The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, for what reasons he decided to give evidence on the Wales Bill to the National Assembly for Wales’ Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee; and if he will give evidence to that committee.
Alun Cairns
The Committee Chair declined my offer to meet him to discuss the Wales Bill.
I am giving careful consideration to the report and the Committee’s recommendations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger on 2015-11-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many representatives were present at the recent meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL in London.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
On 28-29 October, the UK hosted the fourth meeting of the Global Coalition’s Communications Working Group, along with our Coalition Co-Chairs, the United Arab Emirates and the US. Ministers and senior officials from 32 Coalition countries participated. 149 delegates were involved in the meeting over the two days, of whom 43 were women.
The meeting focused on digital communications and what more coalition governments could do, in partnership with civil society and digital industry, to promote positive voices and to ensure those promoting extremism and violent extremism online were not left unchallenged.
The meeting agreed that highlighting women’s voices was a key part of the Coalition’s response to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s propaganda.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia in relation to the death sentence imposed on Abdullah ah-Zaher; and whether they will consider taking action in the event of representations on this, and similar cases, going unheeded.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government is very concerned about the case of Abdullah al-Zaher. We have raised these cases at a senior level in the Government of Saudi Arabia. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, especially in cases which do not meet the minimum standards defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This includes the execution of a minor and the use of the death penalty for a crime which is not deemed “the most serious”. We take every opportunity to make the Saudi authorities aware of our views.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-01-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to provide alternatives to criminalization and incarceration of people with drug-use disorders and to encourage alternatives to imprisonment facilitating the eventual rehabilitation, re-skilling and reintegration of drug users.
Andrew Selous
We are currently trialling ‘Liaison and Diversion’ services. These services place health professionals at police stations and courts to assess suspects for a range of health problems, including drug misuse, and make referrals to treatment and support. Information shared with the criminal justice system can be used to inform decisions, supporting diversion into treatment as part of an alternative to charge or to custody where appropriate.
We are also interested in problem-solving courts, such as drug courts, given evidence of success in other jurisdictions. Officials are now working with members of the judiciary to consider how the problem-solving approach might be developed for England and Wales.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on whether the resource impact assessment that NICE plans to publish alongside its guidance following its review of TA 85[ID456] of immunosuppressant agents for kidney transplant will include the effect on (a) the number of successful kidney transplants, (b) kidney dialysis capacity, (c) the UK national transplant waiting list and (d) the NHS Organ Donor Register.
George Freeman
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has advised that it will publish a resource impact report to accompany its final technology appraisal guidance on immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in adults (review of TA85).
The current draft version of the report makes no comment on the effect of this appraisal on these issues.
Further information on the ongoing appraisal is available at:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-tag348
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 29389, whether he has sought assurances that Saudi Arabia’s internal procedures for investigations are being used to investigate (a) attacks on the Médecins Sans Frontières hospitals and mobile clinic and (b) the airstrike on the Oxfam warehouse.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The results of the investigation into the October Médecins Sans Frontières incident were announced at a Saudi Arabian press conference on 31 January, as was the intention to investigate all allegations of concern. The UK has been using diplomatic and military channels to engage with Saudi Arabia on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) compliance. I have spoken to the Saudi Ambassador and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has engaged with his counterpart on the importance of compliance with IHL.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Enhancements Delivery Plan Update, published in March 2016, page 138, whether Network Rail carried out an equality impact assessment of the proposal to reduce Access for All funding in Control Period 5 from £135 million to £87.1 million in 2012-13 prices.
Claire Perry
The Department will undertake an impact assessment as part of our analysis and response to the Hendy Report consultation. This response is due to be published over the summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the annual budget is for food produced for her Department’s offices; and what proportion of food produced for her Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.
Nick Gibb
The Department does not have an annual food budget. Catering services are provided via a contract with Interserve Plc, and is operated on a nil subsidy basis.
Annual spend is determined by the contractor and is informed by private sales to members of staff.
Approximately 60% of products across all food and drink categories were sourced from British producers as of March 2016. This proportion reflects that a large volume of food and drink sold includes non-indigenous products such as rice, tea and coffee.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on transferring powers and functions currently held by the EU to devolved administrations once the UK exits the EU.
Mr David Jones
The Government is committed to working with the devolved administrations as we prepare for a new negotiation with the EU. We will engage fully with the devolved administrations, as well as Gibraltar, the Crown Dependencies, the other UK Overseas Territories and other key parties, in accordance with their various constitutional relationships with the UK, to ensure that all of their interests are taken properly into account.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the new National Funding Formula for schools will be introduced.
Nick Gibb
In July, the Secretary of State committed to introduce national funding formulae for schools and high needs from the financial year 2018-19. We will set out detailed proposals later in the autumn, and make decisions early next year, for the new system to be in place from April 2018.