The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department’s contract with Maximus/HML for provision of the Fit for Work programme contains provision for penalties in the event of early termination or truncation of that programme.
Justin Tomlinson
The contract does not contain specific provision for penalties in the event of early termination.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-05-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many senior staff have transferred from Network Rail to HS2, either on a temporary or on a permanent basis.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
HS2 Ltd has a Senior Leadership Team comprising its 74 most senior people. Of these 74 people, 13 people have transferred from Network Rail to HS2 Ltd, either on a temporary or permanent basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-06-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current state of bilateral relations with Iran a year after the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna on 14 July 2015.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was agreed in July 2015 which, along with the subsequent lifting of international sanctions, represents a new era in Iran’s relationship with the wider world. Since my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) reopened our Embassy in August 2015, significant progress has been made in developing the bilateral relationship between the UK and Iran. We welcomed Foreign Minister Zarif to London on 4 February 2016, in what was the first bilateral visit of an Iranian Foreign Minister since 2003. We hope to be able to upgrade to the level of Ambassadors in the near future.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to raise the situation of Rohingya refugees at the UN Summit on Refugees on 19 September 2016.
Alok Sharma
Whilst the British Government did not raise the subject of Rohingya refugees at the UN Summit on Refugees on 19 September 2016, we remain keen to play our part in helping refugees globally. We are deeply concerned about the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya and have repeatedly raised our concerns with the Burmese Government at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), discussed the Rohingya with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during her visit to the UK in September and I raised the issue in my intervention at the UN Secretary General’s Partnership Group during my visit to the UN General Assembly in September.
The British Government is one of the largest bilateral donors to Rakhine providing over £18 million in humanitarian assistance since the intercommunal violence of 2012. Across the border in south east Bangladesh, a total of 82,000 people have benefitted from UK funded humanitarian programmes. Since 2014, the British Government has provided nearly £8 million to address the humanitarian suffering of Rohingya refugees and the vulnerable Bangladeshi communities that host them.
We are encouraged to see the new Burmese Government has started to take real steps to try to defuse tensions in Rakhine while making progress for the Rohingya, including through the recently announced Rakhine Commission led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, formation of a cross-Government Rakhine committee and re-starting the citizenship verification exercise. On 25 August I issued a statement welcoming the establishment of the Rakhine Commission, and on 14 September I spoke by phone with Mr Annan to convey the UK’s strong support for his appointment and mandate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he had with women’s organisations in Scotland prior to his proposal to devolve responsibility for abortion legislation to the Scottish Parliament.
David Mundell
The Smith Commission considered the issue of the devolution of abortion carefully and was ‘strongly of the view to recommend the devolution of abortion’ and regarded it as an ‘anomalous health reservation.’ The Smith Agreement said that ‘further serious consideration should be given to its devolution and a process should be established immediately to consider the matter further.’ That process took place between the UK and Scottish Governments and resulted in an amendment to the Scotland Bill to devolve responsibility for abortion law to the Scottish Parliament. Since laying that amendment the Government has been engaging with interested parties about how the process of devolution will work and it will be for the Scottish Government to set out what approach it will take once responsibility for abortion law rests with the Scottish Parliament. The 1967 Act will continue to apply in Scotland unless and until the Scottish Parliament chooses to legislate in this area, and the First Minister recently confirmed that the Scottish Government have no plans to do so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2015-12-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been undertaken to ensure that reductions in the public health budget do not negatively affect those who share protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government reached its decisions on implementing reductions in the 2015/16 local authority public health grant after giving full consideration to its duty under the Equality Act 2010 (the public sector equality duty, or PSED). The Government’s response to a public consultation exercise, published on 4 November 2015, contains an equality analysis of the options for making the saving. A copy is attached.
Final decisions on the distribution of the grant in 2016/17 have not yet been taken, but again will be made in the light of the PSED. Government decisions on the quantum of the grant have taken account of the PSED. Local authorities are responsible for identifying local needs and priorities for public health interventions, and for making decisions on local spending. Local authorities are themselves subject to the PSED.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2016 to Question 20675, how much of the £300 million provided to eradicate polio was spent in each of the last three years; and how much will be spent in each of the next four years.
Mr Nick Hurd
The UK is a top three donor to polio eradication, with a £300 million commitment over six years from 2013/14 to 2018/19. Of this, £100 million was disbursed in the financial year of 2013/2014, £50 million in 2014/15, and £65 million in 2015/16. The UK will provide £39 million in 2016/17, £29 million in 2017/18 and £17 million in 2018/19.
UK support has been critical in bringing us one step closer to the finish line of a world free from polio, something people across the country can be immensely proud of.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2016-02-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are planning to take to ensure that council tax billing authorities pass on to parish and town councils the council tax support funding provided for those councils by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Local Council Tax Support schemes are designed and implemented by billing authorities. It is for them to determine the appropriate amount to pass on to parish and town councils. Ultimately, these are local decisions based on local circumstances, so where money is not passed down, the authority must justify their decision to local taxpayers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to help more businesses in Cambridge in the light of reports that it has the best rates for startup survival.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Government’s Start-Up Loans scheme supports people wanting to start a business and has provided over 35,000 loans worth over £200 million. We’re committed to supporting start-ups by cutting taxes on small businesses, extending rate relief and increasing the Employment Allowance.
In Cambridge, Government has invested £4.8m in the establishment of the Sir John Bradfield Technology Centre to support business incubation on Cambridge Science Park. This is in addition to a range of other growth-enabling investments made through the £500m Greater Cambridge City Deal, the £109.1m Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Growth Deal and a three year funding package to support development of a local business Growth Hub
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Barker on 2016-04-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings or other communications took place between Mr Sheridan Westlake, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, and Mr Chris Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs relating to government funding of voluntary organisations in the 12 months prior to the announcement on 6 February of the new clause in grant agreements restricting the use of government grants for lobbying purposes.
Lord Bridges of Headley
The Institute of Economic Affairs’ written research into the misuse of government grants was acknowledged at the time that the clause was first introduced by the Department of Communities and Local Government before the last general election, and also by the Cabinet Office when it published its guidance on the new clause.
Details of Cabinet Office Ministers’ meetings, and those of the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretaries, are centrally collated and routinely published in transparency returns available on the Gov.uk website.
Information relating to the meetings and communications of Cabinet Office civil servants, including special advisers, is not routinely collated and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.