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  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Fresh Start Agreement created a Joint Agency Task Force to identify strategic priorities and co-ordinate joint operations against those involved in cross-border organised crime.

    Tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland is primarily a matter for the devolved Department of Justice, under the auspices of the Organised Crime Task Force.

  • Robin Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Robin Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robin Walker on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Irish government on cross-border efforts to stop organised crime.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    In accordance with the Fresh Start Agreement, in December I attended a trilateral cross-border ministerial meeting with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government.

    We agreed new measures to enhance law enforcement cooperation on organised crime and a Joint Agency Taskforce has been established.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the Northern Ireland economy.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Government’s long-term economic plan is strengthening the Northern Ireland economy.

    Last year legislation was passed to allow the devolution of corporation tax rate-setting powers.

    This could bring benefits for an estimated 34,000 companies of all sizes in Northern Ireland.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the Northern Ireland economy.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Government’s long-term economic plan is strengthening the Northern Ireland economy.

    Last year legislation was passed to allow the devolution of corporation tax rate-setting powers.

    This could bring benefits for an estimated 34,000 companies of all sizes in Northern Ireland.

  • Edward Argar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Edward Argar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Argar on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on economic development in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Government’s long-term economic plan is delivering for Northern Ireland. The economy there is growing.

    There are 51,000 more people in work today than there were in 2010. The claimant count is down by 40% since its peak in February 2013.

  • Glyn Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Glyn Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Glyn Davies on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Irish government on cross-border efforts to stop organised crime.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    In accordance with the Fresh Start Agreement, in December I attended a trilateral cross-border ministerial meeting with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government.

    We agreed new measures to enhance law enforcement cooperation on organised crime and a Joint Agency Taskforce has been established.

  • Chris Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage innovation by defence suppliers.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    This Government announced a step change in our approach to innovation in the Strategic Defence and Security Review. We are developing plans to work with existing defence and non-traditional defence contractors, as well as international partners, to develop new technologies and innovations to stay ahead of our adversaries as technological advance becomes more widely accessible.

    We have also refreshed our policy to help small and medium enterprises as vital defence innovators, and we invest 1.2% of a growing defence budget in scienece and technology.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on progress in the campaign against Daesh.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Wythenshawe and Sale East (Mike Kane), Bracknell (Dr Phillip Lee), Faversham and Mid Kent (Helen Whately) and Newark (Robert Jenrick).

  • Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage young people to join local Air Training Corps; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Air Training Corps actively promotes itself through local, national and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

    The Air Cadets website gets 1.8 million hits per year. Local Squadrons also regularly set up recruitment stands in town centres to encourage word of mouth recommendation.

    The most important thing is getting Cadets gliding again. This is ramping up this year and will be fully in place in 2018.

  • Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what modelling they have done to establish the scale of gains and losses that are likely to result from the introduction of the National Funding Formula for schools.

    Lord Nash

    On 7 March, we published our first consultation on a national funding formula for schools and high needs. It outlined the principles of the funding system and the funding factors that we believe should define the formula.

    The detailed design of the national funding formula – and therefore its impact on local authorities and schools – will only be finalised once we have had the opportunity to thoroughly consider all responses to our first consultation, which closed on 17 April. We intend to set out those proposals and the impacts of the proposed formula on local authorities and schools in a second stage consultation later this year. We are thinking carefully about how the transition to new funding levels can be managed and will set out further detail on this in the second consultation.