The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether cluster bombs used in the Yemeni civil war are of British manufacture.
Mr Philip Dunne
I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to the Urgent Question tabled by the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire (Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh) on 24 May 2016 (Official Report, column 401).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 40131, on Children: maintenance, for what reasons the (a) updating work has taken less time than assumed and (b) setting up of arrears on the CMS system is taking longer than anticipated.
Caroline Nokes
It is not unusual for cost estimates to vary as broad assumptions are replaced by more detailed ones. The cost estimates in the impact assessment were produced before the detailed processes involved were finalised and were therefore subject to change. The changes in cost estimates were not due to any change in the scope or objectives of case closure.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans he has to devolve the Wales and Border Rail Franchise to the Welsh Government.
Guto Bebb
The in-principle agreement between the Welsh Government and the Department for Transport to devolve the Wales and Borders franchise was announced on 21 November 2014.
We are continuing to engage constructively with the Welsh Government to enable them to achieve the successful procurement of the next Wales and Borders franchise from October 2018.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hamwee on 2015-11-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the responses to their consultation on reforming support for failed asylum seekers and other illegal migrants.
Lord Bates
We will not publish the individual responses to the consultation on reforming support for failed asylum seekers and other illegal migrants. This is consistent with the confidentiality statement on page 12 of the consultation document published on 4 August.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the state government of Andhra Pradesh to enable the enforcement of the Andhra Pradesh Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act 1988 through the Andhra Pradesh Devadasis Prohibition of Dedication Rules 2015, and of the impact of that decision on Dalit women and girls in that state.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
This is ultimately a matter for the Union Government of India and state government of Andhra Pradesh. The UK has worked closely with the Union and state governments in India to strengthen women’s rights and welcomes any new legislation which seeks to further protect women and girls.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-01-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her priorities and preferred outcomes are for the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in February 2016.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Through the “Supporting Syria and the Region (London 2016)” Conference we aim to raise significant new funding to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of all those affected by the crisis within Syria, and to support neighbouring countries who have shown enormous generosity in hosting refugees.
The Conference will address the longer-term needs of those affected by the crisis through supporting the creation of jobs and providing education in the region, offering those that have been forced to flee their homes greater hope for the future. Specifically, we aim to ensure access to education for all refugee and host community children by the end of the 2016-17 school year.
The Conference will also maintain pressure on all parties to the conflict to stop the obstruction of humanitarian relief and abuse of civilians that perpetuate the crisis and respect International Humanitarian Law. We aim to agree action to give people inside Syria safer healthcare, safer education, and support for the most vulnerable, especially girls and women. Looking ahead, it will need to ensure the international community is well prepared to support a coordinated stabilisation effort.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reductions in the public health grant for local authorities on local smoking cessation services in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK.
Jane Ellison
Local authorities, funded by the Government’s public health grant, have responsibility for providing a programme of tobacco control that meets the needs of their populations, including the provision of locally commissioned services. Over the next five years, local authorities will receive £16 billion through the public health grant.
The evidence shows that specialist stop smoking services are the most effective way to help smokers quit. Public Health England supports local authorities by developing and distributing information and advice for the commissioning of effective regional approaches to tobacco control which maximise value for money at a local level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the 4th EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment he has made of which of his Department’s agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.
Mr David Lidington
Under the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which will be transposed into national law by June 2017, a politically exposed person is one who has been entrusted with a prominent public function domestically or by a foreign country. This would include some senior civil servants, such as ambassadors and chargés d’affaires. The Government’s view is that the Directive permits a risk-based approach to the identification of whether an individual is a politically exposed person and, when identified, the Directive enables the application of different degrees of enhanced measures to reflect the risks posed. The Government will be setting out this view in a consultation which will be published shortly.
The changes proposed under the Directive should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. The Treasury regularly raises these issues with financial institutions and the regulator, and we encourage financial institutions to take a proportionate, risk-based approach when applying these measures.”
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average cost to (a) the public purse and (b) industry of training a seafarer (i) officer cadet, (ii) deck rating, (iii) engine rating, (iv) catering rating and (v) on-board services.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) is the Government’s financial support scheme for merchant navy training and is available to eligible shipping companies who sponsor eligible trainees that take approved courses.
The total amount that can be claimed per trainee is listed in the table below. SMarT funding is not available for on-board services trainees.
|
Type of Trainee |
Maximum SMarT Funding Available (£) |
|
Officer Cadet |
18,156 |
|
Deck and Engine Room Rating (Traditional Route) |
385 |
|
Deck and Engine Room Rating (MNTB/MCA approved route)* |
1,032 |
|
Catering Rating (Ship’s Cook Rating) |
385 |
* MNTB – Merchant Navy Training Board; MCA – Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The MCA does not collate information on the cost to industry of training a seafarer (i) officer cadet, (ii) deck rating, (iii) engine rating, (iv) catering rating and (v) on-board services.
The total cost of training to each shipping company would vary depending upon a number of factors such as the type of course the trainee has taken, the nautical college attended (where applicable) and associated tuition fees, the amount of any training allowance paid, accommodation costs, travel and uniform costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people she expects to attend each of the National Schools Commissioner Roadshow events during June and July 2016.
Nick Gibb
The cost of the nine National Schools Commissioner Roadshows during June and July 2016 will be met from within Schools Commissioner’s Group (SCG) allocated programme budget. The programme budget is to cover the costs related to events and other communications activities. For the 2016/17 financial year, this budget is £425k.
It is expected that approximately 1,500 system leaders will attend the nine National Schools Commissioner Roadshows taking place in June and July 2016.
There was no specific allocation made for travel and subsistence costs for officials related to the National Schools Commissioner Roadshows during June and July 2016. These costs will be met from within SCG allocated administrative budget.
An official in each of the RSC offices has been involved in organising the nine National Schools Commissioners roadshows, supported by a lead in SCG. We expect approximately five officials to attend each roadshow, plus the National Schools Commissioner and the relevant Regional School Commissioner (RSC).
There has been no budget allocated to advertising the National Schools Commissioner Roadshows.