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57634

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2014
	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
	hansard heading	Animal Experiments
	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 animals have experienced severe suffering in scientific research funded by the Government since 2010; and if he will provide funding aimed at developing scientific advances allowing the reduction or avoidance of severe suffering of animals used in procedures.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	198601
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2014 answer text <p>The Government does not hold the information you have requested. The Home Office has published advisory notes on recording and reporting actual severity. From data collected, the Home Office will provide clarity on the burden of harm and, over time, should give an indication of the effectiveness of refinement methods, particularly for the most severe procedures.</p><p>It is important to note that procedures classified as severe represent only a small percentage of the total.</p><p>The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) was established by the Government in May 2004 to advance and promote the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of animals used in research and testing (the 3Rs). The NC3Rs primarily receives Government funding through BIS from the science and research ring-fenced budget via the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The projected budget for the NC3Rs is £7.88m in 2014/15 and £7.84m in 2015/16.</p><p>BBSRC also provides further funding for the 3Rs under its responsive mode schemes, and the MRC and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council support research projects which contribute to the development of new knowledge and new methods that help replace or refine animal use. However, figures on future spend are not available.</p><p>For a detailed breakdown of past funding I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion on 11 March 2014, Official Report, column reference 167W.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 12/06/2014 16:06:30 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

171777

	registered interest
	date	02/01/2015
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Voluntary Work: Crawley
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has for the National Citizen Service in Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	219583
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2015 answer text <p>117 young people took part in National Citizen Service (NCS) in Crawley and surrounding area in 2014.</p><p>This year will again see NCS programmes taking place in every local authority across England, giving more young people the opportunity to take part in this life changing programme.</p><p>The government is committed to giving as many young people as possible the chance to take part in NCS and the significant growth of the programme so far is set to continue this year across the country.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 06/01/2015 17:37:25 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

101055

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	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	Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many small firms and shops have benefited from reductions in business rates in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212013
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>We have introduced a £1 billion business rate support package for 2014-15 including:</p><p>– a 2% cap in the Retail Price Index increase in the small business rates multiplier;</p><p>– a retail discount of £1,000 for around 300,000 shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000;</p><p>– a 12 month extension of small business rate relief doubling, benefitting over half a million businesses;</p><p>– a 50 per cent discount for new occupants of long-term vacant shops, and;</p><p>– allowing ratepayers to pay bills over 12 instalments.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect data on a constituency basis, but the Crawley constituency lies entirely within the Crawley Borough Council boundary. Table 1 (attached) shows, where available, the estimated number of properties that will benefit from each of the reliefs introduced or extended in 2014-15 within Crawley Borough Council, as well as the amount of relief awarded. Table 2 (attached) provides the same data, but for England as a whole.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 05/11/2014 17:34:35 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name 212013 Smith - Table 1 and 2.docx title Table 1 and 2 - Business Rates
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

101056

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	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	Help to Buy Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the take-up of the Help to Buy has been in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212014
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics for Help to Buy sales by constituency are published for Help to Buy: Equity Loan, but not for Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee and Help to Buy: NewBuy. These, together with statistics on the number of Help to Buy sales at local authority and postcode level are published on the Open Data Communities portal for Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee and Help to Buy: Equity Loan. This is available on the following link: <a href="http://opendatacommunities.org/def/concept/folders/themes/housing-market" target="_blank">http://opendatacommunities.org/def/concept/folders/themes/housing-market</a></p><p> </p><p>Statistics on Help to Buy: NewBuy sales at local authority level are published on the Department’s website, available on the following link: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-equity-loan-and-newbuy-statistics" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-equity-loan-and-newbuy-statistics</a></p><p> </p><p>The number of Help to Buy: Equity Loan sales in the Crawley constituency (to 30 September 2014) is 49. The table below breaks down the total Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee, Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Help to Buy: NewBuy sales in England and the Crawley local authority area:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Mortgage Guarantee (to 30 June 2014)</p></td><td><p>Equity Loan (to 30 September 2014)</p></td><td><p>NewBuy (to 30 September 2014)</p></td><td><p><strong>TOTAL</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>15,091</p></td><td><p>33,911</p></td><td><p>5,518</p></td><td><p>54,520</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Crawley local authority</p></td><td><p>38</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>94</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br>Data at constituency level is only available for the Help to Buy: Equity Loan Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 03/11/2014 17:14:18 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

