UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2014

  • Alun Cairns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Alun Cairns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alun Cairns on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies on voluntary restrictions by network providers of adult content of recent proposals from the European Parliament on a European single market for electronic communications.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We are aware that there some concerns that the European Parliament’s amendments to the draft Connected Continent regulation may restrict ISPs ability to block illegal content or to filter adult content at the request of customers. The UK Government supports the aims of the Connect Continent package, but let me clear that we will not agree to any proposals that restrict the ability of parents to protect their children from inappropriate content on line. We are confident that this was not the intention of the European Parliament and we are working with EU Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament to deliver a final package that promotes an open, safe and secure internet.

  • Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what basis the Government calculates entitlement to holiday pay for civil servants.

    Mr Francis Maude

    This is a matter delegated to individual Civil Service Departments and agencies under the Civil Service Management Code (CSMC).

  • Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in North Herefordshire have unsuccessfully applied for free school status.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    There have been two applications to establish free schools in North Herefordshire: one in 2012 was successful and one in 2013 was unsuccessful.

    A list of all applications to establish free schools is published online at:

    Wave 1 and 2:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/name-local-authority-previous-school-name-and-faith-designation-of-applications-to-open-a-free-school-waves-1-and-2

    Wave 3:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/name-local-authority-previous-school-name-and-faith-designation-of-applications-to-open-a-free-school-wave-3

    Wave 4:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-wave-4-application-information

    Wave 5:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-wave-5-application-information

    “

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help find the 230 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram; and whether the UK will commit military aid to the search effort if required.

    Mark Simmonds

    Since the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, we have been in regular contact with the Nigerian Government to offer our assistance. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April immediately after the abductions and offered the UK’s assistance. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to the Nigerian President on 7 May. The Nigerian President accepted our offer of a team of experts led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and including Ministry of Defence (MOD), Department for International Development (DFID) and Police representatives. The team arrived in Abuja on 9 May and will be talking to the Nigerians to offer advice on how the Nigerians can defeat Boko Haram and bring stability to the north of Nigeria.

    It is too soon to comment on what specific assistance we will give. However, the team will provide expertise in counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, military mentoring and training, victim support and economic development. Human rights compliance is, and will remain, an essential element of any UK assistance in Nigeria.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress he has made in implementing the Simple Payment initiative; how many people use it; and what steps he has taken to ensure its resilience.

    Mike Penning

    The Simple Payment service is continuously monitored to ensure satisfactory performance. As a result 99.82% of transactions over the past 6 months have completed successfully at the first attempt.

    There are in total 137,617 customers registered to use the service.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what underspend there has been on the Youth Contract scheme; and how any such underspend has been used.

    Esther McVey

    The Government has announced a number of measures to reallocate the Youth Contract underspend.

    In July 2013, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that out of the £1 billion initially allocated to the Youth Contract, £50 million of underspend would be made available to City Deals to support local youth initiatives. Additionally £5m of funding was made available to the devolved administrations to support further youth schemes.

    Funding of £35 million was also allocated to extend the successful New Enterprise Allowance scheme. The scheme has already helped over 40,000 people start up their own business. A further £20m was allocated for start-up loans.

    Further funds were allocated to enable pilots for 18-21 year olds with low levels of skills including maths and English, and 16/17 year olds to receive help from Jobcentre Plus.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the immigration status is of Tareque Rahman, Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

    James Brokenshire

    For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely
    comment on individual cases.

  • Nick de Bois – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nick de Bois – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick de Bois on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will invite the Sentencing Council to consult and report on the adequacy of current sentences available for killing with one punch.

    Jeremy Wright

    Manslaughter has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Whilst sentence lengths for manslaughter have increased by almost 50% since 2008 there remains clear public concern about the sentences imposed in so called “one punch” manslaughter cases.

    Clarification of the sentencing of these difficult cases would assist the courts and be helpful to the public. The Secretary of State therefore wrote to Lord Justice Treacy, the Chair of the Sentencing Council on 8 May 2014, to make a formal request that the Council gives consideration to producing guidance on the sentencing of these cases.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of half-day sittings in the Youth Court by members of the Youth Court Bench was in the last year.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Department does not keep this information centrally and it could only be collected at a disproportionate cost.

  • James Duddridge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    James Duddridge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Duddridge on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of (a) the economic effect on and (b) changes in tourism revenue in Southend as a result of the closure of East Beach in Shoeburyness for his Department to survey for unexploded ordnance.

    Anna Soubry

    East Beach is managed by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council under a licence agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The decision to close the beach was made by the Council and it will be for them to determine when to re-open it. As such, no estimates have been made by the MOD about the economic effect of the Council’s decision to the local economy.

    A MOD survey of East Beach will assist in the formulation of a risk management plan that will focus mitigation work on those areas of the beach at greatest risk. It is too early to say what mitigation work will be required, when it will be carried out, and how long it will take to complete.