The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of 2014DIN04-056 Sea King Helicopter drawdown and disposal.
Mr Philip Dunne
A copy of Defence Instruction Notice 2014DIN04-056 regarding Sea King Helicopter drawdown and disposal will be placed in the Library of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Frank Field on 2014-03-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of schools that undertake cycling training; whether his Department provides information to schools on the wearing of cycle helmets by children; and if he will take steps to ensure that a Travel to School Policy becomes compulsory for all local education authorities in relation to schoolchildren and safety.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Department for Transport provides funding for the delivery of Bikeability cycle training in England. Currently approximately 8,177 schools take part in training delivered by either their Local Highway Authority or School Games Organiser Host School.
Bikeability courses include discussions on helmets during the equipment check. Those wearing helmets are taught how to fit and adjust them correctly and there are also wider discussions on safety equipment and what to wear.
The Department for Education expects local authorities to meet its Home to School Transport Duties which includes ensuring safe walking routes and sustainable local travel. There are no plans to change the legislation or the policies that underpin this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Brunei about its policies involving stoning as punishment for adultery and dismemberment as punishment for theft.
Baroness Warsi
I discussed the possible implementation of a new sharia criminal code in Brunei with the Sultan and other government figures during a visit to Brunei in April. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara), also discussed this with the Bruneian Attorney General at the Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting on 6 May. The Secretary of State for Health, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), also raised concerns with his opposite number at a Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting on 18 May 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-03-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the benefit cap.
Esther McVey
We expect a full evaluation of the policy to be published in autumn 2014.
Latest figures show that 4,250 households that were previously subject to the benefit cap found jobs since the limit was introduced in April 2013.
In total, more than 38,600 households had their benefits capped by January 2014
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure that financial education is taught, to a high standard, in non-state-maintained secondary schools.
Lord Nash
Independent Schools in England do not have to follow the national curriculum, though they do have to have a curriculum which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education.
We will shortly be consulting on strengthening the standards which independent schools must meet, but there are no plans to introduce a requirement on financial education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Mary Glindon on 2014-03-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the effect of reductions in the number of people employed in the public sector in Northern Ireland.
Mr Andrew Robathan
The Government is committed to rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy in favour of the private sector which we, and the Executive, believe is the best way to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future. Over the last year, private sector jobs in Northern Ireland have increased by 10,490 and public sector jobs by 1,790.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what value of trade will be covered by the European Union agreement of 23 April to reduce trade barriers with Ukraine.
Baroness Warsi
The European Commission estimates the annual value of the Autonomous Support Measures to be nearly €500 million (£413.15 million) in tariff reductions of which almost €400 million (£330.52 million) accrue to the agricultural sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2014-03-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to take steps to recover legal aid payments to the firm Public Interest Lawyers following their statement on 20 March that there was no evidence that British soldiers had murdered 20 Iraqis.
Lord Faulks
Legal aid is not funding the Al-Sweady Inquiry. There are therefore no plans to recover payments made from legal aid to Public Interest Lawyers following their statement on 20 March.
On 20 March, at the Al-Sweady Inquiry into the most serious allegations against British soldiers in the Iraq War, lawyers representing Iraqi families withdrew their claim that the troops had killed unarmed civilians they had captured and brought back to an army base.
The inquiry continues and the statement on 20 March does not mean that the inquiry has been abandoned.
Legal aid was provided for an action prior to the Inquiry. Legal aid was provided to Iraqi applicants to seek an independent and effective investigation into deaths and torture or inhumane and degrading treatment in relation to the incident at checkpoint Danny Boy in Iraq in May 2004. As a result of these proceedings, the Secretary of State for Defence decided to hold the Al-Sweady Inquiry. This action was therefore successful in its aim.
The Inquiry is not yet complete and the Chairman’s report is not due to be published until later in the year. Public Interest Lawyers’s statement refers to part only of the allegations made and the Ministry of Justice awaits the Inquiry Report before commenting further.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 6 May (WA 359), whether they intend to make it an offence for a British subject to be taken from the United Kingdom to be forced into marriage outside their jurisdiction.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The Coalition Government has passed legislation to make the act of forcing someone to marry a criminal offence, by means of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. The legislation comes into force on 16 June 2014.
The extra-territorial provision in this legislation means that if the prohibited acts take place outside the UK by, or to, a UK national, or a person habitually resident in England or Wales, it will be an offence under domestic law and triable in the courts of England and Wales.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2014-03-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authority pension schemes to take into account environmental, social and governance factors in their decisions.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston
These issues are matters for individual local authorities that administer pension funds to consider when deciding upon their investment strategies. Each administering authority is required to publish a statement of principles, which may address such issues. Statutory guidance states that the authority must report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of their policies.
Notwithstanding, local authorities need to focus on delivering a good rate of return for their fund and value for taxpayers, given local government pensions cost taxpayers (via employer contributions) almost £6 billion a year.