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  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 707-8W, on school meals, how many academies (a) were invited to respond and (b) responded to the survey by the School Food Trust in 2012.

    Mr David Laws

    The School Food Trust (now the Children’s Food Trust) wrote to more than 1,500 academies in January 2012. Of the 641 academies that replied, 635 said they were committed to following the new food standards, even though they are not required to do so.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service about its leaflet, Britain’s Abortion Law: what it says and why.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has made its position on abortion, including the illegality of abortion on the grounds of gender alone, clear to all providers, including the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. The Department will do so again in the forthcoming further guidance.

  • Alan Beith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alan Beith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Beith on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will reply to correspondence from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed of 2 December 2013 and 27 March 2014 on a constituent’s complaint relating to previous employment in her Department.

    Karen Bradley

    A reply was sent by the Home Office Shared Services Directorate on 6 May 2014.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many training posts for nurses were commissioned in England in each of the last five years.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The following table shows the number of new pre-registration nursing places that were filled in the last five years. The table includes the students enrolled on the degree and diploma courses.

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    Nursing Total

    20,829

    20,092

    17,741

    17,219

    18,009

    Source: multi professional education and training budget monitoring returns.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 318W, on housing benefit: social rented housing, how many housing benefit social sector tenants have been (a) given exempt status because they reached state pension credit age and (b) allowed to keep an extra bedroom because they are (i) registered foster carers who have fostered a child during the last 52 weeks and (ii) parents of armed forces’ personnel who have been deployed on operations.

    Esther McVey

    In response to your question above please see the following:

    a) – The information relating to the numbers reaching state pension credit age who are no longer subject to the removal of the spare room subsidy is not available.

    We can say that there are estimated to be 700,000 housing benefit tenants who are state pension credit age and have one or more spare bedrooms.

    b) i) – Information relating to registered foster carers is not available.

    b) ii) – Information relating to parents of armed forces’ personnel is not available.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the cost of public enquiries relating to Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The costs for public inquires relating to Northern Ireland published by my Department since 1997 are as follows:

    The Bloody Sunday inquiry £191.5 million

    The Rosemary Nelson inquiry £46.5 million

    The Billy Wright inquiry £30.5 million

    In addition, the Robert Hamill Inquiry has been completed but the Report has not been published due to ongoing legal proceedings. The costs as of February 2011 stood at £33 million.

    No public inquiries have been established by the current government. In 2011 we set up a review into the murder of Patrick Finucane, which reported in 2012 at a cost of £1.1 million.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the contribution of sports-related tourism to the economy of Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Northern Ireland has organised a number of world class sporting events which bring huge benefits, for tourism and the economy (sometimes providing a return against investment of 5:1) as well as also encouraging people to participate in sport.

    The return of the Irish Open to Royal Portrush in 2012 for the first time since 1953 attracted some 130,000 spectators and was beamed into 350m households. Golf tourism is particularly valuable as it contributes more to the economy with the average spend per trip being £300-£450 compared to the other visitors to Northern Ireland who spend some £188 per trip. I look forward to Northern Ireland hosting the Irish Open again in 2015 at Royal County Down and 2017 at the Lough Erne Resort which was also the location for the 2013 G8 summit.

    The World Police and Fire Games in 2013 (the third biggest sporting event in the world) brought a direct economic boost of £7.34 million to the Northern Ireland economy. It has been reported that this figure could rise to £25m once longer-term benefits to the tourist industry resulting from return visits, the positive media coverage received for Northern Ireland internationally and future international events that will come as a result of the games, are included.

    I am advised for example, that one corporate sponsor of the WPFG decided to locate its international conference in Northern Ireland instead of another location in Europe directly as a result of the success of the Games.

    It is estimated that the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia cycle race that commences in Belfast on 9 May (and featuring 200 riders from over 30 different countries and their technical teams and sponsors) will be seen by 775m people in 174 countries. The Giro d’Italia is expected to attract 140,000 visitors to Northern Ireland and generate £2.5m of economic activity and £10m worth of worldwide media publicity as it showcases the stunning scenery of Northern Ireland to the world.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will review the effect of the operation of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on services available to assist victims in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Responsibility for victims in Northern Ireland was devolved in 2007. All public bodies in Northern Ireland have a duty to promote equality of opportunity, having regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is responsible for the enforcement of this duty.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent estimate she has made of foreign direct investment in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Northern Ireland remains one of the most successful regions in the UK for attracting foreign direct investment, attracting some 6% of inward FDI with around 3% of the UK population.

    The Northern Ireland Investment Conference, which the Prime Minister and I attended, held last year is continuing to bear fruit and I welcome the recent announcement that Convergys – with whose senior management the Prime Minister took time at the Conference to discuss the benefits of Northern Ireland as a cost-effective investment location – is setting up a customer service centre in Londonderry in collaboration with its client EE.

    This investment will bring 333 jobs to the city over the coming year and generate over £5million to the local economy annually.

    The recent announcements from Concentrix of its intention to reinvest in Northern Ireland and add a further 1,043 jobs to its existing work force of 800, and from EY (which also attended the Investment Conference) of a further investment leading to 486 more jobs, are welcome votes of confidence that Northern Ireland is an excellent place to invest and to grow a business.

    These two investments will inject some £38m in salaries into the Northern Ireland economy.

    It is particularly heartening that so many companies choose to reinvest after they have established a presence in Northern Ireland and seen for themselves the benefits it can offer as a cost competitive business environment together with its high quality and well educated workforce.

    The G8 Summit, which the PM brought to Co. Fermanagh in June 2013, also highlighted to the world the benefits of Northern Ireland as a place to visit and invest.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what international progress has been made towards establishing the Green Climate Fund ahead of the UN’s climate summit in Lima; and when she expects this fund to be ready for capitalisation.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The Green Climate Fund Board has agreed a list of eight operational policies needed to complete the design of the fund, with a view to taking decisions at the next Board meeting in May. The Board will also decide the next steps towards a contributions process, with a view to enabling pledges by the meeting in Lima.