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Tag: 2014

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Montrose will take over the Fleet Ready Escort task; and what ship it will replace in that role.

    Mr Mark Francois

    HMS Montrose was previously deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. She returned to the UK for a period of planned maintenance and post-deployment leave before conducting a short port visit in London and then participating in a NATO Exercise.

    Royal Navy ships are programmed in accordance with our operational requirements, but for security reasons we do not discuss specific future operational tasking.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions on (a) collective action to promote human rights and (b) accountability for violations of the Commonwealth Charter were held at the Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Meeting in May 2014.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Commonwealth Law Ministers discussed a wide range of issues relating to human rights, rule of law and preventing violence against women, as well as the Commonwealth’s activities in these areas, during their meeting in May 2014. We welcomed their acknowledgement that a number of challenges and gaps remain in the Commonwealth, particularly in members’ ratification of the nine core international human rights treaties, their engagement with the United Nations Universal Periodical Review (UPR) mechanism and in their establishment of national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles.

    The UK underlined the need for the Commonwealth and its members to adhere to the values and principles in the Commonwealth Charter at all times and secured improved wording in the final communiqué – not least agreement that the fundamental values of the Commonwealth Charter must be taken into account in the context of work to tackle violence against women and a commitment to review implementation of the Latimer House Principles.

    We continue to encourage the Commonwealth Secretariat and member states to uphold the commitments in the Commonwealth Charter. We also continue to urge the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, as the custodian of Commonwealth values, to take action where infringments of the charter occur.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to reply to the letters to him of 2 April and 9 May 2014 from the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse.

    Mr Mark Francois

    I replied to the hon. Member on 25 September 2014.

  • Tom Clarke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tom Clarke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Clarke on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on a minimum monetary threshold for a late payment which affects an individual’s credit rating.

    Matthew Hancock

    Credit ratings will take into account a number of different variables, including late payment, but it is a commercial judgement taken by Credit Reference Agencies.

  • Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils have applied to be assessed for a GCSE grade on the basis of coursework under the 50 per cent rule in each of the last five years.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Secretary of State for Education recently received a letter from the hon Member for Thirsk and Malton on this issue, raising the case of a student in her constituency, to which he has responded. From time to time Ministers receive representations from members of the public, and from hon Members on their behalf, on the same matter.

    Neither the Department nor the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation holds information on the number of pupils who have applied to be assessed for a GCSE grade on the basis of coursework. This information may be held by individual awarding bodies.

    The rules governing the circumstances in which a GCSE grade may be awarded to a student who has not completed all the elements of the assessment are a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey to write directly to the hon Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  • Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans his Department has to commission polling on attitudes in Scotland towards Scottish independence and related matters before 18 September 2014; and what the (a) scope and (b) value of each such contract is.

    Greg Clark

    The UK Government regularly commissions independent research to inform and evaluate major policy programmes. Cabinet Office has contracted Ipsos MORI for the purposes of providing market research in relation to the Scotland Analysis Programme. Two formal tenders for this research were issued in March and August 2013 respectively and, as with other tenders for Government contracts, these processes were managed by the Government Procurement Service (now part of the Crown Commercial Service).

    Cabinet Office has also contracted Engine Partners LLP for the purposes of providing communications support work in relation to the Scottish independence referendum. A formal tender for this work was issued in September 2013 and was managed by the Government Procurement Service.

    As part of the Government’s commitment to transparency in expenditure information relating to the costs of both sets of work is publicly available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data

    “

  • 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 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 169W, on Djibouti, whether the UK personnel embedded with US forces under US command at Camp Lemonnier provide any support to the US drone programme in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Mark Francois

    UK Armed Forces personnel embedded in Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, are responsible for the planning and support of US military operations in East Africa. They do not provide any support to US Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations in Yemen; CJTF-HOA does not oversee operations in the Middle East.

  • Gordon Henderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gordon Henderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Henderson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that food labels include details of any genetically modified ingredients used in a product’s manufacture; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The Food Standards Agency advises that EC Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed requires that food derived from genetically modified (GM) sources must be labelled, regardless of the presence of detectable GM material in the final product or of the quantity of intentionally used GM ingredients. This Regulation applies to all food that is marketed in the United Kingdom and in other member states.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on its ability to meet emergency 999 calls in the Greater Manchester area.

    Jane Ellison

    There have been no recent discussions between the Department and the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on these matters. Decisions about ambulance services are a local matter and it is for clinical commissioning groups to ensure appropriate services are provided to their populations.

    Patients have a right to high quality and reliable urgent and emergency care, whenever they call on it, and we expect all ambulance trusts to provide this.

    The North West Ambulance Service met the three ambulance performance standards for 2013-14 and in April 2014.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilian personnel are employed at HMNB Clyde by (a) his Department, (b) Babcock, (c) ABL Alliance, (d) Serco, (e) Rolls Royce, (f) Thales and (g) other main contractors.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As at 9 June 2014, 1,285 Ministry of Defence civilian personnel are employed at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde. Additionally there are approximately 1,900 people employed in the Naval Base by contractors. The precise number is a matter for the contractors and will fluctuate, depending on the tasks and the number of sub-contractors employed.