Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department became aware of the allegations of misselling in relation to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury does not have responsibility for the monitoring of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has policy responsibility for the scheme and is the sole shareholder of the British Business Bank (BBB), which administers the scheme for BIS. The BBB monitors the scheme and collects information on lenders’ performance. HM Treasury does not collect this information.
HM Treasury was made aware of mis-selling concerns in relation to the operation of the scheme by RBS in February 2014 when allegations of mis-selling were first made. BIS intensified its oversight of the scheme and the wider problems at RBS that are now in the public domain were subsequently uncovered. BIS have kept HMT officials informed of their progress.
The Chancellor and the Secretary of State for BIS have regular discussions about a wide range of issues, including about Government funding schemes where necessary.
HM Treasury ministers and officials hold meetings with external organisations in the normal course of business to discuss a wide range of issues relating to financial services, which would from time to time include those lenders participating in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. In line with the Government’s aim of making this process transparent, the full list of meetings between Treasury ministers and external organisations is published online at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel. It would not be appropriate to disclose the contents of those meetings.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills about investigation of allegations of misselling to businesses by lenders relating to loans made under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury does not have responsibility for the monitoring of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has policy responsibility for the scheme and is the sole shareholder of the British Business Bank (BBB), which administers the scheme for BIS. The BBB monitors the scheme and collects information on lenders’ performance. HM Treasury does not collect this information.
HM Treasury was made aware of mis-selling concerns in relation to the operation of the scheme by RBS in February 2014 when allegations of mis-selling were first made. BIS intensified its oversight of the scheme and the wider problems at RBS that are now in the public domain were subsequently uncovered. BIS have kept HMT officials informed of their progress.
The Chancellor and the Secretary of State for BIS have regular discussions about a wide range of issues, including about Government funding schemes where necessary.
HM Treasury ministers and officials hold meetings with external organisations in the normal course of business to discuss a wide range of issues relating to financial services, which would from time to time include those lenders participating in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. In line with the Government’s aim of making this process transparent, the full list of meetings between Treasury ministers and external organisations is published online at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel. It would not be appropriate to disclose the contents of those meetings.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) participating lenders (ii) business organisations at which allegations of misselling relating to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme were discussed.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury does not have responsibility for the monitoring of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has policy responsibility for the scheme and is the sole shareholder of the British Business Bank (BBB), which administers the scheme for BIS. The BBB monitors the scheme and collects information on lenders’ performance. HM Treasury does not collect this information.
HM Treasury was made aware of mis-selling concerns in relation to the operation of the scheme by RBS in February 2014 when allegations of mis-selling were first made. BIS intensified its oversight of the scheme and the wider problems at RBS that are now in the public domain were subsequently uncovered. BIS have kept HMT officials informed of their progress.
The Chancellor and the Secretary of State for BIS have regular discussions about a wide range of issues, including about Government funding schemes where necessary.
HM Treasury ministers and officials hold meetings with external organisations in the normal course of business to discuss a wide range of issues relating to financial services, which would from time to time include those lenders participating in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. In line with the Government’s aim of making this process transparent, the full list of meetings between Treasury ministers and external organisations is published online at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel. It would not be appropriate to disclose the contents of those meetings.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who will reach the state pension age within 12 months from the introduction of the single-tier pension and will be eligible to receive the full rate of state pension.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Department does not hold the required information to answer this question.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research he has commissioned on the effect of windfarm construction in water catchment areas.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Department has not commissioned any specific research on the effect of wind farm construction in water catchment areas or on peat bog soils.
Applicants for consent for wind farms with an installed capacity of 50MW or more must provide an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Such applications are considered by the Secretary of State for Energy under the Planning Act 2008.
Applicants for consent for wind farms with an installed capacity of less than 50MW may be required to produce an EIA at the request of the relevant local authority
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of potential links between windfarm construction on peat bog soils and pollution of water supplies.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Department has not commissioned any specific research on the effect of wind farm construction in water catchment areas or on peat bog soils.
Applicants for consent for wind farms with an installed capacity of 50MW or more must provide an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Such applications are considered by the Secretary of State for Energy under the Planning Act 2008.
Applicants for consent for wind farms with an installed capacity of less than 50MW may be required to produce an EIA at the request of the relevant local authority
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has made to Facebook about online abuse of people with autism.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
DCMS has not made any representations to Facebook about online abuse of people with autism. However, the Government is working closely with social media companies, including Facebook, to improve reporting mechanisms so that online abuse in any form can be addressed quickly, with accounts being closed as necessary.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review the current regulations relating to carer's allowance as they apply to people who temporarily withdraw from full-time education as a result of caring responsibilities.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
Full-time students are not normally entitled to benefits as a means of supporting themselves whilst studying. This is because primary financial support for students comes from the educational maintenance system, which is designed for their needs, rather than through the social security system. Someone who has only temporarily withdrawn from a course, but has not abandoned it, is normally still treated as being in full-time education.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential link between water pollution and cancers of the colon and brain.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Water quality is well regulated; the Drinking Water Inspectorate is responsible for regulating public drinking water and the Environment Agency is responsible for regulating water in the environment. Public Health England provides health risk advice to both these organisations and other public bodies (e.g. local authorities) on water pollution or water contamination incidents. In 2008, the United Kingdom expert committee on carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment (COC) considered the potential cancer risk from chlorination disinfection by-products including colon and brain cancer. The COC concluded that the evidence for a causal association between cancer and exposure to chlorination disinfection by-products is limited and any such association is unlikely to be strong.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding he has made available for the treatment of neurofibromatosis type 1 in the last five years.
Answered by Norman Lamb
NHS England does not allocate funding to specific services; information broken down to this level is not collected.
There are currently no plans for awareness raising activity in relation to neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), which is an inherited condition. Information for the public on the diagnosis and treatment of NF1 can be found on the NHS Choices website, which sets out the key signs and symptoms of the condition, including: coffee colored patches on the skin, two or more neurofibromas (bumps on or under the skin); bone defects, such as bowing of the lower leg; and, a family history of NF1. The NF1 webpages can be viewed at the following link:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/Neurofibromatosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Further information can be found on the Neuro Foundation web site www.nfauk.org, or for general practitioners and other health professionals, on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website: