The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2014-04-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incursions into Gibraltarian waters by Spanish government-owned vessels occurred in (1) 2012, (2), 2013, and (3) January and February 2014.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
The number of unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by Spanish state vessels totalled:
229 in 2012
496 in 2013
75 in January and February 2014
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2014-04-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Botswana about the ban on hunting imposed on the Bushmen, in contravention of the terms of independence agreed by the United Kingdom in 1966.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
The British Government have had regular discussions with the Government of Botswana regarding the situation of the San (Bushmen). In those discussions we have consistently encouraged the Government of Botswana to seek an inclusive, sustainable and negotiated solution. EU Heads of Mission discussed the impact of the hunting ban on the San (Bushmen) in February 2014 with the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2014-04-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 20 March (WA 52), how much each former Prime Minister received by way of public duty cost allowances in the financial year 2013–14.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
This information will be published in the Cabinet Office annual report.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in increasing the diversity of entry to the professional and business services sector.
Matthew Hancock
These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government’s industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry’s agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.
The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.
The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy’s ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer’ initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.
The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools’ reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.
The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.
The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.
The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.
My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.
The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.
Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 8W, on employee ownership, how many companies have applied to participate in the Shares for Rights Scheme to date.
Jenny Willott
The employee shareholder status is a new employment status that is optional for companies and offer and for individuals to take up. There is no requirement for individuals to apply to Government to become an employee shareholder or for companies to register or apply to Government to use it.
The Government has therefore made no assessment of levels of current or future take-up.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many schools will benefit from his broadband rollout for schools.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Government has committed £780million to help deliver superfast broadband to 95 per cent of UK premises by 2017. We do not have data on the specific number of schools that would benefit from the programme. Public sector broadband requirements would be the managed by the department or local authority with responsibility for delivering the relevant policy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many tonnes of carbon dioxide were displaced by onshore wind electricity generation in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in the latest year for which figures are available.
Michael Fallon
Provisional 2013 data show that 11.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were displaced by onshore wind electricity generation in the UK. DECC does not publish a breakdown of electricity generated by onshore wind for each constituent country so carbon dioxide savings are only available for the UK as a whole.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the country of origin was of each special mission to the UK that has been refused since 4 March 2013; and what were the grounds for each refusal.
Mark Simmonds
I refer to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), to the House on 4 March 2013, Official Report, columns 55-56WS. The Foreign Secretary announced a new process by which we would be informed of visits that may qualify for special mission status. The pilot process has improved the process for communicating and decision-making in respect of visits that may qualify for special mission status. Since the pilot’s inception, we have received six such requests. There are no requests outstanding.
The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), confirmed to the House on 12 July 2013, Official Report, columns 427W and 429W, that two of the requests which were granted, related to visits by Lieutenant General Benny Gantz of the Israeli Defence Forces and Doron Almog, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff for Bedouin Status improvement. In view of the confidentiality of diplomatic exchanges, we have no plans to publish further details about requests that have been granted or refused. But if those applying for special mission status wish to announce the details of their visit to the UK, they are of course at liberty to do so.
All applications for special mission status are considered carefully in view of both obligations incumbent upon the UK under customary international law and our policy of ending impunity for the most serious of international crimes and a commitment to the protection of human rights. Above this, it is for the courts to decide on the legal consequences of any decision to grant special mission status.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of levels of violence against women in Afghanistan.
Justine Greening
The UK Government shares the widespread concern about attacks and intimidation faced by Afghan women, including those who work to defend the rights and fundamental freedoms of others.
Eliminating violence against women and girls is a strategic priority for DFID’s work in Afghanistan and a range of programmes are being implemented to directly tackle women’s violence and support women’s empowerment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Elfyn Llwyd on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what effect the introduction of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda in magistrates’ courts in England and Wales will have on report writing slots.
Jeremy Wright
We are engaging with the magistracy and sentencers to ensure they are fully informed of the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms and associated implications. The new National Probation Service (NPS) will be responsible for advice to courts and, prior to sentence, the NPS will advise courts on sentencing options for cases as part of a pre-sentence report (in accordance with the reserved function of giving assistance to any court in determining the appropriate sentence to pass, under Section 4 of the Offender Management Act 2007).
As now, the three categories of pre-sentence report, Standard Delivery (SDR), Fast Delivery (FDR), and Same Day (or Oral) reports will allow Courts the flexibility to deliver sentencing decisions in the appropriate timeframe, depending on each individual case, reducing the number of adjournments and expediting the criminal justice process. The new Risk of Serious Recidivism (RSR) tool will be used to inform the allocation of cases to new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) or the NPS and complements the pre-sentence report process. The RSR will be straightforward to use and aims to reduce bureaucracy in the report writing process. We will ensure through the contracting process that CRCs work closely with the NPS so that cases where the offender is under CRC supervision are brought before the courts speedily and effectively.