Tag: 2014

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of reports that scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a life-threatening virus that closely resembles the 1918 Spanish flu strain; whether he has made an assessment of the potential threat to the UK population arising from that experiment; and whether the Government has made any representations to the US administration on this matter.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) was advised that the work undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been reviewed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, in keeping with the institute’s implementation of the United States Government Policy for Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern.

    As part of this, PHE understand that the research was carried out in secure facilities with high levels of containment. A key finding of the research was that people vaccinated with the current seasonal influenza vaccine (which protects against 2009 H1N1 influenza, a related virus) had some evidence of protection against the novel virus that had been created. In addition, the team showed that the novel transmissible virus is expected to be sensitive to the antiviral medication oseltamivir. Effective counter measures to this novel virus are therefore available.

    This research provides information on the mechanisms responsible for adaptation of avian influenza viruses to mammals. Knowing what genes are associated with a potentially severe pandemic strain can help predict the likelihood of a strain emerging and help devise appropriate counter measures.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A review is currently underway.

  • Gerald Kaufman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gerald Kaufman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Kaufman on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 6 May 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Bernioe Cssai Ogunribido.

    James Brokenshire

    I wrote to the Rt. Hon. Member on 12 June 2014.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether her Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    My Department’s payroll services are provided by the Ministry of Justice. We would therefore inherit any changes to the contract with the payroll provider made by the MoJ in relation to this issue. My understanding is that currently the MoJ has no plans to amend provisions relating to the check-off union subscription although options for change are being kept under review.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many parliamentary questions tabled to her Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

    Mr Alan Duncan

    According to departmental records DFID answered all parliamentary questions that required a substantive answer before the 2014 prorogation.

  • Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2014-03-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report by UNICEF Under Siege: the devastating impact on children of three years of conflict in Syria, published in March.

    Baroness Northover

    This report provides an account of the impact this most brutal and damaging conflict is having on the lives of Syrian children. DFID shares UNICEF’s concerns for the 5.5 million children who are affected by the crisis, more than double the number in March 2013. The needs of Syrian children are a major priority for the UK’s humanitarian assistance in Syria and the region.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what his objectives are for discussions on human rights with the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang during his visit to the UK this month.

    Mr David Cameron

    I plan to hold wide-ranging discussions with Premier Li. We have a foreign policy that is based on our values, and we consistently raise them with the Chinese government, including during high level dialogues.

    I am very supportive of the business and human rights agenda, and action against climate change is a priority for the government.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Ouseley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2014-03-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is proposed to meet any shortfall in primary and secondary school places in some localities over the next five years, as predicted by the Local Government Association’s analysis of the Department for Education’s figures.

    Lord Nash

    In December 2013 the Department for Education announced an additional £2.35 billion in basic need funding to support local authorities to create the additional places that will be needed by September 2017, in addition to the £5 billion already committed for the period 2011-15. We have also allocated £820 million in targeted basic need funding to fund an additional 74,000 high-quality places in the areas that face the most demand.

    The Department allocates funding for new school places based on information provided by local authorities through an annual survey of the current capacity of schools in the area, and forecasts of future pupil numbers.

    Local authorities are legally responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient school places. The Local Government Association’s report shows how effective many local authorities have been in creating new places and the Department will continue to support local authorities in doing this.

    One of the recommendations of the Local Government Association’s report was for longer-term allocations. The Department wants to give local authorities as long as possible to plan their school places. This should not extend beyond a period where we have confidence in the underlying data and should allow the Department to allocate funding to reflect changes in projected population and in the number of places needed. The Department believes that three-year rolling allocations strike the right balance between these two objectives.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proposals he has to further devolve responsibility for railways to the Scottish and Welsh governments and the English regions.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Government confirmed its support for the principle of further decentralisation of rail franchises in its July 2013 response to the Brown Review of rail franchising. Two propositions from English regions are currently being developed (West Midland Rail) or taken forward (with the Rail North consortium). We are examining the scope for further devolution of rail responsibilities in Wales. The Scottish Ministers already have substantial executive devolved powers in relation to the railways in Scotland.

  • Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a list of approved UK tax warehouses for handling oil products.

    Nicky Morgan

    This information is held on a HMRC database and includes excise identification and approval numbers unique to the traders listed. For taxpayer confidentiality reasons this information is not publically available, and there is no intention to publish it.

    Eligibility criteria for a duty deferment guarantee waiver under the Excise Payment Security System do not apply to or exclude particular sectors. These criteria are published by HMRC, and apply to all applicants.

    HMRC is considering the future of the vapour recovery scheme as part of the wider work programme to determine the appropriate course of action in respect of all their extra-statutory concessions.

    The Government’s policy is not to allow duty suspended movements within the UK, this is both for administrative simplicity and to reduce the opportunities for criminal activity and fraud.