The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department plans to spend on new precision weapons systems in each year from 2015 to 2020.
Mr Philip Dunne
Over the next five years, the Department plans to spend around £6.5 billion on the procurement, support and testing of sophisticated weapons systems.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to reduce (a) carbon emissions and (b) air pollution from maritime transport and air transport.
Andrew Jones
Given the international nature of the maritime and aviation sectors, the UK works primarily through UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure strong action on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at a global level is taken.
We are working with other states in ICAO to agree a global CO2 standard for aircraft and a global market-based measure to tackle aviation emissions growth, both of which will be subject to important decisions in 2016. We also continue to support the use of regional emissions measures, such as the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme in the absence of a global measure. On air pollution from aviation, we are also working in ICAO to reduce particulate matter emissions, following the organisation’s introduction of a standard to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
With maritime emissions, the UK is working in the IMO towards developing global data collection systems on ships’ CO2 energy efficiency. Moreover, following the introduction of a new 0.1 per cent sulphur limit on 1 January 2015, there has been a significant reduction in sulphur pollutants emitted by ships operating in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea emission control areas.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jacob Rees-Mogg on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents have occurred on trains involving slam doors in each of the last five years.
Claire Perry
The number of passenger accidents over the years 2011 to 2015 that involved slam-door stock, broken down by injury degree, is set out in the table below:-
|
Degree of Injury |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Major |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Minor |
19 |
17 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
|
Shock/trauma |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Total accidents |
19 |
17 |
10 |
16 |
21 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the Gateway Project for armed forces veterans; and what plans he has to include Northern Ireland within the scope of that project.
Mark Lancaster
The Ministry of Defence has explored options for the development of a veterans gateway service to provide a single cross-sector point of access for all veterans. The Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group has recently directed that the Covenant Fund prioritise funding for a pilot project to set up a 24 hours a day single point of contact veterans gateway service in financial year 2016-17 and this will be formally announced shortly. The project’s reach will extend across the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the effect of ring fencing funding from his Department for the Global Challenges Fund on other scientific research for which his Department provides funding.
Joseph Johnson
Funding for the Global Challenges Research Fund is provided in addition to the existing science and research budget, and is received as a budget transfer from the Department for International Development. The fund will help to keep the UK at the forefront of research into some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including the environment, hunger, poverty and diseases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect on farmers of late payments under the Basic Payment Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency.
George Eustice
We understand the importance of the Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers. As of 21 April the Rural Payments Agency had completed the processing of 77,840 claims for 2015. Although the payment window runs from 1 December 2015 to the 30 June 2016, the Agency has announced that those customers who won’t receive a claim payment in April 2016 will be provided a bridging payment. Bridging payments will be made by the end of April.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department and its executive agencies spent on the publications (a) Who’s Who, (b) Burke’s Peerage and (c) Debrett’s in each year since 2010.
Karen Bradley
This information is not available, except at disproportionate costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the UK to leave the EU since 23 June 2016; and what further such steps his Department plans to take in the remainder of 2016.
Damian Hinds
The Department for Exiting the European Union has responsibility for overseeing preparations for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and conducting these withdrawal negotiations in support of the Prime Minister. In doing this it is working very closely with other government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions and a wide range of other interested parties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-10-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the imminent appeal hearing for Asia Bibi at the Pakistani Supreme Court on the charge of blasphemy.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
On 13 October the Supreme Court in Pakistan postponed Ms Asia Bibi’s appeal hearing indefinitely. I remain concerned about Ms Bibi and continue to follow developments in her case closely. We raise regularly our concerns about misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government, and continue to urge Pakistan to adhere to its international obligations and uphold the rule of law. During his visit to Pakistan in March, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear our concerns about minority communities and misuse of the blasphemy laws.
The UK supported the EU statement of October 2014 following the decision of the Lahore High Court to uphold the conviction of Ms Bibi. We will continue to work with our EU and other international partners to ensure our views are made clear to the Pakistani authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of senior civil servants in her Department attended (a) non-selective state schools, (b) state selective schools, (c) independent schools, fee assisted and (d) independent schools, not fee assisted.
Nick Gibb
The Department for Education does not collect or hold this information.