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47135

	registered interest
	date	07/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to increase tourism to (a) Berkshire and (b) the South East; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	195452
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>DCMS is responsible for the policy that supports the growth of domestic and international tourism, working in partnership with other Government Departments and our Arms-Length Bodies, VisitBritain and VisitEngland. Between 2011 and 2015, Government is investing more than £105m in tourism through the GREAT and other international campaigns. Investment to date is showing positive results. 2013 was a record year for inbound tourism with 32.9 million international visits being made which generated a record £21 billion into the UK in 2013.</p><p>In terms of Berkshire specifically, VisitBritain's public-facing website includes a range of tourism information relating to Windsor which is available via the following link: <a href="http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Destinations-and-Maps/History-and-heritage/Windsor.htm" target="_blank">http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Destinations-and-Maps/History-and-heritage/Windsor.htm</a>. VisitBritain's ‘Heritage is GREAT' advertising campaign also prominently featured Highclere Castle, which is the setting for Downton Abbey.</p><p>The South East region will benefit from a number of thematic campaigns currently being run by VisitEngland which can be found at <a href="http://www.visitengland.com/" target="_blank">http://www.visitengland.com/</a>. It will also benefit from VisitEngland's Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign, which has been broadcast on mainstream terrestrial channels since 1 April, while those areas in the South East region affected by the recent floods are also benefitting from both VisitEngland's ‘Spot on England' marketing campaign and business support events.</p> answering member constituency Maidstone and The Weald answering member printed Mrs Helen Grant question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

47349

	registered interest
	date	07/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to improve transport connections between Windsor and London.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	195451
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The programme to increase passenger capacity on the Windsor to Waterloo railway by 25% is now under way and will be completed in early 2015. 60 additional carriages are being incorporated into an extended and refurbished fleet of trains to operate as a maximum 10 carriage train length. The first additional vehicles are now in service. From May 2014, platform 20 of the former Waterloo International station will be brought into use for scheduled services. Construction of Crossrail is now half completed and electrification of the Great Western Main Line is also under way; the Slough to Windsor &amp; Eton Central line will be electrified by 2019. The Highways Agency is welcoming preliminary comments on the M4 Smart Motorway scheme between Junction 3 (Hayes) and Junction 12 (Theale) until the end of April 2014, and will conduct a formal public consultation on the scheme in the autumn. Subject to development consent and the final business case, construction could start in spring 2016.</p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond question first answered 29/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

41989

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the net benefit to the UK economy of data.gov.uk since it publicly launched in January 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	191143
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2014 answer text <p> We know that open data is of huge value to the economy. It is difficult to cite an exact figure for the net benefit of data.gov.uk. </p><p /> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/198905/bis-13-743-market-assessment-of-public-sector-information.pdf" target="_blank">Deloitte report</a>, available at LINK, cited £1.8bn of direct benefit and £6.8bn of indirect benefit to the UK economy from the use of open data, although this also includes data that is not government data. </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude question first answered 17/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

47166

	registered interest
	date	07/04/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect the introduction of seven-day bank account switching has had on the number of people changing bank account provider; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	195454
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2014 answer text <p><strong>The Current Account Switching Service launched in September of last year, and has had a very positive impact. Early signs are positive, with switching numbers in Q4 of 2013 up by 17 per cent compared to Q4 of the previous year. </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>The Financial Conduct Authority will carry out a review in September of this year into the effectiveness of the Current Account Switching Service. This will include an assessment of the effect the introduction of seven day account switching has had on the number of people changing bank account provider. </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 29/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

43527

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on encouraging computer science and programming in UK schools.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	192351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2014 answer text <p>As part of the reforms to the national curriculum, the Department for Education is strengthening the teaching of computing in schools by replacing information and communications technology with computing. The new programmes of study for computing, which will be taught in maintained schools from September 2014, have a much greater emphasis on computer science. For example, pupils at key stage 1 will be taught to create and debug simple programs and key stage 3 pupils will be taught to use two or more programming languages.</p><p>We also working with exam boards and sector experts to review the computer science GCSE and A level so that they reflect and build upon the changes made to the curriculum. The inclusion of computer science in the English Baccalaureate will provide further encouragement for pupils to take up the subject at GCSE level. We are also providing funding for several projects to help teachers acquire the necessary subject knowledge and skills to teach the new computing curriculum.</p><p>We are funding the British Computer Society to build a network of 400 ‘Master Teachers', create online teach-yourself resources and deliver 800 in-school workshops to help primary school teachers improve their subject knowledge. A further £500,000 competitive match-funded scheme was announced on 4 February to support excellent computing teaching and lever additional investment and engagement from business.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 24/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

