The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 17668, if he will collect information on how much has been spent from the public purse on providing legal aid for asylum seekers who wish to purse immigration appeals.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The information is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to implement Schedule 23 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013.
Mr John Hayes
Schedule 23 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 sets out the process for making an Order under Section 2 of that Act. Section 2 provides that the Secretary of State may make provisions about National Crime Agency Counter-Terrorism functions. There are no immediate plans to use Schedule 23 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013.
Although counter-terrorism policing already has effective national structures, we will in due course carry out a review to look at how we might enhance our capabilities further.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 1.143 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what the evidential basis is for the statement that whiplash claims cost the country £2 billion per year.
Dominic Raab
The government received and analysed data from numerous sources when formulating the announcement in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. The quoted figures were arrived at by combining published industry estimates along with data from government and other sources.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 2.149 of the Spending Review, where he expects job cuts in his Department; and how many such jobs he expects to be cut.
Dominic Raab
The Secretary of State for Justice has set out his vision for a one nation justice system, with swift and certain justice in a reformed courts system and transformed prisons that become places of rehabilitation, not just incarceration. Those on the frontline will be empowered to make the right decisions for those who use their services.
This means a smaller and smarter Whitehall department with less bureaucracy, including savings which do not impact on staff numbers, such as changes to our estate, our major contracts and better use of technology.
We also expect to reduce headquarters and administrative headcount and costs over the course of the parliament. This will include reduced reliance on contractors and contingent labour and fewer staff based in expensive London premises.
Final decisions on the scale of staff reductions have not yet been reached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to eradicate polio worldwide.
Mr Nick Hurd
The UK Government is fully committed to global polio eradication. With a cumulative investment of more than $1.2 billion, the UK is the third largest donor to the eradication effort, and is providing £300 million for 2013 to 2019. UK funding has contributed to a greater than 99% decrease in polio cases since 1988, with no cases reported in Africa for over a year. Only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – are reporting cases of wild polio in 2015, meaning we are now closer than ever to global eradication.
The UK also plays a key role in sustaining global political commitment and in making sure that every penny we, or others, invest in polio is spent well. The UK actively participates on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Oversight Board and the Finance and Accountability Committee, ensuring a strong focus on results and delivering value for money. During the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the UK re-affirmed our unwavering commitment to fighting polio encouraging others to join us in the final push towards global polio eradication.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2015 to Question 18564, whether further funding will be provided to countries outside Syria that are housing Syrian refugees in addition to the £1 billion committed for reconstruction inside Syria.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US. Of this total, the UK has allocated £559 million to support refugees in the region and vulnerable host communities.
In line with the current UK Aid Strategy, DFID will allocate 50% of its spending to fragile and conflict-affected states and regions, including Syria and the surrounding region, over this Parliament. In addition the Government has pledged to create a £500 million Overseas Development Assistance crisis reserve to allow still greater flexibility to respond to emerging crises such as the displacement of Syrian refugees.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which refugee camps in (a) Turkey, (b) Jordan, (c) Iraq and (d) Lebanon have received financial and material support from her Department; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. To date, we have pledged over £1.1 billion. Of this total we have allocated £304 million in Lebanon, £193 million in Jordan, £34 million to Turkey, £19 million to Iraq and the remainder across the region.
We have not earmarked our funding for specific refugee camps across the region. We support a range of partners including the UN and international non-governmental organisations that work both in camps and in host communities to provide a range of support for refugees. This includes shelter, water, healthcare and education. The vast majority of refugees in countries neighbouring Syria live in host communities. There are no formal camps in Lebanon; rather refugees are disbursed across the country in host communities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-12-08.
To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what proportion of unused and uneaten food produced or bought to be served on the parliamentary estate is (a) recycled, (b) sent to landfill and (c) donated to food aid providers.
Tom Brake
All catering food waste segregated at the kitchens and food preparation areas is recovered offsite by means of anaerobic digestion to produce methane fuel and fertiliser. No catering waste from Parliament is sent to landfill, and no uneaten food is donated to food aid providers.
We are continuing to identify opportunities to reduce the amount of food waste and to increase the proportion we do generate that goes for recovery. A food waste audit to support this is due to take place later this month in the House of Commons.
Food waste from prepared dishes in House of Commons catering outlets is 3% against sales. This is well below the national average for the catering industry of 5%; the Sustainable Restaurant Association has rated the House of Commons as a good practice organisation in respect of food waste.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the Syrian Vulnerable Person Relocation scheme in each year until 2020.
Richard Harrington
The first 12 months of each refugee’s resettlement costs under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) Scheme will be funded using Official Development Assistance, meaning over £460 million of the overseas aid budget will be used by 2019-20. At the Spending Review the Government committed £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 of the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish her Department’s report on tied visas for domestic servants.
James Brokenshire
James Ewins’s report on visas for overseas domestic workers has been submitted to the Home Office and will be published shortly.