Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question
To ask the Prime Minister, whether the National Security Council has reviewed the collective strategic impact of policy changes since its creation in 2010.
Answered by Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton - Foreign Secretary
Shortly after its creation in 2010, the National Security Council (NSC) approved a new National Security Strategy (NSS) to ensure a strong Britain in an age of uncertainty. There have been no fundamental changes to our policy on national security issues since then. The NSS has provided a sound basis to guide our response to subsequent challenges to our national security. Whitehall Departments are brought together through the NSC to take collective decisions at a time of increasing strategic uncertainty.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to bring empty (a) residential and (b) commercial properties back into use.
Answered by Stephen Williams
Reflecting commitments made in the Coalition Agreement, getting empty and redundant buildings back into use is a key priority for this Government. Under the Coalition Government, the number of empty homes in England has so far fallen to a 10 year low:
· The number of long-term empty homes has fallen by a third from 316,251 in October 2009 to 216,050 in October 2013.
· The overall number of empty homes (all types) has fallen by a fifth from 770,496 in October 2009 to 635,127 in October 2013.
· In London, the number of empty homes has fallen by a third, from 85,062 in October 2009 to 59,313 in October 2013.
A breakdown by local authority, including public sector tenure, can be found in Live Table 615.
www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants
But there is more to do. The Coalition Government has a comprehensive package of policies to help get empty homes and buildings back into use. They include:
· Funding a £235 million empty homes programme to help local communities in restoring empty properties, both residential and commercial, and helping provide new homes.
· Rewarding councils for bringing empty homes back into use through the New Homes Bonus. Since April 2011, councils have received over £2.2 billion for bringing empty homes back into residential occupation.
· Giving councils new powers to remove council tax subsidies to empty homes, and use the funds to keep the overall rate of council tax down. HM Treasury have also changed tax rules to discourage the use of corporate envelopes to invest in high value housing which may be left empty or under-used to avoid paying tax.
· Cancelling the Labour Government’s Pathfinder programme which sought to demolish homes, instead of focusing on refurbishment and getting empty homes into use. We have taken forward the best practice guidance produced by our independent adviser, George Clarke, and embedded it in our housing programme funding schemes.
· Reforming Community Infrastructure Levy rules to provide an increased incentive for brownfield development, and extending exemptions for empty buildings being brought back into use. We have also been consulting on proposals to lift Section 106 burdens on vacant buildings being returned to use.
· Introducing the Right to Contest, building on our existing Community Right to Reclaim Land, which lets communities ask that under-used or unused land owned by public bodies is brought back into beneficial use. This new right applies to sites currently in use, but are not vital for operations. It gives businesses and members of the public an opportunity to challenge government on the best use of its estate.
· Reforming permitted development rights in a number of ways to free up the planning system and facilitate the conversion of redundant and under-used non-residential buildings into new homes.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Football League on Coventry City Football Club returning to play in Coventry.
Answered by Helen Grant
I meet regularly with the Football League to discuss a range of issues. I have met with the Members for Coventry North East, Coventry South and Kenilworth & Southam to learn more about the situation faced by Coventry FC, and have raised their specific concerns with the Football League in writing.Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Lord Justice Hickinbottom's judgement in Sisu v. Coventry City Council, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reform the Football Creditors' Rule.
Answered by Helen Grant
The football authorities have made significant moves over recent years to get clubs on a stronger financial footing, principally through the introduction of financial fair play rules, minimising the need for football to rely on the Football Creditors Rule in cases of club insolvencies. The Government keeps the situation under review.Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications of Lord Justice Hickinbottom's judgement in Sisu v. Coventry City Council and others for football governance in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Grant
Following the judgement, I would urge all parties to focus on the most important issue of getting Coventry City back to playing it’s home matches in Coventry within the timescale set out in the Club’s membership agreement.Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of customers using the Passport Check and Send Service had their passport application rejected due to (a) completing the application form incorrectly, (b) providing incorrect supporting documents and (c) providing the incorrect fee in the last period for which figures are available.
Answered by James Brokenshire
According to data obtained from Her Majesty's Passport Office in respect of
customers using the passport check and send service for the period April 2013 to March 2014:
(a) 0.36% had their applications rejected by Her Majesty's Passport Office due
to completing their application form incorrectly.
(b) 0.22% had their applications rejected due to providing incorrect supporting
documents.
(c) No customer using check and send services had their applications rejected
due to providing the incorrect fee.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of passport renewal applications have been upgraded from a standard application to the premium service in each of the last six months.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Historical data on the number of upgrades from a standard application to a
premium service is not collated centrally.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of manufacturing activity in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England in each of the last four years; and what assessment he has made of future capacity in that sector.
Answered by Michael Fallon
The following table lists the contribution of manufacturing to employment and gross value added (GVA) for the West Midlands and England and to employment for Coventry. Estimates of GVA are not collected in sufficient detail to report on manufacturing in Coventry. GVA figures for 2012 by region are not yet available. Data on future capacity are not available from official sources, but the Foresight report into the future of manufacturing, published in October 2013, concluded that manufacturing is set to enter a dynamic new phase, driven by rapid changes in technology, new ways of doing business, global competition and potential volatility around the price and availability of resources. It makes recommendations for government and industry to ensure that the UK manufacturing sector is able to compete and thrive in this new world.
|
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
Gross Values Added (£m) | Coventry | - | - | - | - |
W Midlands | 11,769 | 12,869 | 13,520 | - | |
England | 94,204 | 98,938 | 100,603 | - | |
Employment (‘000s) | Coventry | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
W Midlands | 284 | 288 | 282 | 277 | |
England | 2,098 | 2,047 | 2,042 | 2,024 |
Source: Regional National Accounts and Business Registers Employment Survey (both ONS)
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of fuel poverty in (a) Coventry, (b) Coventry North East constituency and (c) England.
Answered by Lord Barker of Battle
The Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty and is clear that we cannot leave the fuel poor behind in meeting our energy and climate change objectives.
We have a strong package of policies delivering assistance to those in need including: the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Warm Home Discount Scheme and the Big Energy Saving Network.
By the end of April 2014 ECO has seen the installation of 469,000 insulation and heating measures in over 394,000 low income and vulnerable households.
TheWarm Home Discount helps over 2 million households each year including more than a million low income pensioners who receive the discount automatically. This coming winter, the value of the discount will rise to £140.
DECC has also committed nearly £2million for 2013-15 to the Big Energy Saving Network, which provides grant funding to community and third sector organisations throughout Great Britain. The funding delivers help directly to communities and assists vulnerable consumers to take action by switching their tariff or payment method and taking up energy efficiency offers.
Government is preparing proposals on a new fuel poverty target and Strategy for England in line with the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. We will be publishing our target proposals and consultation in preparation for a new fuel poverty strategy in due course.
Asked by: Bob Ainsworth (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of (a) adult and (b) child passport renewal applications were processed within the three-week service standard in each of the last six months.
Answered by James Brokenshire
he table below shows the number of straightforward passport applications
received within the UK which were processed within 3 weeks.
Month | Proportion of straightforward applications processed within 3 weeks |
Dec 13 | 99.99% |
Jan 14 | 99.99% |
Feb 14 | 99.98% |
Mar 14 | 99.95% |
Apr 14 | 99.59% |
May 14 | 92.26% |
Her Majesty's Passport Office does not hold a further breakdown of this information by
application type. The cost of bringing that information together would be
disproportionate and so it is not possible to provide the information you have
requested.