The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many partnerships are in operation between UK and non-UK EU-based companies in the area of defence; and what the total value of those partnerships is.
Mr Julian Brazier
This information is not held in the format requested.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the South Korean government on animal welfare as part of the preparations for the Winter Olympics in 2018.
Mr Hugo Swire
I wrote to Ambassadors in the Asia Pacific region in January 2016 to review our approach and assess what progress could be made in the future. Our Ambassador has raised the issue of cruelty related to the dog meat trade with the South Korean authorities, explaining that UK Parliamentarians and the public would like to see regulation that would bring this to an end. As we approach the Winter Olympics in 2018 we will continue to monitor and raise as appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of nuisance calls which appear to be from local numbers but which are being forwarded elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Based on an analysis of reported concerns, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has previously estimated that approximately 12% of nuisance calls carry ‘spoofed’ Calling Line Identification (CLI), but this does not mean that all the calls have originated from overseas. The Government has recently consulted on making it a requirement for direct marketing callers to provide valid CLI. The Government plans to bring this measure into force in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to prevent companies using local numbers from which calls are forwarded abroad for the purposes of marketing and other nuisance calls.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Based on an analysis of reported concerns, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has previously estimated that approximately 12% of nuisance calls carry ‘spoofed’ Calling Line Identification (CLI), but this does not mean that all the calls have originated from overseas. The Government has recently consulted on making it a requirement for direct marketing callers to provide valid CLI. The Government plans to bring this measure into force in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence she took into account before making it her policy to abolish the right of parents to be represented on school governing bodies; and if she will place copies of such evidence in the Library.
Edward Timpson
The Government’s education White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, published on 17 March 2016, makes it clear that many parents already play a valuable role in governance and that parents will always be encouraged to serve on governing boards. Governing boards have a vital strategic role and need people with the right skills to succeed. We will always encourage parents to serve on governing boards and in many cases academy trusts will continue to find people with the skills and experience they need among parents. Moving from a representational to a fully skills-based governance model means ending the absolute requirement for academy trusts to include two elected parents on the board of trustees (or in the case of multi-academy trusts either on the board or on each local governing body). Many parents will, of course, have relevant expertise and boards will continue to be free to appoint them. Trusts may also retain elected parent trustees if they so wish.
High quality leadership and governance will be vital as we devolve more power to schools. That is why our entire approach from governance, to curriculum, to budgets, has been to give schools the freedom to adapt the model that works best for them.
The Government’s objective is to increase academies’ engagement with parents and for the first time we will be creating a new expectation that every academy puts in place arrangements for meaningful engagement with all parents, to listen to their views and feedback. This is one of a number of policies outlined in the White Paper for enabling parents to be more engaged with their children’s education and compliments more regular surveys of parental satisfaction with their children’s schools, which we will publish. We are also launching a Parent Portal to provide information on school performance, guidance on how the school system works and how to raise complaints. This new website will act as a reliable point of reference for parents so they know exactly how they can get involved in their child’s education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the effect on air quality of the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2.
Mr Robert Goodwill
There have been regular ongoing discussions with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on all the environmental aspects of HS2, including air quality.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to pause plans to construct Phase One of HS2 until he has received assurances that they comply with the air quality standards and principles in the document Improving air quality in the UK: Tackling nitrogen dioxide in our towns and cities, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in January 2016.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The air quality mitigation measures set out in the Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill, alongside the measures that will be taken forward as part of the HS2 Code of Construction Practice and agreed in the Local Environmental Management Plans, will ensure the construction of Phase one of HS2 is compliant with the principles set out in January 2016 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs document.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assurances he has received that (a) construction of a new station in Curzon Street and (b) other construction activity in Birmingham will comply with air quality limit values for nitrogen dioxide.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill fully assessed the impact on air quality from HS2 construction activity for the proposed Curzon Street Station and for other areas in Birmingham. That assessment concluded that there would be no significant effect on the air quality in these areas.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30739, what information he holds on (a) the legal status of Telahoon Rata and Rev. Hassan Taour and (b) whether their legal team has been granted access to them.
James Duddridge
Telahoon Rata and Rev Hassan Taour are being held in detention by the National Intelligence and Security Services under powers granted to them by the National Security Act 2010. They have not been granted access to their lawyers.
Our Ambassador in Khartoum met the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February and raised the cases of Mr Talahon and Rev. Hassan.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-03-22.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of measures in Budget 2016 on social mobility.
Mr David Gauke
The Government has carefully considered the impact of the tax and benefit reforms introduced in Budget. It is committed to improving social mobility by moving towards a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society.
The Government published distributional analysis to accompany Budget 2016 which shows that the richest are paying a greater share of tax as a result of this government’s policies while the share of spending going to the poorest has been protected.