The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many letters his Department received from the Mayor of London between May 2010 and April 2016; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Department is not able to confirm the total number of letters received by the Department from the Mayor of London since 2010 as this would incur disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she will take to ensure that people with audio or visual impairments benefit from the Digital Economy Bill; and if she will assess how on-demand services will meet such people’s needs.
Matt Hancock
Ofcom is the regulator with responsibility for on-demand programme services (ODPS). Ofcom are presently consulting on how to improve access services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will issue a response to the report Scientific and factual? A review of breastmilk substitute advertising to healthcare professionals, published by the First Steps Nutrition Trust.
Matt Hancock
I refer my honourable friend to the answer to PQ 47854.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of bringing into force the costs sanctions under section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 on individual press titles that have joined the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
Matt Hancock
The Secretary of State and I are currently considering s.40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 and we are meeting interested parties as part of these considerations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage female participation in sport.
Tracey Crouch
Sport England’s latest Active People Survey results show that the number of women playing sport and being active in England is fast increasing, with over 7 million females aged 16 years or over playing sport once a week – an increase of 261,200 since March 2015.
However, we recognise that there are various obstacles which still exist that put women off sport and initiatives such as This Girl Can, a Sport England behaviour change campaign, have helped encourage women and girls to get active. In addition the Government’s strategy for sport and physical activity ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for An Active Nation’ and Sport England’s strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ aim to create a more physically active nation, where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the benefits that sport and physical activity can provide. Both also put a strong emphasis on reaching groups that are under-represented in sport and physical activity, including women and girls, and helping them to get active in ways that suit them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to restrict television advertising for unhealthy food on programming likely to be watched by children.
Matt Hancock
We recognise the importance of tackling childhood obesity, which is caused by a number of complex factors. The Childhood Obesity Plan for Action, published in August, considered a number of different policy responses to address this problem. Additional advertising restrictions were considered as part of this process, but current restrictions in the UK are amongst the toughest in the world and the plan focuses on those areas which experts tell us are most effective.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements have been made to accommodate private aircraft at the Leuchars military base.
Harriett Baldwin
The airfield at Leuchars Station does not routinely receive private aircraft. However, visiting aircraft can be parked, including overnight, on the aircraft servicing platforms by the side of the runway. This does not impede any military flying.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote the welfare of members of the armed forces.
Mark Lancaster
The Armed Forces Covenant ensures that those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. In June 2013 the Chancellor announced that the financial commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant would be made permanent through a £10 million fund per annum in perpetuity from 2015-16.
The Annual Report on the Armed Forces Covenant from December 2015 detailed a number of achievements of which this Government can be proud, including allocating £40 million for accommodation projects for veterans; the £200 million Forces Help to Buy Scheme; and a world class centre for excellence for the training and delivery of Defence Medical Services.
In 2016 to date under the large grants scheme we have awarded a total of almost £7.5 million to 24 projects supporting community integration, criminal justice system initiatives and the co-ordination and delivery of support. Under the small grants scheme we have awarded a total of almost £2.4 million to 150 community integration projects. Depending on the quality of the bids, we hope to be able to announce the preferred bidder for the Veterans Gateway Service in November, as well as further tranches of Covenant Grant funding.
In January 2016, the Department published the first ever Armed Forces Families Strategy, embracing seven key themes – partner employment, accommodation, children’s education and childcare, community support, specialist support, health and wellbeing, and transition. This is now routine business supporting our families.
We have reviewed our casualty and compassionate processes, and this autumn we are introducing a new reserves welfare health-check. In the last year Defence has enabled payroll deductions for Service personnel to take advantage of the savings and cheap loan facilities from selected credit unions. This facility was extended to veterans in receipt of a pension in March 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what involvement the UK armed forces have had in training armed forces of Gulf states in each of the last 15 years.
Mike Penning
Over the past 15 years, UK Armed Forces have provided support to armed forces of Gulf States both in-country and in the UK and continue to do so. Gulf States have attended international defence training courses in the UK such as the advanced command and staff course, Royal College of Defence Studies and Initial Officer Training.
UK Armed Forces have also provided training in-country through the delivery of tactical level Short Term Training Teams in the maritime, land and air domains. The Defence Academy has also delivered the strategic leadership programme and managing defence in wider security context courses to Gulf States along with the Royal Navy’s exclusive economic zone course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding the Gulf Strategy Unit has received in each of the last 15 years.
Ben Gummer
The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team was established in 2015.
Its remit is to coordinate the Government’s strategic approach to UK engagement with the Gulf States as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.
It employs three full-time and one part-time Government employees. One is military and three are civilian.
Administration costs were £70,004 in the 2015-16 financial year and the budget for administration costs in the 2016-17 financial year is £423,000. The 2015-16 figure reflects the fact the unit was established later in the financial year.