167705

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2014
	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	Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of how many small firms and shops will benefit from reductions in business rates in (a) England and (b) Crawley in 2015-16.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	217113
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>The Chancellor announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 bills, bringing the total support of 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement polices to £1.4 billion. This help includes:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>doubling small business rate relief for a further year. In England, this means an estimated 385,000 properties will pay no rates at all, while a further 190,000 properties will benefit from tapered relief.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>a 2% cap on the increase of the small business rates multiplier. This is a continuation of the 2% cap introduced in 2014-15 as part of Autumn Statement 2013 measures;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>increasing the temporary £1,000 discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 to £1,500 for 2015-16, benefitting an estimated 300,000 properties in England;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>extending the existing transitional relief scheme for two years for properties with a rateable value up to and including £50,000.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These policies are in addition to previous Autumn Statement measures that continue into 2015-16, including:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>a 50 per cent discount for 18 months to new occupants of vacant shops;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>allowing businesses to keep their small business rate relief for a year where they take on an additional property; and</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>business rates relief for empty new builds.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Central Government also now funds 50% of any local discount granted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Local authority level data is not yet available for the number of properties that will benefit from Autumn Statement 2014 measures in 2015-16. However, the attached table shows the number of hereditaments in 2014-15 that have benefitted from business rates measures extended in this year’s autumn statement.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 10/12/2014 15:55:36 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name 217113 Smith - Table.docx title Table 1
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

167709

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2014
	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	Right to Buy Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the take-up has been of the Help to Buy schemes in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency to date.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	217114
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home.</p><p> </p><p>By 31 October, nearly 66,400 families have bought a home with the assistance of the three Help to Buy schemes in England and 132 in the Crawley constituency.</p><p> </p><p>The Department’s official statistics on sales for the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme, at 31 October in England, broken down by constituency, local authority and postcode, are available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-monthly-statistics<br><br>The Department’s official statistics on sales for the Help to Buy: New Buy scheme, at 30 September are available at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-and-help-to-buy-newbuy-statistics-april-2013-to-september-2014" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-and-help-to-buy-newbuy-statistics-april-2013-to-september-2014</a> Figures are not available by constituency.</p><p> </p><p>The Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme is managed by HM Treasury. The latest official statistics, at 30 September, are available at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-september-2014" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-september-2014</a></p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 10/12/2014 15:46:34 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

178924

	registered interest
	date	10/02/2015
	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	Local Government: Devolution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to devolve greater responsibilities to democratically elected county councils and county unitary authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	224121
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government has always believed that local decision-making plays an essential role in building stronger local economies and communities and is open to discussions over possible offers from areas that are interested in greater devolution of powers. This basic principle of localism underpins the Government's approach and is why programmes such as Growth Deals and Growing Places Fund have been made available to all local areas in England through Local Enterprise Partnerships.<br><br></p><p>I also refer my hon. Friend to the Government's publication, &quot;The implications of devolution for England” (CM 8969) which outlines the views of both Coalition parties on the scope for greater decentralisation in England.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implications-of-devolution-for-england" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implications-of-devolution-for-england</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 24/02/2015 10:18:34 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

63480

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2014
	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
	hansard heading	Broadband
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the level of broadband coverage in (a) the UK and (b) other major European nations.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	202112
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>Ofcom's European Broadband Scorecard (<a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/telecoms-research/bbresearch/scorecard-14" target="_blank">http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/telecoms-research/bbresearch/scorecard-14</a>) stated in figure 8 that the percentages of households in areas served by broadband were:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Standard broadband</p></td><td><p>Mobile broadband</p></td><td><p>Superfast broadband</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>United Kingdom</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>70-75%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>France</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>20-25%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Germany</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>90-95%</p></td><td><p>65-70%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Spain</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>60-65%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Italy</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>95-100%</p></td><td><p>10-15%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ofcom also publishes comparative information in its International Communications Market Report (<a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/cmr13/international/" target="_blank">http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/cmr13/international/</a>)</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 01/07/2014 16:59:48 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

63481

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2014
	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
	hansard heading	World War I: Anniversaries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a suitable commemoration of the First World War; and if he will support the Royal Sussex Regiment Association's efforts for a memorial to be erected in Priez, France.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	202113
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>The Government will mark the centenary of the First World War with an appropriate programme of national events, cultural activities, educational initiatives and community projects across 2014-18. It is fitting that organisations such as the Royal Sussex Regiment Association are seeking to commemorate the centenary in ways which are meaningful for them.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Maidstone and The Weald answering member printed Mrs Helen Grant question first answered 01/07/2014 16:50:26 answering member 4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

178772

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2015
	answering body	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept id	58
	answering dept short name	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept sort name	Deputy Prime Minister
	hansard heading	Local Government: Powers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to bring forward proposals for further devolution for England.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	907524
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>Devolution to local areas is important to this Government and we have a proud record - the Localism Act, the creation of Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Local Government Finance Act, 28 City Deals and the devolution of at least £12bn through Growth Deals which provide the opportunity for all local areas in England to negotiate for freedoms and flexibilities to maximise their economic growth.</p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 10/02/2015 14:23:41 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith