Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the procedure is for UK servicemen and women to apply for the UN Special Service Medal for the Sarajevo Airlift; and how many service personnel have been awarded that medal.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The Sarajevo airlift began in July 1992 and ran until January 1996. Members of the UK Armed Forces who took part in the airlift and met the eligibility criteria were entitled to be awarded the UN Special Service Medal. UN medals are usually awarded in theatre by the UN Commanding Officer. The information on the number of medals awarded in this case could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
UK personnel could also apply to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Medal Office within one year of their return to the UK for the UN Special Service Medal. The MOD Medal Office has issued 67 such medals to UK personnel.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Sir John Holmes' Military Medals Review, published in July 2012, what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations in paragraphs 50, 51 and 52 of that review.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The Ministry of Defence accepted Sir John Holmes's recommendations. The Cabinet Office subsequently published guidance in October 2014, which has been agreed by the Honours and Decorations Committee and endorsed by HM The Queen, in relation to the principle of double-medalling and the acceptance of awards by foreign governments. The acceptance and wear of a foreign award by a British citizen is subject to approval by the Sovereign. Decisions of this kind are for the Foreign Secretary in the first instance.
This guidance can be found on the Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-military-campaign-medals-guidance.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had on allowing the UK service personnel who served in Iraq or Afghanistan to wear the respective NATO medals; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Anna Soubry
No such discussions have been held. One of the central principles of the UK honours system is that only one form of medallic recognition is acceptable for a single period of service (no double-medalling). UK awards take precedence over those presented by multinational forces and awards have already been instituted to recognise the service of British personnel in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore UK personnel are not permitted to wear the NATO awards.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the amount of funding available for a sixth form pupil at a grammar school in (a) 2010, (b) 2005 and (c) the latest date for which figures are available.
Answered by David Laws
In the academic year 2014/15 the base rate of funding for all full time 16-19 students funded by the Department for Education (including grammar school sixth forms) was £4,000. This is set out in the ‘Funding rates and formula’ guidance: www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-guidance-for-young-people-2013-to-2014-rates-and-formula.
The funding allocation for each institution includes factors that allocate additional funding for disadvantaged students, the nature of the learning programme, and area costs. As these factors are particular to each institution, the average per student will differ in each institution.
It is not possible to give an average for grammar schools, as the Department does not identify them as a separate category from school sixth forms.
It is not possible to give figures for 2005 and 2010 that are comparable to 2014/15, as there were significant differences in the funding systems used in those years.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's Seventh Report of Session 2010-12, HC 792-I, on football governance; and what further such steps it plans to take.
Answered by Helen Grant
This Government is dedicated to continuing the implementation of this report.
I continue to press the football authorities for improvements in their governance of the sport, however significant improvements have been made. For example, the FA Board now meets Sport England governance requirements. Both the Premier League and The FA are providing funding to the supporter groups, including the Football Supporters Federation and Supporters Direct. All Premier League and Football League clubs are now required to have a designated Supporter Liaison Officer and Financial Fair Play rules. These requirements aim to improve financial stability and management across the Leagues. The Expert Group on barriers to supporter ownership and engagement, were proposed by Supporters Direct, and recently launched on 21 October.
Following the 2012 Downing Street summit on racism in football, The FA are also now delivering against a whole sport Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Plan called “Football’s for Everyone”. This plan seeks to build equality and inclusion in football.
Lastly, I am also pleased to note that the FA Inclusion Advisory Board reports quarterly to DCMS on their progress.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, at what stage during the progress of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill he plans to bring forward proposals to exempt independent family brewers from the provisions of the Bill.
Answered by Jo Swinson
The Government’s intention is that all pub-owning companies with tied tenants, including family brewers but not micro-businesses, should be in scope of the measures for a Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator in Part 4 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. The Government published a revised draft Pubs Code on 14 November which reflects a number of requirements we consider it would be proportionate to move to the enhanced Code and, as such, would not apply to pub-owning companies with fewer than 500 tied pubs, including family brewers.
