The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many North Korean owned or financed businesses operate in the UK.
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 Debbie Abrahams on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions were held during the recent visit to the UK by the Indian Prime Minister on Kashmir.
Mr Hugo Swire
I refer the hon. member to my answer of 23 November 2015 (PQ No 16855).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of who is responsible for reported airstrikes that have (a) targeted and (b) hit as collateral damage (i) cultural heritage monuments, (ii) ancient heritage sites and (iii) museums in Yemen.
Mr Philip Hammond
We remain concerned about the damage to cultural property in Yemen during the current conflict in Yemen. We do not routinely make assessments of responsibility for damage to cultural property in Yemen. Yemen and many members of the Saudi-led coalition are parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict and to the 1972 World Heritage Convention. We have raised our concerns regarding protection of cultural property with both the government of Yemen and the Saudi Arabian government. A political solution is the best way to achieve long-term stability in Yemen and we remain fully and actively supportive of the UN’s efforts to bring an end to the conflict.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2016 to Question 26625, on the Twynham Learning Federation, for what reason it is not possible to place the documents in the Library prior to publication on the Department’s website in May.
Edward Timpson
As previously agreed, the application will be published alongside other successful direct free school applications in May 2016. This is in line with the established timetable of publishing applications three months after each announcement. However, the Secretary of State and Twynham Learning Federation have exceptionally agreed to also place a copy of the application and the decision letter signed by Sir David Carter, the former Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West in the House of Commons library. This will be done as soon as both commercially sensitive information and personal information, that may contravene the Data Protection Act, has been redacted. We will write to the Honourable Member when this has been done.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-03-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether revenue generated from the immigration health surcharge for foreign nationals will be re-directed back into funding for the NHS; and if so, what measures have been put in place to achieve that.
Lord Keen of Elie
All funding derived from the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) will be spent on the National Health Service, with the exception around £7 million per annum which will be used to fund some costs that fall to the Home Office associated with collecting and handling the surcharge.
The Home Office transfers funds to the Department for Health and, consistent with the Barnett Formula, the devolved administrations through the Estimates process. In the event that IHS in-come exceeds the amount transferred, the balance will be surrendered to the Consolidated Fund for Extra Receipts and made available for spending on the NHS in the following financial year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost is of closing the Green Deal Finance Company in (a) payments to consultants and (b) other costs.
Andrea Leadsom
DECC has made no payments to consultants in establishing the Green Deal Finance Company, but in other costs payments of £10,294.26 in legal support were made in 2014/15.
The Green Deal Finance Company has not been closed. It is not currently issuing new loans, but continues to collect repayments from its existing loan book. In July 2015, DECC took the decision that the case for further investment was not strong enough in terms of value for money. This decision has no impact on existing Green Deal Finance Plans or existing Green Deal Home Improvement Fund applications and vouchers.
The Green Deal Finance Company is a private company and has its own internal costs which are not included in this estimate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS England’s new prioritisation framework for making decisions on investment in specialised services will be aligned with the recommendations of the accelerated access review.
George Freeman
The Accelerated Access Review team has been working closely with colleagues across NHS England, including the specialised commissioning team to ensure that policy is aligned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral answer of 10 January 2011, Official Report, column 11, what changes have been made to the welfare system since 2011 to support households after multiple birth.
Damian Hinds
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a payment of £500 to provide important help for families with the costs of a new baby (or babies in the event of a multiple birth) if there are no other children under 16 in the claimant’s family. The grant is available to recipients, and partners of recipients, of a qualifying benefit or tax credit.
From 2012, access to the Sure Start Maternity Grant has been extended and is also available for the additional children of subsequent multiple births. This acknowledges the help that is needed with the costs for all but one of the additional children of a subsequent multiple birth.
Also, from 2012, Social Fund Budgeting Loans have been available to cover other maternity expenses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-10-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent meetings he has had with representatives from (a) Iceland, Liechtenstein, (c) Norway and (d) Switzerland on the UK leaving the EU.
Mr David Jones
The Prime Minister has been clear we will not give a running commentary on our EU exit negotiations. We will ensure that we engage closely with all relevant interlocutors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-11-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of public threats made in Burma against the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government supports the Special Rapporteur, Professor Yanghee Lee, and deplores the hateful and threatening language that has been used against her by MaBaTha monk Wirathu. We have also called for Burma’s Ministry of Religious Affairs to take action on the matter. I was able to convey my sympathy and concern to Professor Lee in person during her visit to London in March. Last week, we publicly reiterated our support for Professor Lee and her mandate at the UN General Assembly in New York, at a dedicated session discussing her most recent report on the Human rights situation in Burma.
Unfortunately, statements like those of Wirathu are symptomatic of a troubling rise in intolerance, discrimination and hate speech in Burma. We have repeatedly raised our concerns over this trend, both bilaterally and in company with our international partners. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), did so with senior Burmese government ministers during his visit to Burma in July and, most recently, with Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin in September in New York.