Christian Matheson

In March 2015, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a report on 'The size and performance of the UK low carbon economy’ which contains estimates for the number of jobs supported by various low carbon sectors. The latest data is for 2013 and suggests that in the UK there were 54,400 directly employed in the energy efficiency products sector, 20,300 directly employed in the solar photovoltaic sector and 19,300 directly employed in the low carbon heating sector (excluding use of biomass). Further employment occurs in the supply chains to these sectors.

Information is not available to robustly estimate the potential cost to the public purse of the changes. However a Government consultation has been run on the changes to the financial support for solar PV within the Renewable Obligationfrom 22 July to2 September and a consultation on the feed-in tariff review from 27 August to 23 October. We welcomed evidence from the sector during these consultations and we will respond in due course. The government is committed to reducing emissions from heating and improving energy efficiency, including a goal to install one million more energy efficiency measures before the end of this Parliament.

Figures quoted above have been rounded to the nearest hundred. The full report and data can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/low-carbon-economy-size-and-performance.

Statistics from the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau show that between 1997 to 2010, 16,300 jobs were lost in the UK steel industry.

These statistics also show in the last parliament, UK steel jobs remained stable at 18,900.

In 2015, 2,100 direct jobs were lost as a result of the closure of the SSI plant at Redcar on 12th October 2015. On 30th October 2015, 452 immediate redundancies were announced by the Caparo Group. In addition since 16th July Tata Steel has announced proposals for up to 1,920 job losses across its Long Products and Speciality and Bar businesses subject to consultation and business review.

We have not made any estimate of how many jobs will be lost in the steel industry in 2016.

The Government is committed to supporting those made redundant move quickly into new jobs, for example through Jobcentre Plus’ Rapid Response Service. In addition, in view of the exceptional circumstances surrounding SSI’s closure in Redcar, Government announced a support package, worth up to £80 million, to help those affected and invest in the future of the Tees Valley more broadly. We have also committed up to £9m, jointly with Tata, to support Scunthorpe steel workers and the local economy. In both cases, we are working closely with local Task Forces to deliver support that will have the greatest long-term impact.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Ministers have held a number of discussions with UK steel companies, industry representatives and trade unions about the current challenges facing the sector.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), her Ministers, and DECC officials have had a number of regular meetings and roundtables with external organisations within the energy sector, and will continue to do so, on a wide range of subjects including jobs and growth across different sectors.

The Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) scheme review consultation closed on 23 October and we are currently evaluating the responses received. We have received nearly 55,000 responses to the consultation and we currently estimate that just over 2,600 are unique and detailed responses; the rest are briefer and more uniform responses, generated by campaigns.

We expect to publish a Government response in due course.

Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published up to 31 March 2015 and can be accessed on Gov.uk at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=Ministers&publication.

Further publications of Ministerial meetings will be published in due course across Government in the usual way.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by charitable funders of research. The charity support element of Quality Related research funding, provided through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), has provided £198m per year over the period 2011-16 to support institutions leveraging funding from the charitable sector.

Decisions on any funding beyond 2015-16 will be subject to the outcome of the Spending Review later this year.

Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published up to 31 March 2015 and can be accessed on Gov.uk at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=Ministers&publication.

Further publications of Ministerial meetings will be published in due course across Government in the usual way.

The Government’s Productivity plan – “Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation” - reiterated our commitment to excellence in science and research, facilitated through a dual support system.

In 2013 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a review of the dual funding system and research income across universities, including analysis of the ways in which UK academics can maximise their impact (available on Gov.uk).

Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences (PEDLs) grant exclusive rights to extract hydrocarbons within a particular onshore area. These rights include, but are not exclusive to, unconventional gas. A further consent is required before any extraction can take place. No PEDLs have been issued since 2008. Applications for PEDLs under the 14^th Onshore Licensing Round are currently being considered – 95 applications for 295 licence blocks have been made.

Since 2010 DECC has received 3 planning applications for onshore windfarms above 50MW and the Planning Inspectorate has received 1 further application for examination. 6 onshore wind applications above 50MW have been approved by the Secretary of State in the period. In addition, at the end of March 2015, five years after the introduction of the Feed-in Tariff scheme, 6,830 sub 5MW installations totalling 396MW had been registered on the scheme. The Renewables Obligation was introduced in 2002 to support large scale renewable electricity in the UK and since 2010 Ofgem have accredited 415 onshore wind stations totalling 4.28 GW under the scheme.

As with all competitions for Permanent Secretary roles, details, including the number and names of applicants, are not disclosed.

I refer the hon. member to the answer given to PQ111564, I have nothing further to add.

As stated in my answer of 3 November 2020, in line with previous such appointments, the process was overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner.

The Minister for the Civil Service appointed Simon Case as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, following an expressions of interest process. This is in line with the process used for previous such appointments, and was overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner. Details of candidates for internal positions are not normally disclosed.

The Minister for the Civil Service appointed Simon Case as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, following an expressions of interest process. This is in line with the process used for previous such appointments, and was overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner. Details of candidates for internal positions are not normally disclosed.

This government remains committed to considering a framework for compensation, as well as actions to address disparities in financial and non-financial support for people infected and affected across the UK.

Cabinet Office officials are working with their colleagues in HM Treasury, the Department of Health and Social Care, and health departments in the devolved administrations to take this forward. I will update the House and the Inquiry, and those infected and affected as soon as these considerations have been concluded.

This government remains committed to considering a framework for compensation, as well as actions to address disparities in financial and non-financial support for people infected and affected across the UK.

Cabinet Office officials are working with their colleagues in HM Treasury, the Department of Health and Social Care, and health departments in the devolved administrations to take this forward. I will update the House and the Inquiry, and those infected and affected as soon as these considerations have been concluded.

