The second largest opposition party is neither formally defined nor given specific speaking rights by the Standing Orders of the House or the Companion to the Standing Orders. The Companion to Standing Orders does, however, set out several areas where the \u201copposition front benches\u201d have the right to speak for longer than backbenchers or have rights to speak at specific points in proceedings.
Of the political parties represented in the House, only the Official Opposition and the Liberal Democrat group operate frontbenches of a size that permits them to shadow each Government department. It is for that reason that the definition of \u201copposition frontbenches\u201d that applied in practice before the 2010 Parliament has been reverted to in this Parliament.
It remains open to any member who wishes to propose a change to current arrangements to make representations to me and/or make a submission to the Procedure Committee.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4205", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Stowell of Beeston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL1135"}
, {"_value" : "HL1136"}
, {"_value" : "HL1137"}
, {"_value" : "HL1138"}
, {"_value" : "HL1139"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-20T16:47:20.883Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "92"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Leader of the House of Lords"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "House of Lords: Political Parties"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Leader of the House on what basis a political party with 7.9 per cent of the national vote at a general election holds front bench status in the House of Lords.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/499", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Campbell-Savours"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Campbell-Savours"}
], "uin" : "HL1588"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390151", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390151/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
13,199 vouchers have not been redeemed, which have a total maximum value of £26,398,000.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anna Soubry"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-20T15:16:33.997Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Advisory Services"} , "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, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2015 to Question 2127, how many Growth Vouchers were not redeemed by the deadline of 30 June; and what the total value was of those unredeemed vouchers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4128", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chuka Umunna"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Streatham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Chuka Umunna"} ], "uin" : "7500"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390152", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390152/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The RAB charge is an estimate and will always fluctuate. Switching grants to loans increases the aggregated RAB charge. We are consulting on freezing the repayment threshold, which may mean that overall the RAB charge would reduce.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
My Department publishes an updated estimate of the RAB charge each year, close to the time of the publication of BIS accounts. The most recent estimate of the 15/16 RAB charge was published on 14 July 2015. The estimate, together with an updated simplified version of the model for calculating the RAB charge can be found here:<\/p>
<\/p>
http://tinyurl.com/stepmodel<\/a><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> An updated assessment of the RAB charge will be published next summer alongside BIS accounts for 2015-16.<\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4039", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Orpington"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Joseph Johnson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-20T15:20:40.237Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Students: Loans"}
, "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, if he will publish an updated assessment of the RAB charge taking into account announcements in the Summer Budget 2015; and what estimate he has made since that Budget on the level of RAB charge in each of the next five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4128", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chuka Umunna"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Streatham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Chuka Umunna"}
], "uin" : "7501"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390153", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390153/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/strong><\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p> The growth in student numbers since 2012, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, suggests that students are not deterred from entering Higher Education when asked to bear more of the cost of their study.<\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4039", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Orpington"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Joseph Johnson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-20T16:26:56.657Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Admissions"}
, "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 research he has (a) commissioned and (b) examined on the potential effects of announcements in the Summer Budget 2015 on the number of students (i) applying to and (ii) taking up places at universities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4128", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chuka Umunna"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Streatham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Chuka Umunna"}
], "uin" : "7502"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390154", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390154/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department does not forecast the number of applications to universities.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> For the purposes of planning Government expenditure and financial transactions, and prior to the summer budget, the Department agreed with the Office for Budget Responsibility the full-time Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)-fundable undergraduate entrant scenario shown in the table below. This scenario takes into account the projected decline in the young population. The actual number of new entrants will depend on the decisions of applicants and institutions. The Government does not expect the student finance announcements made at the Budget to affect the general trend we have seen of rising student numbers.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Table<\/strong>: HEFCE-fundable full-time undergraduate entrant forecasts<\/p> <\/p>