Tag: 2014

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 18 June (WA 84), what plans they have to recognise the contribution of women in auxiliary, emergency and support services during the Second World War; and whether they have considered the introduction of a badge such as the badge awarded to the Veterans of the Women’s Land Army and Women’s Timber Corps in 2008.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    I am sure the commemorations will seek to honour the work of all of those who contributed to the Second World War effort including women in the auxiliary, emergency, and support services. As the Noble Lord points out, a number of Departments have introduced badges, such as that for female pilots of the Auxiliary Transport Service provided by the Department of Transport. The Ministry of Defence Veterans badge recognises all women who served in the Armed Forces during the Second World War.

  • Lord Noon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Noon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Noon on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the government of Iraq has accepted their offer to send counter-terrorism officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assist against the current jihadi insurgency; if so how many personnel will be sent to Iraq; and how the recent decision to cut the number of counter-terrorism personnel in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will affect future deployments of that nature.

    Baroness Warsi

    We are currently reviewing a number of specific counter-terrorism options to assist the Iraqi government. However, any assistance can only be truly effective alongside an urgent show of unity by Iraq’s leaders. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), reinforced this message when he met with leaders across Iraq’s communities during his visit to Baghdad and Erbil at the end of June.

    The Counter-Terrorism Department is one of the largest policy departments in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement, as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the regulation of the practice of dark pool trading by high frequency bank traders.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Treasury Ministers regularly meet with Ministers in other departments as part of normal Government business. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

    Dark pool trading is subject to regulation under the markets in financial instruments directive (2004/39/EC) (MiFID). The new MiFIR Regulation (600/2014/EU) recently agreed as part of the “MiFID 2” negotiations will impose significant limits on dark pool trading in the EU.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Great Britain Tourism Survey that domestic trips in the UK fell by three million in 2013; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    The number of trips taken in GB in 2013 was the 3rd highest in the 8 years that the current survey has been running and well above pre-recession averages, with spending second only to 2012. We do expect to see a natural increase in people booking holidays abroad as the economy improves but people are continuing to choose Britain for their holiday. Through its Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign, VisitEngland continues to promote England as a place for all residents of Britain to enjoy, and Visit Scotland and Visit Wales are also actively promoting their offer. The GB Tourism Survey also noted the record number of inbound tourists in 2013 reaching nearly 33 million.

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department has taken to ensure equality of access to the UKOP, GPSS and MLP UK pipeline systems.

    Michael Fallon

    Both the UKOP and MLP pipeline systems are privately owned and operated and commercial decisions on access are taken by the companies concerned. The Pipelines Act 1962 contains provisions for owners/operators to offer third party access and for any spare capacity to be made available to anyone who wishes to apply for it.

    The GPSS is a government owned pipeline operated by the Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA), a public corporation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. The OPA lets commercial contracts on a similar basis to operators of private pipelines provided these are consistent with Defence requirements. Access to the GPSS may require the agreement of private companies which control ingress points, egress points or other pipelines connected to the network.

    Following the recent cross- government review of the role of both the UK refining and import sectors in UK, and in recognition of pipeline access being cited as an issue by some stakeholders, the new independently chaired Midstream Oil Government and Industry Task Force will take forward further work on this issue.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his future plans are for the level of staff and budget resourcing on his Department’s Ending Sexual Violence Initiative.

    Mark Simmonds

    The Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) Team has been in place since the launch of the Initiative in 2012. The Team is now developing the next phase of the PSVI strategy building on the success of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, co-hosted by the Foreign Secretary and the Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 10 – 13 June 2014. That work includes assessing the necessary future staff and budget requirements to achieve the post-Summit objectives.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the costs to the NHS of untreated liver disease in one person.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has made no recent assessment of the costs to the National Health Service of untreated liver disease.

  • Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, Investigation into the Establishment of the Performance and Compliance Unit, published in May 2013, what steps have been taken in response to recommendation 1 of that report.

    James Brokenshire

    Following the reorganisations which flowed from the decision to bring the
    functions of the UK Border Agency back into direct ministerial control, the
    Performance and Compliance Unit no longer exists.

  • 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 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the names are of all prisoners who have absconded from prison and currently not been returned; and if he will specify in each such case (a) the offence each absconder originally committed and (b) the length of custodial sentence they were serving when they absconded.

    Simon Hughes

    I apologise for the delay in replying. The table below provides details of index offence and length of sentence of those absconders who are unlawfully at large having absconded between April 2004 and March 2014 (the most recent period that statistics are available). Information prior to April 2004 could only be collated by performing manual checks across different databases and could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

    In order to disclose the names of absconders who are unlawfully at large, it is necessary to make appropriate checks to ensure that disclosure will not jeopardise ongoing Police operations to recapture the offender, will not place any one else in danger and to ensure that any victim has been informed of both the abscond and release of the name. These checks are still on-going and I will write shortly as soon as the information has been prepared.