45921

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2014
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department allocated to microfinance schemes in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	194399
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p>DFID's work on microfinance is integrated into broader financial sector development programmes that work to strengthen policy and regulation, build infrastructure and innovate new products and services that meet the needs of poor people.</p><p>DFID monitors expenditure in terms of actual spend. Actual spend on the financial sector development portfolio totalled £50.9 million in 2010-11; £50.9m in 2011-2012 and £59.2m in 2012-2013. Cumulative spend between 2007 and 2012 totalled £282.0m.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

46020

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps he has taken to support part-time entrepreneurs; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	194519
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p>People are setting up and growing different types of businesses all the time. We continue to work hard to provide the right support to make life easier for them all.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a> is the home for Government services and information online. One of the tools available is the 'Finance Finder;' a searchable database of publicly-backed sources of finance. The website <a href="http://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/" target="_blank">www.greatbusiness.gov.uk</a> also provides support and advice for anyone trying to grow a business as well as for entrepreneurs starting out.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to on-line support, the Business Support Helpline is available to provide a quick response on queries about starting a business, or a personalised and in-depth advice service for more complex needs. For those looking for start up finance and advice there are Start-Up Loans: 7 loans worth a total of £37,000 have been drawn down in Windsor since the scheme began in 2012.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

44784

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the (a) Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa route and (b) Tier 1 (Investor) visa route on economic growth.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	193286
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advises the Government on economic issues relating to migration.<br><br>On 1 July 2013 the MAC published a &quot;Report on the economic and labour market impacts of tier 1 entrepreneur and investor migrants to the UK&quot; which it had commissioned from the Migration Observatory. The report made a number of findings, although it concluded that it was too early to make a full assessment of the economic contribution of the two routes without further research. The report is available on the gov.uk website at:<br><br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-and-labour-market-impacts-tier-1-entrepreneur-and-investor-migrants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-and-labour-market-impacts-tier-1-entrepreneur-and-investor-migrants</a><br><br>More recently, on 25 February 2014 the MAC published its own report, &quot;Tier 1 (Investor) route: investment thresholds and economic benefits&quot; in response to a Government commission. The MAC concluded that the direct investment required by the route is of little or no benefit, but there is some benefit from indirect spending by investors and their families in the UK (although this is difficult to quantify). The report is available on the gov.uk website at:<br><br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-investment-limits-and-economic-benefits-of-the-tier-1-investor-route-feb-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-investment-limits-and-economic-benefits-of-the-tier-1-investor-route-feb-2014</a><br><br>The Government keeps all routes under review and is currently considering its response to the MAC's report on the Tier 1 (Investor) route.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

45856

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people applied to the 2014 Sirius Programme for young entrepreneurs; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	194417
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p>The Sirius Programme, led by UK Trade and Investment, enables talented graduates with innovative start up ideas to start a business in the UK. Successful applicants receive support via a structured mentoring programme and participants requiring a visa, are able to access support through a dedicated visa route for the Sirius Programme. The current programme is a 2 year pilot - the first round was launched on 6 September 2013 and closed on 15 January 2014. A total of 1543 people applied.<br><br>A second round of the Sirius Programme will open shortly.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

44643

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to incentivise departmental officials to bring old Government data sets online in accessible formats.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	193287
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p>The UK has been recognised as the international leader in data transparency. During our Presidency of the G8 in 2013 we led Members to commit to publishing data openly by default as a matter of principle through the Open Data Charter.<br> <br> Departments are engaging the public and special interest groups about the most important data held by Government (whether old or new); publishing open data strategies and reporting to Parliament on progress on a quarterly basis.<br> <br> Those data sets that are judged to have the most significant economic and social impact we refer to as the National Information Infrastructure, and are our priority for making available and accessible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie