The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Royal Navy is taking to maintain its warship repair capability after the sale of RFA Diligence.
Harriett Baldwin
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 September 2016 to Question 45203 to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Flick Drummond).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-11-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average time it takes HMRC to respond to written communications from (1) small businesses, and (2) personal taxpayers.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not collect data in such a way that the average waiting time for responses to written communications can be calculated. The performance is measured as a percentage of post cleared within 15 and 40 working days of receipt. HMRC has published the information on the performance results including post turnaround in the Annual Report and Accounts 2014-15.
HMRC’s data on response times for written communication cannot be easily analysed by customer group.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the law to protect vulnerable people from phone phishing and other communication scams.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Government is cracking down on nuisance calls. Over the last five years the average fine issued has increased from around £5000 to £85000, we have strengthened the law to make it easier to clamp down on companies who break the rules and have increased the maximum fine to £500,000.
The Government takes all types of fraud extremely seriously. We are working closely with the City of London Police (CoLP), the national lead force for fraud, to help local forces and partners deliver protective advice to the public on fraud, including phone scams. CoLP operates Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, to ensure that the public has the information they need to protect themselves from telephone fraud. Action Fraud, for example, places an alert on its website when a serious threat or new type of fraud is identified – which members of the public can sign up to receive by email.
We are also working with Financial Fraud Action UK and the British Bankers’ Association who issue advice to consumers on how to protect themselves from phone scammers. Ofcom work with the Metropolitan Police Service, Action Fraud and landline providers to prevent criminals exploiting phone lines to defraud members of the public.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will request the government of Burma to release former monk U Gambira from custody.
Mr Hugo Swire
We are aware of the arrest of U Gambira, a well known political activist and former political prisoner, on 19 January, for alleged immigration offences. Our Embassy in Rangoon is following the case closely. The UK regularly raises our concern over political prisoners with the government of Burma, both publicly and privately. Most recently our Embassy in Rangoon issued a statement on 25 January calling for the government of Burma to ensure that all remaining political prisoners are released. We remain concerned that some 78 remain incarcerated, and will continue to raise this with the Burmese authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the built environment on learning progress in schools.
Nick Gibb
The Department’s approach to the built environment is informed by a range of expert research.
The James Review of Education Capital, published in 2011 recommended the implementation of standardised designs for schools that could be continually improved upon and deliver buildings that ‘act as manageable tools for those delivering outstanding education to our children.’ In response to this the Education Funding Agency (EFA) developed ‘Baseline Designs’, which help to ensure that the Department’s funding goes further and that as many pupils as possible benefit from improved school buildings.
Alongside this, the Department recognises the importance of factors such as daylight, temperature and air-quality and offers guidance to schools, contractors and designers through EFA Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring new school buildings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, published in February 2016, what targets she has set for the number of kilometres of fresh water to be enhanced in each year to 2020; and how her Department plans to achieve those targets.
Rory Stewart
River Basin Management Plans provide the framework for protecting and improving the water environment. Updated Plans covering the period 2016 to 2021 were published by the Environment Agency (EA) on 18 February. They complement Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan by promoting integrated catchment management of water and local decision-making, as well as contributing to flood resilience.
The Plans for England confirm over £3 billion investment in the water environment by 2021 leading to improvements in at least 680 water bodies by 2021, including an overall target to enhance at least 8,000km of fresh waters by 2021. The EA is currently working with Defra to profile the delivery of this target over the six years that the River Basin Management Plan covers, and are also working with partners to explore opportunities to deliver more.
The EA coordinates action by water companies, farmers, local groups, businesses and councils to achieve the targets set out in the Plans. These actions include reducing pollution from sewage treatment works, managing water abstraction, opening up rivers to salmon and other fish species, and improvements to the physical habitat.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the Members Estimate Committee, how much Short money the UK Independence Party has claimed since May 2015; and on what dates those payments were made to that party.
Tom Brake
The amount of Short money available to UKIP for 2015/16 since the May general election was £605,871. The amounts claimed and paid were as follows:
|
Date Paid |
Amount |
|
24 August 2015 |
£14,833.00 |
|
28 September 2015 |
£16,434.68 |
|
14 October 2015 |
£128,034.16 |
|
28 October 2015 |
£31,870.36 |
|
25 November 2015 |
£31,870.36 |
|
21 December 2015 |
£31,870.36 |
|
27 January 2016 |
£31,870.36 |
|
24 February 2016 |
£31,870.36 |
|
28 March 2016 |
£31,870.36 |
|
Total |
£350,574.00 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-05-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the implications are of the findings of the report from the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, entitled DFID’s efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls, published on 17 May 2016, for her Department’s work on strengthening women’s rights organisations and networks in the developing world.
Justine Greening
I welcome ICAI’s recent review, which awarded my Department their highest rating, a green review score, for our work on tackling violence against women and girls. The review highlights the important contribution UK Aid makes to the lives of women and girls around the world and recognises the significant achievements of DFID to date on this vtial issue. My Department will provide a formal response to the ICAI findings in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding (1) the National Youth Theatre, (2) the National Youth Orchestra, (3) the National Youth Dance Company, and (4) the Youth Music Theatre UK, receive from (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and (b) the Department for Education.
Lord Ashton of Hyde
Government funding between 2014/15 and 2015/16 to the National Youth Theatre Great Britain, the National Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Dance Company, and the Youth Music Theatre UK is set out in the table. Youth Music Theatre UK and the National Youth Orchestra receive funding as National Youth Music Organisations, which is jointly funded through the Department for Education and Arts Council England lottery money.
These figures include total funding provided through Grant in Aid and Lottery funding.
|
|
DFE |
DCMS |
|
|
|
Organisation |
Grant in Aid 2014/15 – 2015/16 |
Grant in Aid 2014/15 – 2015/16 |
Lottery Funding 2014/15 – 2015/16 |
*Grants for the Arts 2014/15 – 2015/16 |
|
National Youth Theatre of Great Britain |
£611,538 |
|||
|
National Youth Orchestra** |
£500,000 |
£44,441 |
||
|
Sadler’s Wells Trust Ltd. (National Youth Dance Company specific)*** |
£650,000 |
£200,000 |
||
|
Youth Music Theatre UK** |
£300,000 |
£37,250 |
* Grants for the arts is the Arts Council’s Lottery-funded grant programme for individuals, arts organisations and other people who use the arts in their work. Grants are available for activities carried out over a set period and which engage people in England in arts activities and help artists and arts organisations in England carry out their work
**National Youth Music Organisation funding
*** The funding is paid to Sadler’s Wells as the grant recipient for use specifically for National Youth Dance Company activities
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were absent from school due to having a mental health condition in each year since 2010.
Edward Timpson
The Department does not hold information on absence due to a mental health condition.