The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Minister in his Department is responsible for atrocity prevention; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Philip Hammond
The Minister responsible for atrocity prevention in the FCO is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, James Duddridge MP.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 1.81 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, whether the protection of overall police spending includes (a) British Transport Police, (b) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and (c) the Ministry of Defence Police.
Mike Penning
Section 1.81 of the Spending Review document refers to the 43 police forces for which the Home Office provides funding. The Home Office does not hold information on the impact of the Spending Review on the British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary or the Ministry of Defence Police. This information will be available from the Department for Transport, Department for Energy and Climate Change and Ministry of Defence respectively.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the US administration on the effect on UK citizens seeking to enter the US of recent changes to the US visa waiver programme affecting people who have previously visited Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan or hold dual citizenship of those countries.
Mr Hugo Swire
US Congress passed legislation making changes to the US visa waiver programme on 18 December. We had been in close and regular contact with the US administration, as well as members of Congress, while the bill was under consideration but ultimately this was a decision for them. Since then, officials at our Embassy in Washington have been in contact with the US administration as they consider the bill’s implementation, to ensure British travellers understand the impact of the changes, and avoid disruption to their travel plans. As ever, we will keep our Travel Advice under review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value is of the bills that government departments have paid to small businesses more than 60 days after the date the invoice was received since 2010-11.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 5 February 2016 to UIN: 25347.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-03-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment on the effect of devolving the taxation of vacant land held by developers to local authorities in England and Wales.
Mr David Gauke
The Government has not carried out an impact assessment of the effect of devolving the taxation of vacant land held by developers to local authorities in England and Wales.
All taxes are kept under review, and any move to introduce such a tax or devolve responsibility to Local Authorities would have to be carefully considered. In particular, the interaction with existing taxes and incentives, the detailed design and collection, the objectives of the tax and the method (and frequency) by which land would be valued would all need careful thought
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the call in the new report from the charity Sense, Making the Case for Play, for play to be part of the ministerial brief for the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Childcare and Education.
Lord Nash
I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given on 8 March to PQ 29735, which I have also set out below:
The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is already recognised within the early years legislation covered by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education’s portfolio.
Play is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework and states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.”
Staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.
In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the outcome of the current review of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (a) status and (b) governance; and if he will ensure that a copy of that review is placed in the Library when it is complete.
Mr Robert Goodwill
This work is focused on options for making the commercial functions of the MCA, such as the UK Ship Register, more attractive. An initial review of these options is expected to be completed by the autumn and will be published.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the personal injury portal of the changes to personal injury law and procedures announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015; and if he will make a statement.
Dominic Raab
Discussions related to the new reforms have been held with the judiciary and with members of Claims Portal Limited’s board. The Government will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including other Government Departments, in taking the work forward and will consult on the detail in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what projects are currently included under the Northern Powerhouse label.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Northern Powerhouse is a long-term project to help address the productivity gap in the North and ensure we build an economy that works for everyone. It covers a huge range of policy functions including investing in transport, supporting international trade, devolving powers from Whitehall to local areas and much more beyond. Please see attached for a list of examples.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-10-20.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20232, what progress the Financial Conduct Authority has made in its investigation into issues relating to the Connaught fund.
Simon Kirby
This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.
This question has been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the Honourable Member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.