The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what basis the membership of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information was chosen; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the Commission is approaching the review in a fair, open and balanced manner.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield Central on 19 October 2015 to UIN: 10765.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England have (a) staff trained in CPR or (b) a defibrillator on site; and what plans her Department has to ensure that all schools have (i) such staff and (ii) on-site defibrillators.
Edward Timpson
The Department does not hold information on the number of schools which have staff trained in CPR. All schools should have at least one first-aider, and the number of first-aid personnel will be based on local circumstances, considered as part of a first aid needs assessment in the school. Recognised certificated courses ‘First Aid at Work’ or ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ train staff in the administration of CPR.
The guidance published by the Department in November 2014 promoted a scheme to enable schools to purchase defibrillators at reduced cost. As of 23 October 2015, 735 defibrillators had been purchased by schools through this scheme. The Department does not hold information on the total number of schools with a defibrillator.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support development programmes in Yemen.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Given the current humanitarian crisis in the country, the principal focus of the UK’s support to Yemen is on meeting immediate humanitarian needs and delivering basic services. The UK is one of the largest donors to the humanitarian crisis and has announced £75 million commitment so far. UK aid is providing vital medical supplies, water, food and emergency shelter, as well as supporting the UN work to co-ordinate the international humanitarian response. Our support is delivered through UN agencies and international NGOs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2015 to Question 9704, whether current staffing levels for (a) torture prevention and (b) death penalty projects will be maintained in 2015-16.
Mr David Lidington
The staff levels in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as in all Departments, will be dependent on the outcomes of the Spending Review. The FCO’s work on the prevention of tortue and the death penalty will remain central to our human rights work overseas in 2015-16.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how his Department plans to apply the apprenticeships levy in Wales.
Nick Boles
My Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce further details of the apprenticeship levy at the Spending Review, including the scope and rate of the levy and how it will operate with respect to the Devolved Administrations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on the implementation of the Choice Review.
Ben Gummer
The Department commissioned the Review of Choice in End of Life Care to examine the issue of choice in end of life care. The Review’s recommendations on achieving high quality care and greater choice were published earlier this year. We agree with the vision set out by the Review and we are working with NHS England to see how this can best be achieved. We intend to respond to the Review later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2015 to Question 12538, and with reference to the statement in the Answer of 21 September 2015 to Question 10029 that Ely to Soham track doubling was among a small number of schemes that had been paused by Network Rail, which other schemes were paused by Network Rail.
Claire Perry
The Secretary of State announced on 25 June 2015 the pause of work on Midland Main Line electrification and TransPennine electrification. Network Rail subsequently announced to stakeholders that it was pausing work on Ely to Soham track doubling. No other pauses have been announced.
Any further changes to Network Rail’s delivery plans will be announced as part of the outcome of Sir Peter Hendy’s review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s policies on increasing access to public transport for disabled passengers.
Andrew Jones
We have made significant progress on increasing access. By the end of the year, we expect around 75% of rail journeys to start or end at a step-free station. That is an increase from around 50% when the Access for All programme started. That programme will deliver 151 step-free routes at stations this year. On the buses, only 57% met accessibility regulations in 2009-10. That number is now nearly 90% and rising.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2015-10-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with business on how labour inspection and enforcement could support implementation of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, relating to transparency in the supply chains of commercial organisations.
Lord Bates
Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 focuses on encouraging businesses to take action to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains. The state seeks to prevent this type of abuse through labour inspection and enforcement. We want these two areas of activity to complement each other to prevent labour exploitation in the UK. We have recently launched a consultation on the Government’s approach to tackling exploitation in the labour market. We will use the outcomes of this consultation to ensure that our final proposals complement section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act as effectively as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of brownfield land is controlled by central government departments.
Brandon Lewis
The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold this information.
The Housing and Planning Bill will require local authorities to have a statutory register of brownfield land that is suitable for housing, improving the availability and transparency of up-to-date information.