In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government has developed a national campaign to provide information, guidance and reassurance to the public. As part of this, we have partnered with the newspaper industry to help amplify public information on critical coronavirus messaging and ensure it reaches all communities.

To date, the partnership includes over 600 national, regional and local press and online titles including 47 BAME publications. Importantly, all these titles have been selected by our media buying agency (OMNIGOV) on their ability to engage with audiences at a national, regional and local level and are verified by our media auditors.

A list of publications involved in the partnership will be placed in the Commons Library.

In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government has developed a national campaign to provide information, guidance and reassurance to the public. As part of this, we have partnered with the newspaper industry to help amplify public information on critical coronavirus messaging and ensure it reaches all communities.

To date, the partnership includes over 600 national, regional and local press and online titles including 47 BAME publications. These titles have been selected by our media buying agency (OMNIGOV) on their ability to engage with audiences at a national, regional and local level.

Further to the answers given to PQs 37724 and 37725 on 27 April 2020, in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government has developed a national campaign to provide information, guidance and reassurance to the public.

The campaign spans owned, earned and paid-for channels, including local radio and TV, to maximise reach and engagement. We are constantly reviewing our use of each of these channels and amending campaign activity accordingly to ensure our messaging reaches as many people as possible.

The Government has developed a strong national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public about COVID-19. As part of this, we have utilised advertising in over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, reaching 49 million people a month.

As with any media planning approach, titles are selected on their ability to engage with audiences at a national, regional and local level.

The Government has developed a strong national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public about COVID-19. As part of this, we have utilised advertising in over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, reaching 49 million people a month.

As with any media planning approach, titles are selected on their ability to engage with audiences at a national, regional and local level.

The Government believes that we should wait until the Inquiry reports before considering compensation. The Inquiry cannot make a finding of legal liability, but it could make a recommendation that the Government fundamentally increases what it pays to the infected and affected, and that it does so on a different basis. Government will act on the Inquiry's recommendations with the utmost urgency, when it reports.

In the meantime, we are working with our partners in the devolved nations, including Northern Ireland, and other relevant Government departments to improve the parity of financial support for those infected by the infected blood scandal, across the United Kingdom.

The Department of Health NI was allocated £1.03 million in January 2020 monitoring, ringfenced for the specific purpose of providing financial support to the infected and affected.

Of this £610,780 was committed in the interim payments announced on 27 January and has been paid out. Therefore £419,220 remains, which the NI Health Minister committed to allocating before the end of this financial year.

The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Information about Cabinet Office staff is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/about/equality-and-diversity

Information on the school background of staff is not held centrally.

The proportion of Cabinet Office staff actively completing an apprenticeship programme is 1.45%

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to PQ 431 on the 9th January 2020.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

In January 2020, the then Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health met campaigners representing people infected and affected. A number of issues were raised, including support that would assist people outside of the inquiry process. Ministers have committed to looking at these issues carefully and to report back on where progress can be made.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement laid on Thursday 30 January 2020, HCWS82, available on the Parliament website.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement laid on Thursday 30 January 2020, HCWS82, available on the Parliament website.

Data on convictions for fraud offences is not collected or held by the Cabinet Office. The Electoral Commission reports on electoral fraud and holds more detailed information.

Further to the answer of 31 October to PQ6416, there is no list of cities in the EU27 countries held by this department.

“Get Ready for Brexit” campaign activity has taken place in all 27 EU countries to make sure citizens and businesses have the facts they need to know about the steps they need to take to be ready for when the UK leaves the EU.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

In law the UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October 2019. “Get Ready for Brexit” is a public information campaign providing the facts citizens and businesses need to know about the preparations they need to take to be ready for when the UK leaves the EU.

The ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign is running across television, social media, billboards and other platforms. It also has many direct and local elements including business roundtables, public meetings, ministerial visits and local authority events. Campaign activity is ongoing across the UK and in multiple EU countries.

The Cabinet Office has undertaken to publish information relating to ongoing expenditure on the public information campaign as part of the department’s monthly data transparency releases. We will undertake a regional breakdown of expenditure once the campaign has concluded and will be published on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data)

Seventeen of the eighteen main Whitehall departments have a Cycle to Work Scheme in place. As this policy falls under delegated authority, it is for individual departments to decide whether to offer this scheme to their employees.

Seventeen of the eighteen main Whitehall departments have a Cycle to Work Scheme in place. As this policy falls under delegated authority, it is for individual departments to decide whether to offer this scheme to their employees.

Details of public appointments are on the Centre for Public Appointments website:

https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/announcements/

The National Security Communications Team is already in operation. Its purpose is to allow government to better tackle the communications elements of interconnected complex challenges to our national security, including (but not limited to) disinformation.

This work differs to that of the Rapid Response Unit which has been recently launched based in No10 & the Cabinet Office, as part of the Government Communications Service (GCS) with the remit to expand existing digital analysis (including, but not limited to, misinformation and disinformation) and content capability to communicate public information that is accurate, clear and responsive.

The National Security Communications Team is expanding in capacity on the recommendations of the National Security Capability Review, published on the 28 March. The enhanced capability provided by the unit will ensure Government has the right mix of skills and expertise to use communications as a lever to support key national security objectives, and allow Government to better tackle the interconnected complex challenges to our national security, including (but not limited to) disinformation.

Recruitment to the National Security team is ongoing.

This work differs to that of the Rapid Response Unit which has been recently launched as a six-month pilot, based in No10 & the Cabinet Office, as part of the Government Communications Service (GCS) with the remit to expand existing digital analysis (including, but not limited to, misinformation and disinformation) and content capability to communicate public information that is accurate, clear and responsive.