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  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training her Department provides to immigration officers on handling asylum cases in which a claimant has been raped or sexually abused.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office is committed to treating all those who seek asylum with dignity and respect, including those whose fears may be based on sexual violence or gender related persecution.

    All general Immigration Officers receive training in Modern Slavery issues and those based at dedicated Asylum Intake Unit where claims may be first registered also receive training in sexual violence awareness. However, all asylum claims are dealt with by specially trained caseworkers rather than Immigration Officers.

    The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme, which covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including dealing sensitively with vulnerable claimants.

    Furthermore we have also worked closely with stakeholders, such as, the Refugee Council, to develop a dedicated referral process, so that women are formally referred to special counselling services where they disclose issues relating to sexual violence as part of their asylum claim.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Karen Bradley

    The Department’s purchasing policies support the Government’s commitment to do all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts, in line with our current international obligations and guidance issued by the Crown Commercial Service.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will take steps to ensure that the House of Commons Commission’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Tom Brake

    The House of Commons procurement policies operate within the parameters set out by the UK Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

    The House has a Sustainable Purchasing Policy which, amongst other things, requires contracts that are particularly suitable for SMEs to be highlighted as so being, contracts to be divided into lots and processes to be as simple and proportionate as possible to encourage SMEs to participate in our competitions. Further, the policy requires contracts that are suitable for Social Enterprises to be identified at an early stage and that market engaged to ensure their participation.

    More generally, the House supports British industry and agriculture by:

    • Purchasing our goods and services in a way that maximises the ability of SMEs, Social Enterprises and organisations with less bargaining power to win our contracts;
    • Conducting open and competitive tender processes that are accessible to all British suppliers whether small, medium or large;
    • Advertising our contracts on the UK Government procurement website Contracts Finder and the House’s own electronic procurement portal to ensure that there is maximum visibility of our contractual opportunities;
    • Writing specifications of requirements that take into account domestic social, economic and environmental requirements.
  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Department’s purchasing policies support the Government’s commitment to do all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts, in line with our current international obligations and guidance issued by the Crown Commercial Service.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39301, whether there is a timetable in place for other departments to establish and implement their plans to monitor official development assistance spending.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    HM Treasury will commission 5-year Official Development Assistance spending plans from all departments. The departmental plans are expected to be finalised by the end of the calendar year.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39301, what systems are in place for departments and funds spending official development assistance (ODA) to provide accurate and timely information on their ODA spending to her Department.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    All departments or funds spending official development assistance (ODA) are responsible for ensuring they provide accurate and timely information on their ODA to the Department for International Development (DFID). DFID provides on-going support on data collection, and collates the information for in-year monitoring of ODA and the final reporting of UK ODA statistics.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40498, on domestic violence: legal aid scheme, which domestic violence support groups, legal representative bodies and colleagues across Government the Department is working with; and on what basis the decision was made to work with those organisations and not others.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    We are working with a range of organisations, including Rights of Women, the Law Society, Resolution, and the Legal Aid Practitioners Group.

    With the guidance of these organisations, and through their associated networks, we have sought to target those with direct experience of how the regulations operate in practice – for victims and practitioners – as we think this is the best way to inform how those regulations may be improved. We have also begun work with the Home Office, as the lead department on domestic violence policy, to better understand the wider context of domestic violence.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Mike Penning

    The Ministry of Justice complies with all public procurement policy notes, published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/procurement-policy-notes. These include measures to support both British industry and British agriculture.

    “

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release of the Department for Education of 4 January 2016, entitled Parents to get greater say in the school admissions process, what assessment she has made of the potential effect that ensuring only local parents and councils can object to school admissions arrangements will have on overall levels of compliance with the School Admissions Code.

    Nick Gibb

    Our proposed changes are intended to ensure that the Adjudicator is able to focus on the concerns parents may have about the fairness of the admission arrangements of their local school, and is not held up by the need to consider objections referred by interest groups from outside the area.

    We do not believe that limiting who is able to refer objections to the Adjudicator will have a detrimental impact.

    Any changes will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

  • Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40440, on electoral register: Northern Ireland, if she will carry out an assessment of the effect on Northern Irish voters of the decision not to apply the extension to Northern Ireland.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    The Electoral Commission will review and report on the management and conduct of the EU Referendum later this year.