Tag: 2014

Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) young people in custody and (b) other difficult-to-reach young people are able to access a digital-by-default careers service.

Matthew Hancock

Local authorities retain their legal responsibility, under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, to make available to young people aged 13-19 and to those up to the age of 25 with a Learning Difficulty Assessment or Education, Health and Care Plan, support that will encourage, enable or assist them to participate in education or training. Local authorities are expected to pay particular attention to young people who are not in education, employment or training or whose current activity is not known. This includes agreeing how these young people can access intensive support, drawn from the range of education and training support services available locally.

It is for local authorities to determine what support is necessary to fulfil their statutory responsibilities and consider whether additional services are needed, including wto complement those available from young offender institutions. Local authorities should provide strategic leadership in their areas to support participation, agreeing ways of working with other partners such as voluntary and community sector organisations, young offender institutions and probation services.

The National Careers Service complements the support available to young people, offering information and advice on education, training and employment options. We are reshaping the service from October 2014 to respond to the changing needs of the economy with a focus on local leadership and providing inspiring careers advice for customers, including a new brokerage service to facilitate relationships between schools and employers. Young people can continue to access support through a range of channels including a telephone helpline and website.

November 2, 2022
Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 710W, on Palestinians, what response Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office made on the issue of demolitions in East Jerusalem or the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Hugh Robertson

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office informed our officials that demolitions take place where building has occurred without a permit from the Israeli authorities. And that – as per the Oslo accords – Israel has planning authority over these areas. They also said that they therefore have the right to evict people and demolish structures, where they consider building to have taken place illegally under Israeli law.

November 2, 2022
Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made by the UK Computer Emergency Response Team since its launch on 31 March 2014; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Francis Maude

Cyber Security is one of the Government’s top four security priorities. CERT-UK is working closely with partners across industry, government, academia and internationally, to enhance the UK’s ability to prepare for and manage national cyber security incidents. It collaborates with law enforcement colleagues to support campaigns aimed at combating cyber-crime and cyber fraud.

November 2, 2022
Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Belfast was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in (a) April 2014 and (b) May 2014.

Stephen Hammond

Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels during:

a) April 2014 – 40 occasions out of 60 shifts

b) May 2014 – 22 occasions out of 62 shifts

Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty’s Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

November 2, 2022
Lord Chidgey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider assisting the international community in its fight against international trafficking originating from the Central African Republic, by creating a mechanism to fight against diamond, gold, and ivory trafficking and militarised poaching.

Baroness Warsi

International mechanisms to tackle illegal trafficking already exist, including the Kimberley Process to regulate the global trade in rough diamonds, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to protect endangered species. However, these are reliant of having an effective national government in the Central African Republic (CAR). To this end, our immediate priority is to de-escalate the levels of violence and improve the level of security, so that a legitimate government can be established in CAR with the support of the UN and other international organisations.

November 2, 2022
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to reports that the government of Sudan has reconstituted the Janjaweed militias and that they are operating under its command and control.

Baroness Warsi

The latest report of the UN Secretary General on Darfur states that the Sudanese government’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), that use similar tactics to militia groups previously armed by government known as Janjaweed, have been responsible for widespread abuses against civilians, which include rape, looting and the burning of houses. The report also makes it clear that the armed opposition groups, in particular the Sudanese Liberation Army Minni Minnawi faction, bear heavy responsibility for civilian displacement.

We have made it clear to the Sudanese government in the strongest terms that such behaviour is wholly unacceptable. On 7 April the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), publicly condemned attacks against civilians, and specifically raised the actions of the RSF with Sudanese Foreign Minister Karti on 28 April.

November 2, 2022
Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many councils in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland funded discretionary housing payments beyond the funds allocated to them by his Department in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Steve Webb

In 2013/14, a) 85 (out of 326) English authorities, b) 15 (out of 27) Welsh authorities and c) 27 (out of 32) Scottish authorities spent more than the contribution provided by DWP towards Discretionary Housing Payments.

Figures for 2014/15 will not be available until after 30 April 2015 – the deadline for local authority DHP returns for the year in question.

November 2, 2022
Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what Russian Navy ships HMS Severn intercepted in the English Channel on 25 June 2014; and whether HMS Severn was assigned to the Fleet Ready Escort role at that time.

Mr Mark Francois

Two Russian Federation Navy ships transited the English Channel on 25 June 2014. These were the Ropucha Class Landing Ships Olengorsky Gornyak and Georgiy Pobedonosets.

As the hon. Member will be aware from my letter to him of 27 January 2014 (Official Report, columns 414-415W), there are usually a number of Royal Navy units available in UK waters at any one time and, if it is appropriate, one of those units could be reprioritised to undertake a required task. In this case, HMS Severn was better placed to respond, and it made the most operational sense to utilise her. At the same time the Fleet Ready Escort remained available at high readiness.

November 2, 2022

John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the average length of time taken by the Marine Management Organisation to approve a marine dredging application using the outline marine licensing system since 2009.

George Eustice

The online marine licensing system came into force on 6 April 2011 following the formation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in 2010. From the start of the licensing system the estimated average time taken by the MMO to approve marine dredging applications are as follows:

Aggregate dredging

Average length of time to licence a 15 year aggregate application is estimated at 300 hours (200 hours during application and 100 hours of pre-application advice)

Non-aggregate dredging

Description of activity	Average MMO hours per case
Simple navigational dredging	3.5
Routine navigational dredging	9
Routine capital dredging	7.4
Complex navigational dredging	13.35
Complex capital dredging	11.88

November 2, 2022

Priti Patel – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Priti Patel on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterparts in St Lucia the effectiveness of the St Lucian (a) criminal justice system and (b) forensic laboratories in relation to the investigation of the Gloria Greenwood murder and prosecution of suspects.

Mark Simmonds

The FCO is supporting wider HMG efforts to build St Lucia’s judicial capacity to prosecute serious crime, including through forensic analysis training. This targeted support includes the deployment of a Crown Prosecution Service criminal justice advisor to the Eastern Caribbean. Officials will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our assistance. Last August, I raised the issues with St Lucia’s Prime Minister. More recently, St Lucia’s Foreign Minister attended the 16-17 June UK-Caribbean Forum which included a focussed session on criminal justice reform. Consular officials remain in close contact with the authorities with regard to the investigation into the tragic murder of Gloria Greenwood and continue to provide full consular assistance to her family.

November 2, 2022