Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the Aberdeen City Deal.
Answered by David Mundell
Robust governance structures and processes were established prior to the commencement of the Aberdeen City Region Deal. These provide assurance to the government that there is open and transparent decision making, governance and project delivery.
Central to the governance arrangements is the Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee which oversees the implementation and monitoring. In addition there is an Aberdeen City Region Deal Programme Implementation Board which meets quarterly to review progress against agreed implementation milestones and objectives. Scotland Office officials sit on the Implementation Board.
Overall scrutiny of the implementation of the Aberdeen City Region Deal is the responsibility of the Scottish City Region Deal Delivery Board which is comprised of senior officials from Scotland Office, the Cities and Local Growth Unit and the Scottish Government. The Delivery Board meets quarterly to review progress.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the Aberdeen City Deal.
Answered by David Mundell
Robust governance structures and processes were established prior to the commencement of the Aberdeen City Region Deal. These provide assurance to the government that there is open and transparent decision making, governance and project delivery.
Central to the governance arrangements is the Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee which oversees the implementation and monitoring. In addition there is an Aberdeen City Region Deal Programme Implementation Board which meets quarterly to review progress against agreed implementation milestones and objectives. Scotland Office officials sit on the Implementation Board.
Overall scrutiny of the implementation of the Aberdeen City Region Deal is the responsibility of the Scottish City Region Deal Delivery Board which is comprised of senior officials from Scotland Office, the Cities and Local Growth Unit and the Scottish Government. The Delivery Board meets quarterly to review progress.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent meetings he has had with the Government of Oman on the provision of humanitarian assistance to Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is a key priority for the UK and we continue to raise the issue in regular conversations with our regional and international partners. The Foreign Secretary regularly discusses regional issue with the Government of Oman, most recently on 24 January during his visit to Oman.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits arising from the proposals on transferable tax history in the oil and gas sector set out in Autumn Budget 2017.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
At the Autumn Budget, the government announced it would introduce a Transferable Tax History for oil & gas companies. This will give investors in UK oil and gas fields certainty that they will be able to get tax relief for decommissioning assets. This should encourage new investment in older oil and gas fields, keeping them producing for longer and supporting employment.
The main industry body, Oil and Gas UK, in response to the Budget announcement have said that a Transferable Tax History would be ‘a vital step that can bring in new investment to increase recovery from existing fields and fund fresh investment which is key to generating activity for our hard-pressed supply chain. It will also help extend the lives of many mature fields and postpone decommissioning.’
This builds on the £2.3bn of fiscal support the government has already provided to the UK oil and gas industry, including a package of tax cuts across Budget 2015 and 2016, £40m of funding for seismic surveys to support exploration, and the introduction of a new Investment Allowance. As a result, the UK now has one of the most competitive tax regimes in the world for oil and gas, further supporting investment and jobs.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to support commemorations of the First World War during 2018; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Government and the nation will never forget the service and sacrifice of those who served during the First World War. It is our duty to remember and honour the fallen.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has contributed significantly to the Government's four-year First World War commemorative programme, both at home and abroad, and continues to do so; the programme is led by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This is in addition to single Service initiatives delivered at, for instance, Regimental (or equivalent) level.
In 2018 the MOD will further support the Government's programme at a commemorative event to mark the appointment of Marshal Foch as Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front, a service to mark the Battle of Amiens, and at a number of events throughout the UK to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice, including the traditional London-based Cenotaph Service.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the costs to the public purse of military training in 2017.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence undertakes a wide range of training activity; from Phase 1 and Phase 2 training for new recruits, through to complex joint exercises with other nations to specialist training for specific trades and skills requirements, such as nuclear engineering. The costs for these activities encompass nearly all the Defence Lines of Development and could not be broken out without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to cooperate with the United States and Canada on tackling transatlantic drug crime.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The UK enjoys close and longstanding cooperation with the USA and Canada in tackling transatlantic drug crime. Joint work involves regular and timely exchange of operational intelligence, enabling the disruption of drug trafficking via air and sea routes across the Atlantic.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding his Department plans to provide for officer training corps units in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) the UK in the current financial year.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 November 2017 to Question 112448 to the hon. Member for Belfast East (Gavin Robinson), which includes the planned funding for University Officer Training Corps for financial year 2017-18.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Palestinian Authority to encourage that body to accept the Israeli invitation to return to direct peace negotiations without preconditions.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK continues to press both the Israelis and Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations that will lead to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. The Foreign Secretary and I reiterated our support for a negotiated two-state solution when we met Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki in London on 8 January. I also encouraged the Palestinians to re-engage in peace negotiations when I spoke to Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on 21 January.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to provide further education for armed forces personnel on leaving the services.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Ministry of Defence promotes lifelong learning for members of the Armed Forces. Eligible personnel can access two schemes which help individuals pursue their personal development through further and higher education, both during their Service and up to five years after discharge, subject to the qualifying criteria being met.
The Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) scheme provides financial support towards the cost of higher-level learning and is funded by the single Services. ELC takes the form of a single up-front payment of up to £3,000 in each of a maximum of three Financial Years. Funding is available for courses that result in a nationally recognised qualification at Level 3 or above on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (England, Northern Ireland and Wales), a Level 6 or above on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), or an approved international equivalent qualification with an approved learning provider if pursued overseas.
Eligibility for ELC funding depends on length of service and date of enlistment, as set out in Joint Service Publication 822 ‘Defence Direction and Guidance for Training and Education’ (Part 1, Section 6.5, Paragraph 3). A copy of JSP 822 can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-822-governance-and-management-of-defence-individual-training-education-and-skills
In addition to the ELC scheme, Service leavers and Service personnel in their qualifying resettlement phase may use their enrolled ELC entitlement to access the Further Education and Higher Education Scheme (FE-HE). This can fund a first full Level 3 (GCE A level or Vocational Equivalent), or a first Higher Education qualification (such as a Foundation Degree or First Undergraduate Degree), with the tuition fees capped at £9,000. The scheme is comprised of the Defence contributions to the Armed Forces ELC scheme, supplemented by resources made available by partner Government Departments and Devolved Administrations. Full details of eligibility for FE-HE are set out in JSP 822 Part 1, Section 6.6, Paragraph 6.