Tag: 2014

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 June (HL689) in determining that North Korea does not pose a terrorist threat, what assessment they made of any involvement by North Korea in assassinations, attempted kidnapping and offering support for the Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah and Hamas.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of media reports linking individuals alleged to be agents of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to assassination attempts against DPRK citizens who have resettled in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The reports also detail the actions taken by the ROK authorities in response to these incidents. There are also occasional unverified reports that North Korean agents have abducted refugees resident in other countries. While the DPRK has acknowledged its involvement in the historical abductions of Japanese citizens during the 1970s and 1980s, it has not admitted to participation in these more recent reported cases. We strongly support efforts to resolve enforced disappearances and spoke on this matter during a UN Human Rights Council panel discussion in September.

    We are also aware of media reports alleging cooperation between the DPRK and the Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah and Hamas. Despite these reports, recent public assessments indicate that the DPRK is not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since 1987. However, the UK remains extremely concerned by the DPRK’s indiscriminate global proliferation of arms and related material, in violation of UN sanctions.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will respond to the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group report on the regulation of herbal practitioners published in March.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government response to the Report on the Regulation of Herbal Medicines and Practitioners will be published by the end of 2015.

  • Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Donaghy on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the different controls placed on recruitment to university initial teacher training and recruitment to School Direct and school-centred initial teacher-training programmes in 2016–17 on the choice available to prospective trainee teachers.

    Lord Nash

    The government is committed to the ongoing expansion of school-led initial teacher training (ITT). The move towards school-led ITT has created new opportunities for universities to grow their business: engaging directly with schools to become their chosen partner; and working with school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) to offer academic awards. In addition, the university sector as a whole has the opportunity to recruit trainees up to the same overall level as they have for the 2015/16 academic year. It is, therefore, not expected that this change of approach will have a substantial impact on the higher education sector.

  • Lord Wills – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Wills – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduates who will not be in education or employment one year after graduation, in each of the next five years.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Estimates for future years are not available.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was paid in (a) year-end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials of her Department in each of the last three years.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    In the last three financial years my Department paid officials the following amounts for year-end and in-year bonuses:

    Financial Year

    In-Year Bonuses (£)

    Year-End Bonuses (£)

    2012/13

    22,100

    35,800

    2013/14

    32,150

    31,800

    2014/15

    22,710

    25,600

    Non-consolidated performance related pay is only paid to reward excellence, for example to recognise and incentivise those responsible for delivering high quality public services and savings to the taxpayer. These one-off payments are not pensionable. Since 2010-11, the Government has restricted awards for senior civil servants to the top 25% of performers (from 65% in previous years), saving around £15 million overall.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2015 to Question 12724, on the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group, what the achievements of that group have been.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Since 2012, the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group has advised Ministers on issues including training for journalists to tackle the negative portrayal of Muslims in the media; encouraging increased reporting and recording of anti-Muslim incidents and online abuse; supporting social media workshops to build the capacity of community organisations to promote positive narratives; and facilitating a number of regional road shows to engage communities on integration and tackling anti-Muslim hatred. The group also worked on the issue of disaggregation of anti-Muslim hate crime, as is done with anti-semitic hate crime. Last month, my Rt Hon Friend, the Prime Minister announced that police forces in England and Wales would be required to disaggregate religion based hate crime data.

    The Working Group meets quarterly and uses this forum to advise Ministers on issues relating to anti-Muslim hatred rather than through official submissions.

    The independent members of the Working Group volunteer their own time to take part in the group and can claim basic travel expenses for the meetings. As part of a broader role, one official in the Department provides secretariat support to the group and officials from across Government Departments attend quarterly meetings.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many investigation NHS Protect have commenced into directors of NHS Trusts (a) nationally and (b) in Yorkshire in the last 18 months; and how many of those investigations are ongoing.

    George Freeman

    In the last 18 months NHS Protect has commenced three investigations into directors of National Health Service trusts. All three investigations are ongoing and further information cannot be given at this time.

  • Dr Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dr Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Poulter on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans her Department has to support proposals for an electricity grid interconnector between the UK and Denmark.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Government is committed to increasing electricity interconnection that delivers benefits to GB consumers, and the Department is aware of the VikingLink project which proposes to connect GB to Denmark1. Ofgem have assessed the project as offering £2.6bn in consumer benefits and has granted it initial approval on this basis. Government has also supported it to gain access to European development funding as a Project of Common Interest.

    [1] Source, Ofgem: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/decision-initial-project-assessment-fab-link-ifa2-and-viking-link-interconnectors

    “

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with home social care providers on the effect of the national living wage on the financial position of those providers; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 October 2015 to Question 11609.

    “

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to promote the use of credit unions in the work of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my hon Friend, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Harriett Baldwin) on 2 November 2015.

    Credit unions are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and responsibility for them rests with the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.