Author: admin

  • Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2014, Official Report, column 176-7W, on computer software, what further feedback the Commission has received from (a) hon. Members, (b) hon. Members’ staff and (c) other users on migration to Office 365 since that Answer was given.

    John Thurso

    In the period 22 June to 16 July, 3,482 mailboxes assigned to hon. Members and their staff had been migrated. In that period, PICT logged 766 cases from hon. Members and their staff – either by phone or at PICT Local – directly related to issues resulting from the migration of their mailboxes. Parliamentary ICT (PICT) acknowledges that the implementation has not been as simple and straightforward as was hoped, and is aware that it has caused problems for some hon. Members.

    Since the answer to the hon. Member on 8 July, three hon. Members have given PICT written feedback on the migration of their mailbox. One was complimenting the PICT team on making it a smooth process. One was questioning the process and the distinction between the upgrade to Office 2013 and the migration of a mailbox to Microsoft 365. One had a problem with the limit on the number of people who can be added to a single email distribution list in Microsoft 365.

    Two further hon. Members have given positive oral feedback and asked to join the pilot of the wider suite of tools within Microsoft 365. Oral feedback from the teams of House staff who are also piloting the use of this wider suite of tools continues to be positive.

    The Director of PICT would be delighted to meet the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife, or any other interested Member, to discuss the feedback in more detail.

  • Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2014, Official Report, columns 176-7W, on computer software, what estimate the Commission has made of the (a) average and (b) aggregate amount of time spent by (i) hon. Members, (ii) Members’ staff and (iii) others in migrating to Office 365.

    John Thurso

    (a) Parliamentary ICT (PICT) estimates that, following the migration of a user’s mailbox to Microsoft 365, it takes the user’s computer (laptop or PC) an average of five minutes to reconfigure Outlook.

    It can take a user an average of approximately five minutes to reconfigure a mobile device – other than a BlackBerry – that uses ActiveSync to connect to parliamentary email. Following that reconfiguration, it can take up to a maximum of 60 minutes for the device automatically to re-connect to parliamentary email.

    BlackBerry devices need to be physically reconfigured by PICT, and this process can take over an hour – the length of time is linked to the age and model of the device. Furthermore, it takes longer to reconfigure a personal BlackBerry device than a BlackBerry issued by PICT. PICT has issued 92 BlackBerry devices for use by hon. Members and their staff to access parliamentary email.

    (b) It is not possible to provide a figure for the aggregate time taken to reconfigure the above devices because more than one device can be reconfigured at the same time.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many times her Department has referred cases of suspected bribery, fraud or money laundering concerning UK aid money to (a) the Serious Fraud Office and (b) the Crown Prosecution Service since 2009-10.

    Justine Greening

    It is not the policy of this Department to comment on Serious Fraud Office or Crown Prosecution Service matters.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will place in the Library any correspondence her Department has received from the Serious Fraud Office on what steps it is taking to investigate reports referred to it by her Department that UK aid may have been channelled via CDC Group and Energy Capital Partners into companies linked to James Ibori; and if she will make a statement.

    Justine Greening

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by the Solicitor General on 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 592W.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department allocates to Palestine; and if she will commission a review of how effective that funding is in serving her Department’s objectives in Palestine.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID will provide nearly £350 million in support of Palestinian development from 2011-15. In addition, we have also provided £17 million of emergency aid since the current conflict began. We regularly review progress and assess that UK aid is on track to deliver key results as set out in our Operational Plan.

    Additionally, the International Development Committee’s recent report was supportive of the work that we are doing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, whilst noting the need for political progress.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department has allocated to aid Palestinian citizens who have been injured, orphaned, made homeless and lost their livelihoods as a result of Israel’s recent air strikes; and whether she plans to keep the level of such funding under review in the light of future developments in that conflict.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID is one of the biggest donors to the Gaza crisis, providing over £17 million of emergency aid since the current conflict began. The level of funding is being kept under constant review.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo is not misused or misappropriated.

    Justine Greening

    DFID takes seriously tackling the misuse or misappropriation of UK Aid, and has a range of robust controls and measures in place to safeguard the UK taxpayers’ money.

    In the DRC this includes regular rigorous risk assessments of the fiduciary environment to determine the way in which UK Aid is provided. Currently this means DFID funds in DRC are channelled through United Nations agencies and NGOs, rather than provided directly to the government. All partners selected are subject to pre-funding due diligence checks and regular scrutiny during implementation.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that particular attention to the most marginalised and people in vulnerable situations is specifically referenced in the language of the targets and goals in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK, through our Troika, have made statements in the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals on the importance of monitoring progress for marginalised groups across the targets and “leaving no one behind” as an overarching principle for the post 2015 framework.

    The final goals and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will support proposals to amend the goal on education to provide free, equitable and inclusive quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK supports a stand-alone education goal in the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all.

    The final goal and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many programmes based in Papua New Guinea have been considered for funding since April 2004; and how many have received funding.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID does not have a bilateral programme with Papua New Guinea. DFID has funded proposals through challenge fund procedures like the Civil Society Challenge Fund (CSCF) which can be viewed on the Development Tracker: http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/location/country/.

    “