The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total amount was of financial penalties collected in respect of breaches of section 4 of the Statistics of Trade Act 1947 in each of the most recent three years for which figures are available.
Nick Hurd
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 Lisa Nandy on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much was spent by the Department on purchasing or maintaining carpets in buildings owned by his Department in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.
Mr Francis Maude
Information requested is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funds his Department has returned to the Exchequer as a result of underspend in each year since 2010.
Philip Hammond
In 2010-11, the Ministry of Defence returned no funds to the Exchequer; in 2011-12, the MOD returned £300 million; and in 2012-13, the MOD returned no funds. Final accounts for 2013-14 are not yet available but the MOD has an agreement with the Treasury for carry-forward of underspend at Supplementary Estimates.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Goods Vehicle Levy in Northern Ireland.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The levy is supported by a majority of hauliers in Northern Ireland, all of whom pay it alongside their Vehicle Excise Duty. Hauliers from Ireland must also pay before they use roads in Northern Ireland. A typical large HGV from Ireland visiting Northern Ireland twice a day, as would be the case for a round trip, would effectively pay only £1.28 per visit if they had purchased an annual levy. Smaller vehicles pay less, and those under 12 tonnes pay nothing. These represent small amounts compared to the running cost of a UK HGV of £80,000 to £100,000 per year, and much less than the tolls a typical Northern Ireland HGV would face doing a round trip to Dublin at around £8. Parliament has already debated the exempting of some border roads in Northern Ireland, totalling around 7 miles. These exemptions are a practical measure meaning that vehicles entering Northern Ireland for a short distance do not have to pay the levy, and exempting them simplifies enforcement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) accommodation provision, (b) employment programmes and (c) other resettlement provision has been made for Syrian refugees who come to the UK as part of the resettlement deal.
James Brokenshire
The first beneficiaries of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR)
scheme arrived in the UK on 25 March. This is the result of excellent
co-operation with UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration and local
authority services, which has allowed us to identify vulnerable individuals in
need of evacuation and ensure that the support they need is in place in the
UK. These support packages are tailored on a case by case basis to ensure that
specific requirements for those relocated under the scheme are met and include
health, education and integration support.
Those admitted under the VPR scheme will be granted five years’ Humanitarian
Protection, with all the rights and benefits that go with that status. This
includes access to public funds, access to the labour market and the
possibility of family reunion. If the situation in Syria stabilises, they may
choose to return home. However, at the end of the five years, if they have not
been able to return to Syria, they may be eligible to apply for settlement in
the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2014-05-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what diagnostic training general practitioners receive with regard to neurofibromatosis.
Earl Howe
The content and standard of medical training of trainee general practitioners (GPs) is the responsibility of the General Medical Council, which is an independent statutory body. It has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.
In the specific area of genetics in primary care, the curriculum designed by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) requires GPs to understand that while some genetic conditions always present with the same signs and symptoms, others can show variability between family members, particularly some autosomal dominant conditions (such as neurofibromatosis type 1).
The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the National Health Service. This mandate includes a commitment that HEE will ensure that GP training produces GPs with the required competencies to practise in the new NHS. Consequently HEE will work with stakeholders to influence training curricula as appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure provision of adequate rolling stock to serve the Hull-Manchester train route from April 2015.
Stephen Hammond
The Department is working with train operators and the rolling stock companies to ensure that adequate rolling stock is available to provide continued levels of service to passengers on the route.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2014-05-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of the court cells at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court since December 2013.
Lord Faulks
The cell accommodation at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court is housed within the interconnected Pilgrim Street Police Station which is due to close in summer 2014 and belongs to Northumbria Police.
The cells have not been in use since 7April, 2014 when a temporary arrangement was put in place to enable urgent fire safety works to be undertaken. Whilst five of the 13 cells are unlikely to be used again due to safety concerns, the remaining eight are now available for use as the fire safety work has been completed.
The current temporary closure has been extended until 30 May, 2014 to enable conclusion of discussions with the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner over future use and maintenance of the cells once the Police Station closes.
The temporary arrangement, comprising a daily remand court at North Tyneside and the listing of other custody work in available courtrooms across the court estate in Northumbria, is not wholly satisfactory and the impact is being assessed on a daily basis, in particular the impact on victims and witnesses. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is seeking to conclude the discussions with the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner as quickly as possible and currently intends to resume use of the cells on 2 June, 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the maximum grants for funding support workers under the Access to Work scheme were determined.
Mike Penning
There is no maximum grant level set for the funding of support workers under the Access to Work programme. Our aim is to use the programme budget to assist the maximum possible number of disabled workers across all industry sectors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had with the Iranian government on the prosecution of people of the Baha’i faith.
Hugh Robertson
The UK has repeatedly expressed concern at the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran, including the sentencing of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran to 20 years imprisonment and the regular harassment the community suffers from. We raised the treatment of Baha’is with the UN Special Rapporteur at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014 and the UK’s non-resident Chargé d’Affaires discussed freedom of religion with the Iranian authorities during his last visit to Iran on 12 March. We will continue to call on the Iranian government to ensure that all its citizens are able to exercise their right to freedom of religion, free from persecution and harassment.