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  • Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost of moving Bedford County Court from Shire Hall, St Paul’s Square, Bedford, to the Employment Tribunal building in Howard Street, Bedford.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The enabling works of moving Bedford County Court to the Employment Tribunal building will be subject to a tendering process. The disclosure of any estimate of costs is therefore commercially confidential.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with officials from the (a) Canadian government and (b) EU on the implications to the UK judicial system of the ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

    Dominic Raab

    Officials from my department have not held discussions with officials from the Canadian government or the EU on the implications to the UK judicial system of the ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

  • Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions a judicial officer has not imposed a victims surcharge or any other fine following a request to do so in each of the last three years.

    Mike Penning

    Courts are required to impose the victim surcharge on all offenders convicted of any offence, however those who receive an absolute discharge or a Hospital Order under the Mental Health Act 1983 are exempt from the surcharge.

    In respect of fines, the sentence imposed in a particular case is based on the details of the offence and the offender, within the maximum penalties set out in statute and with due consideration to sentencing guidelines. The court is obliged to follow any sentencing guidelines unless it is contrary to the interests of justice to do so. If a court imposes a sentence outside the range indicated in the guidelines, it must state its reasons for doing so.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any further courts and tribunal offices are planned for closure in addition to those announced in the Government’s response to the consultation on the court and tribunal estate, published in February 2016.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    HMCTS keeps its operational estate under review to make sure that it aligns with the delivery of reformed court and tribunal services. Any proposals for further closures, should they be required, will be subject to public consultation.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of UK development assistance on the availability of clean water in the last 10 years in (a) sub-Saharan African countries and (b) other countries.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Between 2011 and 2015, DFID reached 20.9 million people with access to clean drinking water. 60% of these results were delivered in sub-Saharan African countries. In addition we reached a further 42 million people with improved sanitation and hygiene. We met the Coalition target to reach 60 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene by December 2015 nine months early in April 2015.

    DFID supports international monitoring of access to water. This showed that in 2015, 91% of the global population used an improved drinking water source and 2.6 billion people had gained access since 1990. Globally, the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target on access to water was met. However, the target was not met for sub-Saharan Africa where in 2015, 68% of people had access to improved drinking water.

    We are currently formulating our new portfolio to deliver on the UK government’s commitment to help a further 60 million people get access to clean water and sanitation by 2020. We expect to maintain a significant proportion of this investment in sub-Saharan African countries, but will also support people in Asia to gain access to water and sanitation.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that police officers receive appropriate psychological support after witnessing traumatic events.

    Mike Penning

    Policing, by its nature, can be a stressful and demanding job and it is the responsibility of chief officers, supported by the College of Policing, to ensure that good management systems are in place to support police in their work.

    The Government recognise the importance of police welfare. In October 2014 we allocated £10 million to help support emergency services personnel and volunteers, focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support for those who need it.

    The Home Office is working with the national policing lead for wellbeing and engagement on the development of his strategy but this must remain a sector led initiative.

  • Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20367, how the figure of approximately two million adults who have adopted safer online behaviours that will better protect them was reached; and how such behaviours were measured.

    Karen Bradley

    Cyber Streetwise is a cross Government campaign, developed by private and public stakeholder partners and coordinated by the Home Office. It is designed to measurably make the UK a safer place to interact and do business online by increasing individual and SME adoption of safe online behaviours.

    Government experts estimate that a significant proportion of cyber security issues would be avoided by safer online behaviours. Cyber Streetwise supports this by increasing digital confidence by informing people about the key things that keep them safer online. It does this by:

    • Delivering actionable and positive solution focussed advice on how to be secure

    • Creating arresting communications that highlight the consequences and cut through low interest

    • Reminding and reinforcing individuals and SMEs of the core protective behaviours at the point of risk/incidence

    The impact of Cyber Streetwise on behaviours is evaluated via regular quantitative tracking research. Since its launch in January 2014, it is estimated that 2 million adults have adopted safer online behaviours that will better protect them.

    This is estimated using data from the National Cyber Security Tracker. This is a regular non-random online panel survey of 2000 people, designed to measure the adoption (claimed behaviour) of safer cyber security behaviours amongst SMEs and the public.

  • Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20367 and of 18 January 2016 to Question 22101, what the spend for the Cyber Streetwise campaign was on (a) media spend and production, (b) PR, partnership and social, (c) research and (d) website in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16.

    Mr John Hayes

    Cyber Streetwise is a cross Government campaign, developed by private and public stakeholder partners and coordinated by the Home Office’s Research, Information and Communications Unit. It is designed to make the UK a safer place to interact and do business online by increasing individual and SME adoption of safe online behaviours.

    Government experts estimate that a significant proportion of cyber security threats could be avoided by safer online behaviours. Cyber Streetwise supports this by increasing digital confidence, informing people about key steps that keep them safer online. It does this by:

    • Delivering actionable and positive solution focussed advice on how to be secure

    • Creating arresting communications that highlight the consequences and cut through low interest

    • Reminding and reinforcing individuals and SMEs of the core protective behaviours at the point of risk/incidence

    The impact of Cyber Streetwise on behaviours is evaluated via regular quantitative tracking research. Since its launch in January 2014, it is estimated that 2 million adults have adopted safer online behaviours that will better protect them.

    The spend for Cyber Streetwise in 2014/15 and 2015/16 is as follows:

    • 2014/15 – £3.95 million excl VAT

    • 2015/16 – £4.1 million excl VAT

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of mental health issues among firefighters; and if she will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    The physical and mental well being of fire fighters is of utmost importance and we recognise that from time to time some fire fighters may experience challenging times because of the stressful and demanding functions of the role. The responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of fire fighters rests with individual fire and rescue authorities. The Chief Fire Officers’ Association supports them in this work through its lead on fire and rescue occupational health matters.

    The Government announced in October last year the allocation of nearly £10 million to help support 200,000 emergency services personnel and volunteers, funded through the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) fines. Of this funding up to £4 million was allocated to mental health charity MIND to develop a programme of targeted mental health support and information for all emergency services personnel across England. The programme includes an anti-stigma campaign, a confidential advice line for emergency service staff, training, peer learning events and other resources to help promote better mental health in the work place.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department routinely collects on the nationality, gender and pass rate of applicants for the Life in the UK and Knowledge of Language test; and if she will make it her Department’s policy to publish data providing a breakdown of such data by nationality, gender and pass rate.

    James Brokenshire

    Pass rates for the Life in the UK Test are already published quarterly under transparency arrangements. The most recent are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-february-2016

    As part of the registration process each applicant’s nationality is recorded. Information is not recorded with regard to gender. There are no plans to include a breakdown by nationality or gender in future publications.

    Pass rates for language tests are held in individual approved supplier systems and are not currently published. There are no plans to publish this data.