Author: admin

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed at the carers allowance building at Palatine House, Preston; and what his Department’s plans are for changes in that number up to May 2020.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The number of full time equivalent staff at Palatine House in Preston is 234.12, of which 140.32 work in the Carers Allowance Unit. The headcount number for the Carers Allowance Unit for future years will be agreed as part of the Department’s routine annual resource allocation process.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of planned business rates rises on existing commercial solar rooftop projects where the majority of power is consumed onsite.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We will look closely at the impacts of the forthcoming revaluation and consult on how to make sure the right support is in place for ratepayers to adjust to any changes.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many of his Department’s staff he plans to have working on environmental and climate change negotiations in each of the next three years.

    Mr Robin Walker

    The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff, and is growing fast. The overall size and scope of the new Department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with all aspects of the forthcoming negotiation.

    The Department has welcomed staff on secondment with relevant expertise, including on the environment, and it will continue to have a close working relationship with all relevant Departments, in particular Defra as the lead on environmental policy. I am committed to working closely with my Ministerial counterparts, and recently appeared at the Environmental Audit Committee alongside Therese Coffey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff his Department plans to employ by the end of the current financial year; and in which regions those staff will be employed.

    Mr Robin Walker

    The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and we are still growing rapidly. The overall size and scope of the new department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with the task at hand.

    As a new department we do not yet hold diversity data for all of our staff but we will be collecting this in line with standard Civil Service practice.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff are employed in his Department (a) in each region and (b) by gender; and in which Departments those staff were previously employed.

    Mr Robin Walker

    The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and we are still growing rapidly. The overall size and scope of the new department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with the task at hand.

    As a new department we do not yet hold diversity data for all of our staff but we will be collecting this in line with standard Civil Service practice.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many trade negotiators his Department plans to employ by the end of the current fiscal year.

    Mr Robin Walker

    Britain has been at the forefront of the free trade-supporting countries in the EU for the last 40 years. The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and is growing fast. The overall size and scope of the new Department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with all aspects of the forthcoming negotiation.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which projects funded by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in South Sudan in 2016–17 are directly linked to the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) in South Sudan will provide funding for five projects in 2016-17 that seek to reduce conflict at a national and local level, and are therefore directly linked to the implementation of the peace agreement. These projects will help improve public knowledge of the peace agreement, increase the capacity for HMG to engage with implementation, provide technical assistance on the economy and security sectors, and support the Sudan People’s Liberation Army on professionalisation, implementation of the peace agreement and preventing sexual violence in conflict.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much development aid has been provided to South Sudan in each of the last three years, and how much of that aid was specifically focused on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Through DFID the UK provided £158m in 2013/14 and £188m in 2015/16 of development aid to South Sudan, a further £165 million is budgeted to be spent this financial year.

    The UK remains committed to helping bring an end to the cycle of violence in South Sudan. Many of our programmes have components aimed at conflict resolution and reconciliation. In terms of specific programming, a £12 million ‘Community Security and Arms Control’ project running from 2012-16 helps to control and regulate small arms, enhance dispute resolution mechanisms and improve security within communities. In addition, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) the UK spent almost £1.4 million on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation in 2015/16, and is forecasting to spend a further £1 million in 2016/17, including on community level peacebuilding and the Conflict Sensitivity Programme. DFID works very closely with the FCO, who, along with ‘Troika’ partners the US and Norway, are working to help end the conflict through the implemention of the 2015 peace agreement.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments of Baroness Goldie on 8 September (HL Deb, col GC173), how much UK aid has been given in total to Pakistan over the past five years, and what percentage of that has been used (1) to assist and protect minorities, and (2) to promote Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Since financial year 2011-12, the UK has provided more than £1.2 billion of Official Development Assistance to Pakistan. A commitment by Pakistan to respect human rights is one of the three principles set out in the Development Partnership Arrangement which provides the basis for regular bilateral assistance talks between the UK and Pakistan.

    The UK Government raises human rights issues and the rights of minorities on a regular basis at the highest levels in Pakistan and we ensure our development assistance targets poor women, men and children, regardless of race, religion, social background, or nationality. DFID does not fund programmes that directly promote Article 18, but we do help to foster tolerance and social cohesion between different religious groups through our AAWAZ voice and accountability programme in 4,500 villages across 45 districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It reaches over 3 million poor men, women and minority groups, including religious minorities, to address issues of inequality, discrimination and prevention of violence.

  • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will decide whether the airport at St Helena will open to commercial traffic; what criteria will be used in making that decision; and when they expect the information necessary to make that decision to be available.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Following certification by the regulator, ASSI, in June, the airport is open to flights that meet the Category C conditions set out in the St Helena Government’s Aerodrome Information Publication; this is provided to all prospective airlines and their pilots. The wind conditions at the Airport preclude commercial services at this time. A decision on when commercial services can begin will be made once sufficient information is available to make a decision which reflects the paramount importance of safety.