The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.
Karen Bradley
The Home Office’s finance system has no record of the Department receiving funds from the European Social Fund.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.
Mr Desmond Swayne
My Department has not received any funding from the European Social Fund.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage its bilateral partners to adopt a co-ordinated early childhood development approach to provide nutritional, medical and educational support for children.
Mr Nick Hurd
There is strong evidence that supporting children in their early years with health, education, nutrition and stimulation interventions maximises their learning potential and yields long term benefits. In January DFID held a high level meeting in London, bringing together Ministers and policy makers from developing countries, academic experts and development agencies to explore how to provide cross-sectoral support to young children at scale. Drawing on the evidence base, DFID is exploring with country governments how to co-ordinate early childhood support and how to adapt our existing programmes to encompass early childhood development principles.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the current outbreak of yellow fever in Angola and its regional implications; and whether the Government will assist the World Health Organisation supported vaccination campaign led by the Angolan government.
Mr Nick Hurd
This Government’s assessment is that the national response to the yellow fever outbreak in Angola is growing in strength with support from the international community and the strategic use of donated vaccines. To date surrounding countries have not suffered related outbreaks and exported yellow fever cases to China, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been managed effectively.
The United Kingdom is supporting the national vaccination campaign in Angola through its core funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and to the World Health Organisation. The international response has provided 7.3 million doses of yellow fever vaccine to Angola to respond to the outbreak.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prosecutions for smoking in vehicles with children present have been carried out under the Smoke-free (Private Vehicles) Regulations 2015.
Jane Ellison
The Department assesses the impact of tobacco control measures on an ongoing basis as it develops policy. The Smoke-Free (Private Vehicles) Regulations 2015 include a requirement to review the regulations within five years of them coming into force, which will include an assessment of the effect on children’s exposure to secondhand smoke in private vehicles.
In changing the law we always said the measure of success would be in changes in attitude and behaviour, not the number of enforcement actions. Information on prosecutions for the period since the regulations were introduced has not yet been published, however we would expect very few fixed penalty notices issued for these offences would lead to court appearances.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he will publish further information on his plans for increasing the autonomy of prison governors.
Andrew Selous
We will announce our plans for reform prisons in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons have been selected to take part in the pilot scheme on increasing the autonomy of prison governors; and how long that pilot scheme is expected to last.
Andrew Selous
We will announce our plans for reform prisons in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what research his Department is undertaking on the use and effects of psychoactive substances on the prison estate.
Andrew Selous
We do not tolerate drugs in prison. There is a wide-ranging programme of work being undertaken by NOMS and its partners to better understand and to tackle the use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), which have a particularly destructive effect in prisons.
In April we will introduce widespread drug testing of prisoners for NPS, we are training sniffer dogs to detect NPS, and we are also working with Health partners and others to provide appropriate information, guidance and support to offenders and those working with them in prison. We have a comprehensive range of security measures in place to detect drugs, and to prevent smuggling into prisons.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what training is available for prison officers in dealing with inmates who are under the influence of psychoactive substances on the prison estate.
Ben Gummer
Public Heath England has produced guidance to support healthcare and operational staff in prisons in England manage the impact of new psychoactive substances on the health and wellbeing of prisoners and staff and help staff manage security. This guidance is available at:
http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/nps-manual-final.pdf
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 1.287 of Budget 2016, what estimate he has made of how many civil servants will be relocated in his Department as a result of the programme to create centres of expertise outside the capital.
Mike Penning
By the middle of this Parliament, MoJ will distribute more of its staff to locations around the country. We are currently developing options for how to do this, including the exact numbers that will be relocated to the regions.