateway, research proposals are then sent to Ministers for final approval to proceed to procurement. This offers Ministers a further opportunity to ensure that external research commissions are meeting their criteria to deliver robust and cost-effective results.<br><br></p><p> </p><p>I would add that the last Administration spent £25.6 million on research projects that were commissioned but not published before May 2010, and many of those projects did not represent value for money for taxpayers - as evident by the fact that many were unpublished for years.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 26/03/2015 11:46:50 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	395 label Biography information for Lord Blunkett

229354

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Mining: Monuments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will support the erection of memorials to miners who lost their lives whilst working in the pits during the First and Second World Wars.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	228931
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>There is a tradition of funding new memorials through public subscription. We support this and experience has shown that there are often other funders, including the private sector, happy and willing to fund new memorials.</p><p>The DCMS ​does additionally administer the DCMS Memorial Grant Scheme which makes grants towards the VAT incurred by charities and faith groups in the construction, repair and maintenance of public memorial structures. The scheme has a fixed budget of £0.5m per year.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 26/03/2015 10:03:50 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

229357

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Veterans: Military Decorations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on the awarding of the Légion d'honneur to veterans of the Second World War.
tabling member constituency	Gedling
tabling member printed	Vernon Coaker
uin	228914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>We thank the French Government for making the offer to award the Legion d'Honneur to all those UK Servicemen who were involved in the liberation of France in 1944. So far the Ministry of Defence has passed in excess of 2,500 applications to the French Authorities.</p><p>We continue to receive and process applications on a daily basis and this week we anticipate a further 200 applications will be passed across to the French Authorities.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 26/03/2015 10:05:45 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	360 label Biography information for Lord Coaker

229359

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free Schools: Preston
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, who was consulted prior to her Department's decision to choose 55 Guildhall Street, Preston as the site for Eden Boys School for its first year of operation.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Mark Hendrick
uin	228894
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>Under the Class C.2 Part 4 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, consultation is not required for change of use for one year. The Secretary of State for Education notified Preston City Council on 16 February 2015 of the intention to use 55 Guildhall Street as a state-funded school for one academic year only.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The availability of public parking within walking distance of the site was identified by the Department and considered appropriate for the temporary use of the building and the number of pupils. The school is developing a travel plan to minimise impact on traffic and ensure pupil safety.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 228895 question first answered 26/03/2015 11:42:41 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick