My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on climate change.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1389", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bexhill and Battle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Gregory Barker"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "63"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Energy and Climate Change"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Energy and Climate Change"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions on climate change he has had with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1409", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Londonderry"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Gregory Campbell"} ], "uin" : "197015"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48929", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48929/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We introduced the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers, providing £1,500 payments to encourage and support smaller employers to take on young apprentices. The 2014 Budget made available £170 million additional funding over 2014-18, which will provide over 100,000 additional incentive payments.<\/p>
<\/p>
This in addition to wider steps taken to make apprenticeships more attractive and accessible by simplifying the recruitment process and removing unnecessary bureaucracy.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matthew Hancock"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what incentives his Department has made available to small and medium-sized businesses to take on apprentices.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4246", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Iain McKenzie"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Inverclyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Iain McKenzie"} ], "uin" : "197164"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48930", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48930/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
With its long-term economic plan, this Government is committed to strong and sustainable growth that is balanced across the economy. Manufacturing is a vital part of this, and the Government has put in place a wide range of measures to improve the wider business environment and support this sector, including both tax reforms and direct support.<\/p>
<\/p>
This Government has reduced the main rate of corporation tax to improve the business environment and attract investment: it is currently 21%, down from 28% in 2010, and will fall further to 20% in April 2015. Beyond this, support to manufacturing includes the Government committing £3.2bn to the Regional Growth Fund, over £1.5bn of support to specific sectors through theIndustrial Strategy, £345m to the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative, and over £200m to a Catapult centre on High Value Manufacturing. In the recent Budget the Government announced a package of measures to reduce energy bills for manufacturers and improve their competitiveness.<\/p>
<\/p>
There is more to do, but the latest GDP figures and May's manufacturing PMI are encouraging.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4027", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Morgan of Cotes"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Loughborough"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nicky Morgan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he has taken to encourage manufacturing in the UK since May 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4246", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Iain McKenzie"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Inverclyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Iain McKenzie"} ], "uin" : "197138"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48931", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48931/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government is committed to making the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business and has introduced a number of fiscal measures since 2010 to encourage small and medium sized businesses.<\/p>
<\/p>
The government has doubled the Small Business Rate Relief for every year of this Parliament saving businesses occupying small premises over £1.5 billion to date. The government announced additional business rate measures at Autumn Statement 2013, capping business rates increases at 2 per cent in 2014-15, and introducing a special discount of £1,000 for retail premises with rateable values below £50,000 in 2014-15 and 2015-16.<\/p>
<\/p>
From April 2014 the £2,000 Employment Allowance is supporting small businesses aspiring to hire their first employee or expand their workforce. The government has also increased the payable Research and Development tax credit for loss-making small and medium sized businesses from 11 per cent to 14.5 per cent from April 2014, providing particular support for early-stage companies and start-ups.<\/p>
<\/p>
Fuel costs are significant for many small businesses so the government has implemented the longest duty freeze for over 20 years. In total, by 2015-16 a small business with a van will have saved £1,300 and a haulier £21,000.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4027", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Morgan of Cotes"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Loughborough"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nicky Morgan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal measures he has taken to encourage small and medium-sized businesses in the UK since May 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4246", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Iain McKenzie"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Inverclyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Iain McKenzie"} ], "uin" : "197139"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48939", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48939/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare is responsible for decisions on the syllabus of its Diploma, the requirements for entry to the Diploma course, and the award of a Diploma qualification.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department understands that the guidelines on the syllabus on possible conscientious objection have not changed.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3918", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jane Ellison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Battersea"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jane Ellison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the recent decision by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to refuse to allow doctors who have a conscientious objection to supplying certain abortive-type contraceptive drugs or devices to undertake and complete specialist training with the aim of gaining Membership of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare of the RCOG.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1569", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Flello"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stoke-on-Trent South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Flello"} ], "uin" : "197137"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48945", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48945/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Written Statement I made on 7 April 2014, Official Report Col 1-2WS.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/53", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Willetts"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Havant"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr David Willetts"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his plans are for the future of the disabled students' allowance; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birkenhead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Frank Field"} ], "uin" : "197154"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48946", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48946/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>
The current estimated cost of the project is £42.6bn for Phase 1 and Phase 2 (including £14.4bn of contingency) and £7.5bn for rolling stock (including £1.7bn of contingency). This estimate is in 2011 prices and is at the P95 level, meaning at this early stage of the project there is a 95 percent confidence level that the project can be delivered for this cost.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1562", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scarborough and Whitby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Goodwill"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the final cost of the capital sum to be raised to finance High Speed 2 to (a) Birmingham and (b) Leeds and Manchester.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birkenhead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Frank Field"} ], "uin" : "197014"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48947", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48947/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department does not hold the information requested.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4084", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Esther McVey"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wirral West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Esther McVey"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-06T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of staff members employed by contractors delivering the Work Programme are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birkenhead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Frank Field"} ], "uin" : "197136"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48963", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48963/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Between 2006/07 and 2012/13 the private investment in Great Britain's railways amounted to £3,573 million. This includes all enhancements in relation to tracks and signalling, rolling stock and stations and other investments<\/p>
<\/p>
This information is not available on a regional basis.<\/p>
<\/p>
Further details of this funding are available on ORR's website at the following link:<\/p>