The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many changes to green belt boundaries have been made in the past five years.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Between 2010/11 and 2014/15, 24 local authorities adopted new boundaries for the designated Green Belt.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings they have held with representatives of the audio-visual industry about the implications for the industry of the result of the referendum on EU membership; and which government departments have been involved in such meetings.
Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Government is determined to ensure the UK audio-visual industry thrives outside of the EU. The Secretary of State held a roundtable with key stakeholders to discuss implications for the industry, and over the coming weeks and months government will be engaging in further discussions with the businesses and key stakeholders.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to change attitudes to personal health issues among men.
Jane Ellison
We recognise that men do not seek medical help as often as women, and their health can suffer as a result and that changing their behaviours could reduce premature death, illness and costs to society. The Department does not have a separate policy approach to men’s health as all policy subjects are expected to take into account equality issues as they are developed.
In 2013, Public Health England was established to protect and improve the nation’s health and to address inequalities, working with national and local government, the National Health Service, industry, academia, the public and the voluntary and community sector. Local authorities are responsible for assessing the current and future health needs of their local population and targeting of interventions to reduce health inequalities. We have also given local authorities the flexibility to innovate and tailor services to meet local individual and population needs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK police and intelligence staff are based in (a) Europe and (b) Turkey; and if she will make a statement.
Mike Penning
For national security reasons we do not disclose details of intelligence officers or counter terrorism police deployed or based abroad.
In respect of wider policing we do not hold details of all overseas deployments by police forces. We only hold details of those deployments which provide assistance to an international organisation, foreign government or police service and therefore require authorisation from the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Home Secretary under the provisions of Section 26 of the Police Act (1996).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-01-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 8 December 2015 (HL3997), what has been identified as the cause of the overpayment of housing benefit to those claimants migrated onto Universal Credit, and how many claimants in Tower Hamlets have been affected.
Lord Freud
We have safeguards in place to ensure an effective transition and avoid impacts on overlapping benefits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rowlands on 2016-02-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the European Commission on when their revision of the European Arrest Warrant handbook will be issued.
Lord Bates
We continue to press the European Commission to revise the European Arrest Warrant handbook as soon as possible, in particular as it relates to proportionality. We have done so through both working groups in Brussels and bilateral contact.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about its actions against Zaman newspaper, its editor and chief columnist, together with other media; and what response, if any, they have received.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We continue to monitor specific cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in these areas. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), did so on 7 March when he met Turkey’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and underlined the importance of protections for a free press and human rights in Turkey. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), set out the UK’s concerns on freedom of expression when he met his Turkish counterpart on 12 March. The Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), discussed media freedoms and rule of law issues when he met Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister on 12 March.
As a friend and ally, we urge the Turkish government to uphold the right of media to operate without restriction.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether regulations are in place to ensure that (a) town councils, (b) parish councils and (c) local communities can exercise a community right to bid for independent qualified contractors to deliver highways infrastructure works that are funded by Section 106 contributions from developments within their parish as part of any competitive bidding process carried out by the local highways authority.
Brandon Lewis
Provisions are in place under the Community Right to Challenge to enable town and parish councils and voluntary and community organisations to challenge how council services are delivered by submitting a bid (Expression of Interest) to the relevant council.
Expressions of Interest need to be made in respect of an existing service and one that the local authority has responsibility for providing, which councils must consider and can only reject if specific circumstances set out in legislation apply. If a developer is undertaking work as part of an agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, then this would not fall under the scope of the Right to Challenge as it would not be a local authority service.
However, if a highways service was to be delivered by a local authority as a result of a Section 106 contribution then this would be within the scope of the Right, although it is important to note that local authorities are able to reject an Expression of Interest if a service is already the subject of a procurement process or pre-procurement negotiations. If this is the case, the town or parish council or community group would be able to participate in the procurement process.
The Community Right to Bid provides local people and parish councils with the opportunity to nominate a building or land for listing by a local council as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), which, if the owner decides to sell, a moratorium of up to six months is triggered. During the moratorium period, the asset cannot be sold except to a community bidder.
If a highways service was to be delivered by a local authority as a result of a Section 106 contribution then this should be within the scope of the Community Right to Challenge. It is important to note though that local authorities are able to reject an expression of interest if a service is already the subject of a procurement process or if the authority has entered into negotiations with a third party to deliver the service and these are at least in part conducted in writing. Where the services are currently being procured, the organisation in question would be able to participate in the procurement exercise.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people resident in the UK hold an EU non-British passport and previously held a non-EU country passport.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-07-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many bilateral trade agreements the UK has with countries outside the EU.
Anna Soubry
Since the EU has sole competence on trade policy, the UK has no bilateral trade agreements in force with countries outside the EU.