The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he consulted his Northern Ireland counterpart on his Department’s publication Guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority on Environmental Objectives Relating to the Exercise of its Air Navigation Functions.
Mr Robert Goodwill
There was no specific consultation with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on this publication.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional costs and savings he expects from the introduction of the Single Fraud Investigation Service in each of the years from 2012 to 2018.
Esther McVey
The SFIS Business Case covers the period 2011/12 to 2021/22, and the current figures indicate that the cost of implementing SFIS is £73 million with a saving expected around £507million. As the project progresses the business case will be reviewed and where necessary updated.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress is being made towards meeting the health goals in the Government’s No Second Night Out Strategy.
Jane Ellison
We have met the health goals set out in the No Second Night Out Strategy. Action has included setting up the Homeless Hospital Hospitals Discharge Fund to improve hospital discharge arrangements and provide new post-discharge respite care facilities for homeless people, and publishing guidance (Commissioning Inclusive Services) for local Health and Wellbeing Boards.
Work continues on improving the physical and mental health outcomes of rough sleepers and we are investing £40 million in 2015-16 to refurbish existing hostels to support health improvement and reduce the demand on health services through a new Homelessness Change programme. This sits alongside Platform for Life, a new programme providing shared accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness, so they have a stable platform for work and study.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sudanese counterpart on the case of Meriam Ibrahim and the persecution of Christians in that country.
Mr William Hague
I am appalled at the death sentence given to Meriam Ibrahim, and her continued imprisonment. At my request, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Sudanese Embassy in London was summoned to the Foreign Office on 19 May. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Ms Featherstone), also raised our deep concerns with the Sudanese Foreign Minister when she met him on 20 May. Our Embassy in Khartoum continues to press the Sudanese authorities for Meriam Ibrahim’s release, and is in close contact with her legal team.
Along with our international partners, we regularly raise the persecution of Christians and other minorities with the Sudanese government. We have called on it to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws as enshrined in its own constitution.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruits enlisting in the armed forces under the age of 18 years had previously (a) been convicted of a criminal offence, (b) received a caution from the police, (c) received an anti-social behaviour order and (d) been permanently excluded from school in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Anna Soubry
This information is not held in the format requested.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations on supporting the broadcasting of accessible information in to the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea in paragraph 1224 of the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in that country.
Mr Hugo Swire
We have taken note of the UN Commission of Inquiry recommendation that civil society be supported to broadcast accessible information. We have helped to facilitate contact between BBC Worldwide and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) broadcasting authorities, to explore the possibility of the BBC supplying a range of programmes to the DPRK.
Through our Embassy in Pyongyang, the UK is also one of the few countries which is able to engage directly with the DPRK. This complements the efforts of others who are already broadcasting into North Korea. The recent report of the UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights in North Korea recognised the importance of both approaches.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to improve the reliability of tracking methodologies for foreign (a) registered and (b) unregistered vehicles in the UK.
Stephen Hammond
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) receives information on foreign registered vehicles from the police and other enforcement agencies, as well as from members of the public. Other ways of obtaining this information are currently being explored.
The DVLA has been working with the police to pilot a new enforcement process. This involves the DVLA providing the police forces with registration numbers of foreign registered vehicles which may have overstayed the six- month exemption period and where the keepers have not complied with UK requirements. This information enables the four police forces involved to seize and impound vehicles that have overstayed, where appropriate. If the pilot is successful, the DVLA will explore the potential for extending it to more police forces.
The DVLA is also working with other government agencies to establish what other data might be used to track and identify over staying foreign registered vehicles.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Statement of 9 June 2014, Official Report, column 269, on Birmingham schools, when Ministers of his Department were first made aware of allegations of extremism in schools in Birmingham.
Mr Edward Timpson
The Department for Education received the ‘Trojan Horse’ letter in December 2013. The Secretary of State has asked the Permanent Secretary to investigate how the Department dealt with warnings both since the formation of this Government in 2010 and before.
Since receiving a copy of the Trojan Horse letter, the Department has been working closely with agencies such as Birmingham City Council, the police and Ofsted. Based on the Department’s evidence-gathering, the Secretary of State commissioned inspections by Ofsted and appointed Peter Clarke as Education Commissioner.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department last met representatives of BAE to discuss Typhoon exports.
Michael Fallon
The Eurofighter Typhoon programme is carried out in partnership with the Governments of Germany, Italy and Spain. This includes cooperation on exports. The Government of Belgium has expressed an interest in Typhoon as well as other competing aircraft as a potential replacement for their F-16 fleet. UK Trade and Investment have been invited, to participate in preliminary discussions at official level on Typhoon. United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) officials are working with colleagues across Government, in the partner nations and with Eurofighter GmbH to coordinate a response.
Within UK Government work on Typhoon export campaigns is led by UKTI, but HMG takes a collaborative approach to defence exports and so all campaigns are a cross departmental effort. Information on staffing numbers is not therefore available centrally.
Ministerial responsibility for UKTI rests with my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Lord Livingston of Parkhead). My noble Friend reports to my Rt Hon Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, as the two responsible Cabinet Ministers.
Information regarding Ministers’ meetings is published by the Department on the internet: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&publication_type=transparency-data
The Minister of State for Trade and Investment discussed Typhoon exports during his meeting with BAES on 18 December 2013. The Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills has no immediate plans to meet his Belgian counterpart.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when (a) she, (b) Ministers in her Department and (c) the Chief Executive of HM Passport Office (HMPO) last met staff representatives of HMPO.
James Brokenshire
The views of staff representatives are communicated to Ministers through the HM
Passport Office Chief Executive.
The Chief Executive holds regular fora and other meetings with staff at HM
Passport Office premises.
Events were held in:
Durham on 12 February 2014;
Liverpool on 14 March;
Southport on 30 April;
Belfast on 9 May; and
Newport on 16 May.
The Chief Executive also met local Public and Commercial Services union
representatives in those offices on those dates.