The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with airline companies on seat accommodation for larger people travelling on aeroplanes.
Mr Robert Goodwill
There have been no discussions between the Department and the airline industry on the specific issue of seat accommodation for larger people travelling on aeroplanes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment support allowance claimants in the City of Westminster have been referred to Maximus and the Work Programme since that company took over that contract.
Priti Patel
The information requested (up to June 2015) is published and available at:
http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html
Guidance for users can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Grant on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the monthly running costs of administering benefit sanctions.
Priti Patel
The department does not hold information on the monthly running costs of administering benefit sanctions.
This information cannot be captured at this level even at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2015-10-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the security situation in the Central African Republic.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is grave. Outside the capital Bangui, violence, looting, road-blocks, hostage-taking and human rights abuses continue to occur with relative impunity.
The security situation in Bangui is more stable than the rest of the country, having improved following the surge in violence in late September, but tensions still run high and we continue to advise against all travel to CAR.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-10-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have amended the Ministerial Code to remove the duty to comply with international law and treaty obligations.
Lord Bridges of Headley
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to the Noble Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 5 November 2015 to HL3046,HL3047,HL3048,which I have attached for ease of reference.
The Ministerial Code is normally updated and reissued after a General Election. The updated Code makes clear that Ministers must abide by the law. The obligations of Ministers under the law including international law remain unchanged.
Information relating to internal discussions and advice is not disclosed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-10-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider extending the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator in order to deliver fair prices for dairy farmers.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The jurisdiction of the Groceries Code Adjudicator is defined by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. The Code governs the commercial relationships between the ten largest UK supermarkets and their direct suppliers, and reflects the findings of the Competition Commission’s market investigation into the supermarket sector conducted between 2006 and 2008.
The Government has no plans to extend the powers of the Adjudicator at this time. There will, however, be a statutory review of the performance of the Adjudicator next year in accordance with section 15 of the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been their response to calls from UNICEF for the United Kingdom to allow refugees to apply for humanitarian visas in countries of origin and transit at United Kingdom embassies.
Lord Bates
There is no provision in our Immigration Rules for someone to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum or humanitarian protection and Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to extend the Immigration Rules to allow refugees to apply for humanitarian visas at any UK embassies.
We are focusing our efforts on resettling vulnerable people in need of international protection from the region, including 20,000 Syrians by the end of the Parliament. This provides refugees with a direct and safe route to the UK and uses established UNHCR processes. This is of course in addition to the £1.12 billion in humanitarian aid provided by the UK for those most in need in the region – more than any other country in the world except the United States.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answers of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 56W, 7 July 2015 to Question 4788, 10 September 2015 to Question 8831 and 17 September 2015 to Question 10215, for what reasons figures on the number of army and RAF visits to schools in the academic year 2011-12 given in Answers in 2015 differ from those provided by his Department in the Answer of 15 April 2013; and if he will make a statement.
Mark Lancaster
The RAF statistics for the year 2011-12 provided in the answer of 15 April 2013 was collected manually from all Armed Forces Careers Offices by the RAF. The statistics provided to answer Question 4788 were collected from the computer system called ICARAS.
For the RAF, prior to January 2015, recording data on ICARAS was not mandatory. The difference in figures is because not all historic data has been recorded on ICARAS for the year 2011-12 and, therefore, the previously manually collected data is more accurate.
For the Army, prior to April 2013 they used the ICARAS system to track outreach activity, including visits to schools. However, the identification of specific types of event was problematic and it was often quicker and easier to ask Recruiting Offices for a summary of their activity. These summaries were based on local records, and were not always fully collated.
Since April 2013 ICARAS has been the main tool to track events. A specific code for school visits under the Army in Education programme has been introduced, making tracking of such activity more accurate and easier to analyse.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the implications of the standardised packaging of tobacco will be assessed against the Government’s One-In, Two-Out criteria.
Jane Ellison
The Department published on 12 February 2015 a final Impact Assessment which assessed all of the costs and benefits of standardised packaging of tobacco products, including a one in two out calculation beginning at page 64.
The final impact assessment is available on the Gov.uk website at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for cyclists in London to undergo a safety training course for their own and pedestrians’ protection.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Policy for cycle training in London is devolved to Transport for London (TfL). All London boroughs offer free or heavily subsidised child and adult cycle training to anyone who lives, works or studies in London. TfL funds cycle training through the boroughs’ Local Implementation Plan (LIP), Borough Cycling Programme and other funding streams.
TfL works closely with the London boroughs and the cycle training industry to ensure all cycle training delivered in London complies with the national standards set by the Department of Transport (DfT). Children (under 16’s) are offered DfT’s nationally recognised ‘Bikeability’ cycle training.
TfL also provides free adult cycle training to London employees through the Cycling Workplaces programme. This scheme offers organisations in London with five or more employees a range of cycling goods and services to help kick-start cycling in the workplace and encourage more people to commute by bike. Employers can request “Commuter Cycle Skills Sessions” (cycle training) for their employees. In addition to cycle training, businesses can order cycle safety seminars, cycle parking and cycle safety and security checks for their employee’s bikes through the online scheme.