Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many statues and busts of (a) former hon. Members and (b) other people of note were on display in the Palace of Westminster as at July 2022.
Answered by Charles Walker
There are 184 statues and busts from the Parliamentary Art Collection on display within the Commons areas of the Palace of Westminster. Of this number, 62 portray former Members, and 122 portray other people of note.
Within the Lords areas, there are 216 statues and busts on display. 42 of those portray former Members, 174 other people of note.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the Government's position is on the outcome of the Smith Commission and its commitment that nothing in that report prevents Scotland becoming an independent country in the future should the people of Scotland so choose.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Act 2016 has been recognised as delivering the recommendations of the Smith Commission Agreement in full. Rather than talking about another referendum, the UK Government is focused on working to address the collective challenges we face, such as tackling the cost of living and growing our economy.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost was of (a) maintaining, (b) repairing and (c) cleaning statues and busts of (a) former hon. Members and (b) other people of note on display in the Palace of Westminster in each of the last five years.
Answered by Charles Walker
Maintenance, repair and cleaning work has continued consistently across the last five years. Collections care and maintenance is a bicameral function and the Commons share across all statues and busts in the Palace is as follows. A small proportion of these costs relates to work not in the Palace or on other objects.
2017
Maintenance and cleaning: £5240
Repair: £1066
2018
Maintenance and cleaning: £6497
Repair: £2120
2019
Maintenance and cleaning: £5604
Repair: £689
2020
Maintenance and cleaning: £3240
Repair: £555
2021
Maintenance and cleaning: £6966
Repair: £2308
2022
Maintenance and cleaning: £1080
Repair: £225
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help convenience stores with (a) rising energy costs, and (b) rising food costs.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We understand that businesses including convenience stores are facing cost pressures such as high energy and commodity prices, which are impacted by global factors.
The Government engages in regular dialogue with a wide range of Business Representative Organisations (BROs) across the UK and will continue to do so. BRO feedback is valuable in understanding the wider economic landscape and to inform and evaluate ongoing policy making. BRO reportage has provided important insights in the context of the various business support measures the Government has announced.
For the retail sector this includes:
The Government is in regular contact with business groups about the challenges businesses are facing and we will continue to keep the situation under review. The Government is always open to hearing from businesses on the issues they are facing.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with organisations representing convenience stores on (a) rising energy costs and (b) rising food costs.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We understand that businesses including convenience stores are facing cost pressures such as high energy and commodity prices, which are impacted by global factors.
The Government engages in regular dialogue with a wide range of Business Representative Organisations (BROs) across the UK and will continue to do so. BRO feedback is valuable in understanding the wider economic landscape and to inform and evaluate ongoing policy making. BRO reportage has provided important insights in the context of the various business support measures the Government has announced.
For the retail sector this includes:
The Government is in regular contact with business groups about the challenges businesses are facing and we will continue to keep the situation under review. The Government is always open to hearing from businesses on the issues they are facing.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to submarines being dismantled as of 6 June 2022, what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood that (a) each of those projects will be completed in line with planned timescales and (b) completion dates will be met.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
There are 21 decommissioned submarines awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022. Good progress continues to be made with submarine dismantling in Rosyth as illustrated by the completion of removing all low-level radioactive waste from the third boat, REVENGE, in January 2022.
The Submarine Dismantling Project remains on track to deliver a safe, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution for dismantling all our non-operational submarines. The first disposal, SWIFTSURE, is being used as a demonstrator submarine to define and refine the dismantling process now taking place at Rosyth dockyard and this remains on schedule for completion by the target date of 2026. As that work progresses, the outcomes will provide more certainty on the dates when the current programme of disposals will be completed.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the probability that the disposal of SSN Swiftsure will be completed by its target date in 2026.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
There are 21 decommissioned submarines awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022. Good progress continues to be made with submarine dismantling in Rosyth as illustrated by the completion of removing all low-level radioactive waste from the third boat, REVENGE, in January 2022.
The Submarine Dismantling Project remains on track to deliver a safe, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution for dismantling all our non-operational submarines. The first disposal, SWIFTSURE, is being used as a demonstrator submarine to define and refine the dismantling process now taking place at Rosyth dockyard and this remains on schedule for completion by the target date of 2026. As that work progresses, the outcomes will provide more certainty on the dates when the current programme of disposals will be completed.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many decommissioned submarines are awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022; and what his planned timetable is for the completion of the current programme of disposals.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
There are 21 decommissioned submarines awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022. Good progress continues to be made with submarine dismantling in Rosyth as illustrated by the completion of removing all low-level radioactive waste from the third boat, REVENGE, in January 2022.
The Submarine Dismantling Project remains on track to deliver a safe, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution for dismantling all our non-operational submarines. The first disposal, SWIFTSURE, is being used as a demonstrator submarine to define and refine the dismantling process now taking place at Rosyth dockyard and this remains on schedule for completion by the target date of 2026. As that work progresses, the outcomes will provide more certainty on the dates when the current programme of disposals will be completed.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the recent announcement of Government plans to reduce the number of civil servants by 91,000, what estimate he has made of the likely reduction in the number of staff in his Department located in Dunfermline and West Fife constituency as a result of those plans.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department does not have any civil servants with a contractual work location within the Dunfermline and West Fife constituency.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he expects the First-tier Tribunals for Green Deal scheme complaints to be concluded.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is unable to anticipate when the appeals currently with the First Tier Tribunal will be completed, as the Tribunal is outside the control of the Secretary of State.