    The number of absconds has reduced by 80% over the last 10 years.

    Table1: Index offence and sentence length of absconders unlawfully at large from April 2004 to March 2014, as at 30 September 2014

    OFFENCE

    SENTENCE

    SUPPLYING DRUGS

    3 YRS

    GOING EQUIPPED TO CHEAT

    2YRS

    GOING EQUIPPED TO CHEAT

    2YRS

    POSSESS DRUGS WITH INTENT

    6YRS

    AGGRAVATED BURGLARY

    4YRS 6MTHS

    FALSE INSTRUMENTS

    6MTHS

    BURGLARY

    18MTHS

    DEATH BY RECKLESS DRIVING

    4YRS

    IMPORT/EXPORT DRUG

    19YRS

    CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT THEFT

    3YRS 6MTHS

    IMPORT/EXPORT DRUG

    9YRS

    THEFT

    8MTHS

    CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD

    7YRS

    IMPORT/EXPORT DRUG

    12YRS

    IMPORT/EXPORT DRUG

    7YRS

    POSSESS FIREARM WITH INTENT

    78MTHS

    IMPORT/EXPORT DRUG

    12YRS

    POSSESS OFFENSIVE WEAPON

    23MTHS

    BLACKMAIL

    3YRS

    POSSESS DRUGS WITH INTENT

    3YRS 6MTHS

    IMPORT/EXPORT DRUG

    10YRS

    CUSTOMS EVASION (DRUGS RELATED)

    7YRS

    FINES

    6MTHS

    DECEPTION

    30MTHS

    IMPORT/EXPORT DRUG

    5YRS

    CUSTOMS EVASION (DRUGS RELATED)

    8YRS

    ASSISTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

    54MTHS

    DECEPTION

    9MTHS

    TRESPASS WITH INTENT

    15MTHS

    CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT THEFT

    3YRS

    THEFT

    15MTHS

    CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT THEFT

    2YRS

    DECEPTION

    26MTHS

    POSSESS OFFENSIVE WEAPON

    5YRS

    ASSISTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

    6YRS

    DECEPTION

    12MTHS

    CONSPIRACY TO SUPPLY DRUGS

    6YRS

    POSSESS DRUGS WITH INTENT

    6YRS

    FALSE INSTRUMENTS

    12MTHS

    MANSLAUGHTER

    5YRS

    THEFT

    Unknown

    CONSPIRACY TO IMPORT DRUGS

    8YRS

    ROBBERY

    LIFE

    FALSE INSTRUMENTS

    18MTHS

    DECEPTION

    30MTHS

    THEFT

    4YRS

    CONTEMPT OF COURT

    15MTHS

    BURGLARY

    6MTHS

    SUPPLYING DRUGS

    42MTHS

    GBH

    2YRS

    FRAUD

    5YRS

    FRAUD

    DETAINEE

    CONSPIRACY TO SUPPLY DRUG

    40MTHS

    POSSESS FIREARM WITH INTENT

    LIFE

    BURGLARY

    112DAYS

    POSSESS DRUGS WITH INTENT

    7YRS

    GOING EQUIPPED TO STEAL

    6MTHS

    THEFT

    2YRS

    EXCESS ALCOHOL

    112DAYS

    CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD

    6YRS

    ROBBERY

    ISPP

    POSSESS DRUGS WITH INTENT

    3YRS

    ROBBERY

    6Y

    CONPIRACY TO COMMIT BURGLARY

    3 YRS 3 MTHS

    POSSESS FIREARM WITH INTENT

    LIFE

    BURGLARY

    3YRS

    ARSON

    ISPP

    RAPE

    LIFE

    ROBBERY

    9YRS

    WOUNDING WITH INTENT

    6YRS 8MTHS

    ROBBERY

    3YRS

    GBH

    8YRS

    ROBBERY

    ISPP

    BURGLARY

    32MTHS

    BURGLARY

    2Y 6MTHS

    POSSESSION OF A FIREARM WITH INTENT

    ISPP

    CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BURGLARY

    64MTHS

    Note: Table shows absconds of prisoners and excludes absconds of immigration detainees from NOMS operated establishments and those operated as Immigration Removal Centres by NOMS under contract to the Home Office.

    These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

  • Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to education maintenance allowance to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out in Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The Scottish Government is responsible for defining the entitlement criteria for these passported benefits. They will need to consider the current eligibility criteria and make arrangements to ensure that they can continue to deliver these benefits as Universal Credit is introduced.

    There is ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that any solution is simple, fair, easy to understand and affordable.