The Government has tabled amendments that specify that the requirements to produce an annual Compliance Report, to have a Code Compliance Officer and rent assessments signed off by a RICS valuer, will apply only to large pub-owning companies. This is in addition to the Parallel Rent Assessment requirement which has always been in the enhanced Code. In addition, the revised draft Code also reflects a number of other requirements that have also moved to the enhanced Code. These are the requirement to ensure that tenants complete pre-entry training, requirements around Business Development Managers, and the requirement to provide a tenant with information about rent deposit arrangements. The Government has reached these conclusions following the discussions in Public Bill Committee and the constructive meetings with hon Members, including my hon Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent.
The Government recognises that the beer and pubs industry, including family brewers, makes a significant contribution to the UK economy. It is an industry we want to see grow and flourish and the measures in the Bill are intended to do just that. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, it is an industry that contributes £22 billion to UK GDP, generates £11 billion in tax revenue and supports almost one million jobs.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of independent family brewers to the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Swinson
The Government’s intention is that all pub-owning companies with tied tenants, including family brewers but not micro-businesses, should be in scope of the measures for a Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator in Part 4 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. The Government published a revised draft Pubs Code on 14 November which reflects a number of requirements we consider it would be proportionate to move to the enhanced Code and, as such, would not apply to pub-owning companies with fewer than 500 tied pubs, including family brewers.
The Government has tabled amendments that specify that the requirements to produce an annual Compliance Report, to have a Code Compliance Officer and rent assessments signed off by a RICS valuer, will apply only to large pub-owning companies. This is in addition to the Parallel Rent Assessment requirement which has always been in the enhanced Code. In addition, the revised draft Code also reflects a number of other requirements that have also moved to the enhanced Code. These are the requirement to ensure that tenants complete pre-entry training, requirements around Business Development Managers, and the requirement to provide a tenant with information about rent deposit arrangements. The Government has reached these conclusions following the discussions in Public Bill Committee and the constructive meetings with hon Members, including my hon Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent.
The Government recognises that the beer and pubs industry, including family brewers, makes a significant contribution to the UK economy. It is an industry we want to see grow and flourish and the measures in the Bill are intended to do just that. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, it is an industry that contributes £22 billion to UK GDP, generates £11 billion in tax revenue and supports almost one million jobs.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, under what circumstances an environmental impact assessment can be requested when a housing development is proposed; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
An environmental impact assessment is required for development proposals which are likely to have a significant impact on the environment. The procedure for establishing whether an environmental impact assessment is necessary (the screening process) is set out in planning regulations and explained in planning guidance (http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/).
The guidance makes it clear that only a very small proportion of developments should require a formal environmental impact assessment. We have consulted on proposals to reduce the number of residential cases that local planning authorities have to screen (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/339528/Technical_consultation_on_planning.pdf ) and we will publish the Government's response in due course.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2014 to Question 210740, what estimate the Highways Authority has made of the date at which the surface of the M20 between Junctions eight and nine will come to the end of its serviceable life; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Hayes
The Highways Agency maintains databases containing indicative “end of life” dates for different types of asset. For carriageway assets, these dates may change for reasons such as the level of use, severe weather and damage from incidents. Concrete surfaces such as those on the M20 between junctions 8 and 9 have an indicative design life of approximately 40 years. This section was laid in 1991; therefore the indicative end of life is around 2031. However, as the current need for retexturing some short stretches of the M20 between junction 9 and 8 indicates, it may be that end of life will arrive before 2031. The Highways Agency will continue to monitor the M20 and as appropriate will bring forward partial or complete resurfacing schemes using modern quieter surfacing.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to include any noise reducing measures to the imminent resurfacing of the M20 between junctions eight and nine; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Hayes
The forthcoming scheme between junctions 8 and 9 of the M20 is to retexture the existing concrete carriageway, rather than resurface. The concrete on this stretch of road has worn down and become smoother over time and so there is a need to install grooves to improve skid resistance, to increase safety for road users. The Highways Agency will resurface this stretch at the end of its serviceable life with a material that has lower noise generating properties.