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  • Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to increase the funding available for disability sports which are not currently paralympic sports.

    David Evennett

    Government recognises the importance of sport and physical activity to disabled people who take part at both grassroots and the elite level. Our new sport strategy, ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’, published in December 2015, emphasises the importance of getting people active, particularly those groups currently under-represented, including disabled people.

    Sport England is investing over £170 million in England to get more disabled people playing both Paralympic and non-Paralympic sports; and it will shortly publish its own strategy for England, following a wide public consultation, setting out how it intends to deliver against the government’s sport strategy, including how it will promote grassroots sport and physical activity for all.

    Elite disability sport is funded by UK Sport whose role it is to ensure that the resources available to support Paralympic athletes are targeted to maximise medal success.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on reducing the number of robocalls received by consumers.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    It is unacceptable for consumers to be harassed by nuisance calls, and this Government continues to make progress tackling this issue. The latest figures from the ICO show that reported automated calls accounted for approximately 42% of total calls reported to them – a drop of 3% since the start of the year. This is thanks to tougher enforcement against organisations making automated calls. The ICO recently imposed its largest fine ever of £350,000 on Prodial Ltd for making over 46 million automated nuisance calls. This is 70 times the amount of the maximum possible penalty issued before 2010 – when fines were capped at £5,000, and average fines were considerably less.

  • Peter Aldous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Peter Aldous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Aldous on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of supported housing in helping the transition of war veterans back to civilian life.

    Mark Lancaster

    Ministry of Defence (MOD) housing supports serving members of the Armed Forces and their families. Given the mobility of our people, and the sometimes sudden changes in their needs, we keep a margin of unoccupied properties available. Where housing is no longer needed, it is MOD policy to release it. The vast majority of veterans make a successful transition to civilian life and we have in place a range of support including for those who find it difficult to find accommodation. This includes the allocation of £40 million to a Veterans Accommodation Fund. The MOD has also gifted land for new veterans housing in the past; Mike Jackson House in Aldershot and The Beacon in Catterick

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve NATO decision-making procedures and culture.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    NATO adaptation is a high priority for the UK and many other Allies. A number of important decisions were taken at the Wales Summit in 2014. Significant progress has been made in implementing those changes. We expect NATO to take further decisions on adaptation at the forthcoming Summit in Warsaw.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the (a) first and (b) last Hawk jet is scheduled to be delivered to Saudi Arabia; and how many (i) RAF personnel, (ii) RAF personnel seconded to BAE and (iii) BAE personnel will be involved in the Hawk jet training programme in that country.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The first two of 22 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers ordered by the Royal Saudi Air Force in May 2012 were delivered to Saudi Arabia on 06 April 2016. The remaining aircraft are scheduled for delivery by mid-2017. The RSAF agreed to purchase a further 22 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers in December 2015, but the arrangements for the delivery of these aircraft have yet to be finalised. There are 40 personnel contracted to BAE Systems providing Hawk flying training in Saudi Arabia, including one individual seconded from the RAF.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Boeing Poseidon P-8s acquired by the UK will be compatible with the MQ-4 Triton UAV.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 April 2016 to Question 33058 to the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock).

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Boeing Poseidon P-8s acquired by the UK will be equipped with an (a) magnetic anomaly detector, (b) APS-143C rear mounted radar, (c) APS-153 advanced airborne sensor, (d) AN/APY-10 radar and (e) advanced airborne sensor.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 April 2016 to Question 33058 to the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock).

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Boeing Poseidon P8s acquired by the UK will use Mk 54 torpedoes.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 April 2016 to Question 33058 to the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock).

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with which countries the UK has signed a defence (a) treaty, (b) formal agreement, (c) Memorandum of Understanding and (d) Letter of Intent in each year since 2011.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Ministry of Defence has signed several hundred Treaties, Agreements, Memoranda of Understandings and Letters of Intent with foreign governments since 2011. These agreements are a key part of our defence engagement work and a list of the countries that are party to these agreements will be deposited in the Library of the House shortly.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on reform of the command structure of NATO.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Declaration of the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014 says, "We will ensure that the current NATO Command Structure remains robust, agile and able to undertake all elements of effective command and control". This remains our position and we fully support the reform work that NATO has done, and continues to do, to improve the ways in which it delivers military effects.

    We support the work of the NATO Strategic Commanders to optimise procedures and processes within the Command Structure to make it flexible, efficient, and responsive to the security environment.