The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many homes in Northern Ireland do not have broadband coverage.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Ofcom connected Nations report published in December 2015 reported 100% broadband coverage for all UK premises, including in Northern Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her contribution of 25 January 2016, Official Report, column 12, what funding streams and programmes made up the £70 million which the Government is spending on careers advice in the current Parliament.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The £70 million announced by my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister on 11 January 2016 is to continue to transform the quality of the careers education, advice and guidance offered to young people. We have not yet finalised how much will be spent each year or the allocation process. It will include funding for The Careers & Enterprise Company to continue the excellent work it has begun, including delivery of the new mentoring campaign also announced by the Prime Minister on 11 January.
Further information about our priorities for careers education advice and guidance in this Parliament will be set out in our new careers strategy to be published in the spring
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how the Transitional Grant in the local government spending review is funded.
Mr Marcus Jones
DCLG has reprioritised existing spending in addition to using unallocated and contingency budgets to fund the transitional grant.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 10 March (HL6471), when they were informed of the NHS England plan to introduce a sugar tax on its premises by 2020.
Lord Prior of Brampton
We have a range of conversations about key issues at Ministerial and official level with NHS England. NHS England is independent and the decision on a sugar levy on the National Health Service estate is a matter for them operationally. We are interested to see the results of their consultation on a sugar levy.
The Childhood Obesity Strategy will be published in the summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the international aid budget has been spent on India in the last five years.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The table below provides details of total UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to India as a percentage of total UK ODA.
|
Year |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Percent of Bilateral ODA to Total ODA |
6% |
5% |
3% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports they have received concerning the welfare of refugees and migrants removed from Greece to Turkey, in the light of reports that some are being detained in camps at Düziçi and elsewhere, without access to legal advice or medical services.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government takes very seriously any allegations of the inappropriate treatment of migrants or refugees, and we would urge any evidence substantiating the allegations to be made available to us and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We note Turkey’s strong assurances about the treatment of migrants and refugees in its camps and removal centres. And also note the recent agreements reached betweenTurkey, the European Commission and the UNHCR, providing them with access to the Düziçi Camp and Kirklareli Removal Centre, and the UNHCR’s positive view following its initial visit. We will be following the outcome of future visits closely.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-07-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to First Vice-President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan to encourage their political dialogue.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Whilst we have not been able to be in direct contact with President Salva Kiir or First Vice President Riek Machar since the escalation in fighting on 10 July, we have in the past made repeated representations to both, urging them to abide by the terms of the peace agreement they signed up to in August 2015. The further fighting that has broken out is therefore deeply disappointing and we are working with regional and international partners to ensure a clear message on the necessity for a lasting ceasefire and condemnation of violence from all sides.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the international coalition is making in its work to defeat Daesh.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
As recent progress in Qayyarah in Iraq and Manbij in Syria demonstrates, our strategy of supporting local forces, including with airstrikes is working. The Coalition assesses that Daesh has been driven out of around half the territory it once occupied in Iraq and over 20 per cent in Syria. Thousands of people have been freed from Daesh’s rule and many of those who have escaped have now been able to return to their homes. The next major challenges are driving Daesh out of Raqqa and Mosul.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the funding levels are for Combined Cadet Forces in schools in 2016-17.
Mark Lancaster
There is no set budget for the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and the cost of Ministry of Defence (MOD) sponsorship of the CCF is calculated retrospectively.
The latest assessment of the cost to the MOD of funding the CCF was for Financial Year (FY) 2013-14 when the total was £30.144 million. This figure covered the running costs and fixed costs of over 350 cadet units with a total of over 41,000 cadets. Running costs include equipment, rations, uniforms, transport, and remuneration for Adult Volunteers. Fixed costs include training infrastructure and overheads, regional structures, and central management administration and support.
The baseline cost of the CCF for FY 2016-17 will not be substantially different from the 2013-14 figure, although the Government has committed an additional £50 million from LIBOR fines to the joint MOD/Department for Education Cadet Expansion Programme to increase the number of cadet units in schools to 500 by 2020. Most of the new units will be CCF contingents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Nigerian government on returning displaced people to areas previously in the control of Boko Haram.
James Duddridge
We welcome the recent progress made by the Nigerian armed forces in the fight against Boko Haram and the UK continues to support their efforts. The security situation in North East Nigeria however remains extremely fragile and it is not yet appropriate for many displaced people to return to their homes. The UK is supporting the Government of Nigeria and the UN to help those affected by the conflict and we have provided £5.5 million this year for the humanitarian response in North East Nigeria. Tackling Boko Haram will require a comprehensive approach that addresses the political, economic and development problems in North East Nigeria, in addition to a security response. We are supporting the Nigerian authorities to improve security and put the conditions in place to enable the safe return of internally displaced people to their homes.