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  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what proportion of cases costs have been awarded to an employer following an unsuccessful claim being brought against them at each stage of the proceedings at an employment tribunal in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Ministry of Justice publishes Official Statistics, annually, on costs awards made in employment tribunal claims. It also reports on the numbers of cases disposed of by employment tribunals. Data on costs awards are at table E12, and data on disposals of complaints are available at table E2 which shows distribution of disposed complaints by type and by jurisdiction in the latest release, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2013.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average compensation payment ordered in employment tribunal cases relating to discrimination on the grounds of religion was by the religious belief of the complainant in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I am answering these questions together.

    Data on highest compensation awards for discrimination jurisdictions for the last five years are set out in Tables E6 to E10 of the latest Official Statistics release published by the Ministry of Justice, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2013.

    Data on average compensation awards in race discrimination and religious discrimination claims are set out in Tables E6 and E9 of that publication, respectively.

    Information on the nature of complaints upheld, and the type of race or religion relevant to individual claims, is not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost following a manual trawl of all relevant tribunal files. The records retention and disposal schedule applicable to such tribunal files also means that information covering each of the last five years would not be held.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average compensation payment ordered in employment tribunal cases relating to discrimination on the grounds of race was, by ethnicity of complainant, in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I am answering these questions together.

    Data on highest compensation awards for discrimination jurisdictions for the last five years are set out in Tables E6 to E10 of the latest Official Statistics release published by the Ministry of Justice, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2013.

    Data on average compensation awards in race discrimination and religious discrimination claims are set out in Tables E6 and E9 of that publication, respectively.

    Information on the nature of complaints upheld, and the type of race or religion relevant to individual claims, is not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost following a manual trawl of all relevant tribunal files. The records retention and disposal schedule applicable to such tribunal files also means that information covering each of the last five years would not be held.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest compensation payment ordered in employment tribunal cases relating to discrimination on the grounds of (a) sex, (b) disability, (c) religion, (d) sexual orientation, (e) age and (f) race was in each of the last five years; and if he will list the nature of the complaint upheld in each case.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I am answering these questions together.

    Data on highest compensation awards for discrimination jurisdictions for the last five years are set out in Tables E6 to E10 of the latest Official Statistics release published by the Ministry of Justice, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2013.

    Data on average compensation awards in race discrimination and religious discrimination claims are set out in Tables E6 and E9 of that publication, respectively.

    Information on the nature of complaints upheld, and the type of race or religion relevant to individual claims, is not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost following a manual trawl of all relevant tribunal files. The records retention and disposal schedule applicable to such tribunal files also means that information covering each of the last five years would not be held.

  • Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Julian Huppert on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to implement the recommendations of the Arts on Prescription 2010-2012 report produced by the charity Arts & Minds.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Arts & Minds charity is doing important work within the arts and health sector. I recently held a roundtable meeting on arts and health focusing on some of the issues raised in the Arts on Prescription report which the Executive Director of Arts & Minds attended. Health initiatives like the Arts on Prescription scheme have the potential to result in cost savings across health and social care and health practitioners and other relevant authorities should give careful consideration to the recommendations.

  • Paul Maynard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Maynard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Maynard on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to include financial capability education in the national curriculum; and what guidance his Department has issued on such education.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The new mathematics curriculum will ensure that all young people leave school with an understanding of the mathematics skills needed for personal finance.

    For the first time financial literacy will also be a compulsory part of citizenship for 11- to 16-year-olds from September 2014. Pupils will learn the importance of budgeting, sound management of money, credit and debt, as well as understanding of different financial services and products.

    The new programmes of study for mathematics and citizenship make it clear what pupils should learn, including developing their use of formal mathematical knowledge to interpret and solve problems including financial mathematics.

  • Alun Cairns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Alun Cairns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alun Cairns on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies on voluntary restrictions by network providers of adult content of recent proposals from the European Parliament on a European single market for electronic communications.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We are aware that there some concerns that the European Parliament’s amendments to the draft Connected Continent regulation may restrict ISPs ability to block illegal content or to filter adult content at the request of customers. The UK Government supports the aims of the Connect Continent package, but let me clear that we will not agree to any proposals that restrict the ability of parents to protect their children from inappropriate content on line. We are confident that this was not the intention of the European Parliament and we are working with EU Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament to deliver a final package that promotes an open, safe and secure internet.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will raise at the UN the prospects of severe famine in South Sudan.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The UK is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in South Sudan. The ongoing conflict, which has led to the displacement of over 900,000 people within the country, limited the ability of people to plant their crops, and disrupted trade and local markets. There is concern that those in conflict-affected states will experience famine later this year.

    The UK is taking a leading role in responding to the crisis. We have so far contributed £20 million to the United Nations and International Non-Governmental Organisations for emergency humanitarian assistance inside South Sudan. We are considering additional support. We will continue to take every opportunity, including in the United Nations, to raise our concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of the involvement of the Somali group al Shabaab in attacks in Kenya.

    Mark Simmonds

    Al Shabaab issued public threats against Kenya following its military intervention in Somalia in 2011. A number of terrorist attacks in Kenya since then have been attributed to Al Shabaab, including the September 2013 attack on the Westgate shopping centre in which 67 people were killed. We are aware of the media reports that Al Shabaab were behind the recent attacks in Kenya.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance he has offered to the Nigerian authorities to resolve the continued abduction of girls from the North East of that country.

    Mark Simmonds

    In the days following the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, we have offered our assistance to the highest levels of the Nigerian government. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April immediately after the abductions and offered the UK’s assistance.

    On 7 May the Prime Minister, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), spoke to President Jonathan and offered to send a team of UK experts to Abuja. The President accepted and the team, led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), arrived in Abuja on 9 May. The team will provide expertise in counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, military mentoring and training, victim support and economic development. Human rights compliance is, and will remain, an essential element of any UK assistance in Nigeria. I visited Nigeria on 14 May, and reiterated our support with President Jonathan.

    We are coordinating closely with international partners. An FCO team was in Washington on 5 May for talks with the US on Nigeria. Our expert team in Abuja will be coordinating closely with a US team also in Abuja. We are also speaking to the French and are encouraging other EU partners to lend their support. Given Boko Haram’s exploitation of Nigeria’s porous borders and indications that some of the girls may have been taken to Cameroon or Chad, we are engaging with Nigeria’s neighbours.