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Tag: 2014

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote freedom of speech in the Middle East.

    Mr David Lidington

    Freedom of expression has been a human rights priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from the beginning of this Parliament; and the subject of an Expert Group which advises Ministers. We raise press freedom regularly in multilateral fora, supporting relevant initiatives and resolutions, and in bilateral conversations – in both private and public. We regularly raise the importance of freedom of speech with counterparts in government across the Middle East and North Africa. Through our Arab Partnership Initiative, we are working to support the development of legitimate and inclusive institutions to improve governance, enable inclusive reform and protect fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech. Our Arab Partnership Participation Fund has supported the training of journalists in countries across the region, including Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt to deliver un-biased reporting and work to protect freedom of speech. In Iraq, we have worked to build a legal and regulatory environment in order to allow Iraqi media to operate safely, freely and effectively.

  • George Hollingbery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    George Hollingbery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Hollingbery on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on levels of by-catch of sea bass in other fisheries in Irish waters in the last three years.

    George Eustice

    I met the Irish Minister in the margins of the European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 15-16 December to discuss key fisheries items on the Council agenda including management of sea bass stocks.

    Under longstanding Irish national measures to protect bass stocks their commercial fishing vessels are not permitted to land bass for sale, which means a degree of discarding of bass by-catch from mixed fishing activity will occur. I have not, however, seen the Bass Discards report published by the Irish Bass Group.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2014 to Question 213733, if he will seek the agreement of the US administration to release a copy of the current revised Reaper Agreement.

    Mr Mark Francois

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 November 2014 to Question 213733. We will discuss possible release with the US once the Memorandum Of Understanding has been agreed and finalised.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what budget was allocated by her Department to the Private Infrastructure Development Group in each financial year from 2009-10; and what budget was allocated to that organisation for 2015-16.

    Justine Greening

    Information on previous budget allocations is available at http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. 2015-16 allocations remain subject to ministerial approval.

    “

  • James Arbuthnot – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    James Arbuthnot – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Arbuthnot on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Ordnance Survey is conducting aerial photography of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

    Matthew Hancock

    Ordnance Survey captures aerial photography every year and uses this imagery to update the OS MasterMap® of Great Britain in order to fulfil its obligations under its Public Task. In addition, Ordnance Survey makes the aerial photography available as a product for its customers’ use in the Government, Business and Consumer markets; this is called OS MasterMap® Imagery Layer.

    Ordnance Survey has been acquiring aerial imagery since the 1930s and established its own Flying Unit in 1966.

    Ordnance Survey captures imagery in order to meet its commitments to maintain the currency of its mapping data as laid before Parliament in its annual Agency Performance Monitors.

  • Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU member states on proposals to amend EU treaties.

    Mr David Lidington

    I have already visited 24 Member States to discuss EU reform with my counterparts, most recently, Warsaw on 6 March. Leaders across Europe agree that the EU needs to change. We are setting out the case for Britain’s view of the reforms required to make the EU fit for purpose in the 21st Century. We have already made progress: the June European Council agreed that EU reform was necessary and that the UK’s concerns should be addressed.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received from creditors of companies which go into insolvency about the Insolvency Act 1986.

    Jo Swinson

    I regularly receive representations from those who are owed monies by insolvent companies. Unfortunately it is the inevitable consequence of insolvency that some creditors will remain unpaid, but the Government is committed to making sure that we have the fairest possible insolvency regime for when things go wrong. Measures contained in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will benefit creditors by saving an estimated £20m per year from the cost of insolvency proceedings.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department gives to local authorities and housing associations on emergency access to tower blocks and flats for emergency services.

    Stephen Williams

    Requirement B5 of the Building Regulations provides for adequate access for the fire and rescue service. My Department publishes Approved Document B which gives detailed guidance on compliance with this requirement and is available on the Planning Portal website.

    www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_B2_2013.pdf

    Guidance on Fire Safety in Purpose Built Blocks of Flats produced by the Local Government Association, in conjunction with the housing and fire sectors, is available on the Government’s fire safety webpage. Advice on ensuring the provision and maintenance of fire fighting facilities, including, vehicle access for fire appliances, is included within this document.

    www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities/fire-safety-advice-documents

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance (a) her Department and (b) Ofsted provides to Ofsted inspectors about the monitoring of school engagement with Prevent.

    Mr David Laws

    No guidance has been provided to Ofsted inspectors by the Department for Education about the monitoring of school engagement with Prevent as the training of inspectors is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector.

    Where relevant, Ofsted provides inspectors with appropriate briefing on the Prevent agenda and gives training to inspectors ahead of inspection.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings (a) Chris Elliot and (b) members of his team have had with representatives from the meat importation sector during the investigation into criminality in the food chain.

    George Eustice

    The City of London Police, working with their counterparts across Europe, are taking forward complicated and far-reaching criminal investigations into the Europe-wide horsemeat fraud.

    During the course of his Review into the Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks, Professor Elliott and his team carried out site visits, and met many industry stakeholders, regulators and consumers, including representatives from the meat importation sector.