The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ashcroft on 2014-06-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any civilian honours other than the George Cross can be awarded posthumously.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 16 June 2014, (Official Report) Column Ref WA126.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what veterinary and animal welfare qualifications and training are a criteria of becoming an inspector at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
George Eustice
Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) employs Veterinarians and Animal Health Officers who both are inspectors. Veterinarians employed by AHVLA must have a veterinary degree and be members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). AHVLA supports these veterinarians to achieve the annual number of days continued development required to maintain their MRCVS.
Animal Health Officers are not qualified veterinarians and have no requirement for any veterinary qualifications. They are trained in a variety of aspects relevant to their function and that are essential to their duties, including animal welfare, animal health, enforcement and evidence gathering. Furthermore, and in order to fulfil this function, Animal Health Officers are appointed as Inspectors under the Animal Health Act 1981. A senior veterinarian in the organisation ensures that appointed Inspectors only use the powers to act as an Inspector when they are deemed competent to do so.
AHVLA has an annual programme of training for its veterinary staff and Animal Health Officers to ensure that they maintain and develop knowledge in their particular areas of expertise.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with Royal Mail Group, Ofcom or officials or Ministers in other departments about invoking section 44(9) and section 44(10) of the Postal Services Act 2011 to ask Ofcom to report on the sustainability of the Universal Service Obligation.
Jenny Willott
None.
Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament gave Ofcom the primary duty to secure the ongoing provision of the universal service and to this end Ofcom must also have regard for the provision of a universal service to be financially sustainable.
Ofcom monitors market developments, including any impacts on Royal Mail’s performance and operational efficiency, and has the regulatory powers and tools to intervene if the sustainability of the universal service is ever at risk.
As part of its monitoring regime, Ofcom publishes a report every year on Royal Mail’s performance and the postal market, and this includes an update on the financial sustainability of the universal service. More information about Ofcom’s regulatory regime can be found on its website (www.ofcom.org.uk).
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the UK Government plans to provide through the EU in advance of presidential elections in Ukraine in May 2014.
Mr William Hague
The UK will be sending 90 short term observers, in addition to the 10 long term observers already in Ukraine, to join the observer mission being mounted by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). This will allow for an objective assessment as to whether the required standards are met. We also welcome the announcement by the OSCE/ODIHR that they will be providing advice and training on running elections.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Dobson on 2014-06-12.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many income tax payers were registered with HM Revenue and Customs as self employed in (a) 2010-11 and (b) each succeeding year.
Mr David Gauke
Estimates of the numbers of individuals with self employment sources are published in HMRC’s National Statistics table 3.6 which is available at the following internet address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/earned-income-2010-to-2011
These tables provide information up to 2011-12 and are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) for the years concerned. The SPI for 2012-13 will be available later in the year.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen vocational education in Nigeria.
Lynne Featherstone
DFID recognises the importance of vocational skills training for reducing poverty among young people in Nigeria, and is currently considering options on how best to support the sector to increase the economic opportunities available to marginalised groups of young men and women in six of the poorest states in Northern Nigeria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to encourage local media and regional broadcasting in Kent and Medway.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Government recognises the important role local media plays in communities, and has created the foundations for new local TV services to establish themselves and enrich UK television with quality local news and programming. Ofcom has received applications for a local TV licence in Maidstone, and we expect an award to be made soon. More widely, 25 local TV services have been licensed to date, and further launches will take place over the summer and autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much local authorities in (a) St Albans, (b) Hertfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) the UK have returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding since 2011; and what steps he is taking to ensure that such funds are targeted towards those most in need.
Esther McVey
The Department has responsibility for the funding of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) in Great Britain, but not the UK. The table below shows the amounts of unused DHPs returned to the Department since 2011 for the respective areas. The figures for 2013/14 will be available in due course once the information has been collated from local authorities.
|
Local Authority Area |
Under Spend since 2011 |
|
St Albans |
£18,717 |
|
Hertfordshire |
£72,108 |
|
Eastern England |
£1,494,137 |
|
Great Britain |
£20,982,679 |
The Department provides local authorities with a guidance manual and good practice guide to aide them in the administration of the DHP scheme. This has recently been updated following informal consultation with stakeholder groups and local authority practitioners. The new guidance encourages councils to make longer term awards where appropriate to those with ongoing needs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what preliminary tests his Department conducted to assess whether it was feasible to recruit and train the required number of reserves within the necessary timescale envisaged by the Army 2020 proposals.
Anna Soubry
Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review, a three month exercise was undertaken which examined a range of force structure options which built upon analysis undertaken during the review. These options were then tested for their efficacy against a wide range of scenarios. The options were then assessed by a senior judgement panel, chaired by the Vice Chief of Defence Staff. Included in this panel were the Assistant Chiefs of Staff for the Royal Navy, Army and royal Air Force. The panel took decisions collectively and all members were fully involved and consulted.
In July 2011 an Independent Commission to Review the UK’s Reserve Forces, chaired by my hon. Friend, the member for Canterbury and Whitstable (Julian Brazier) and General Sir Nicholas Houghton, then set a target of 30,000 for a trained Army Reserve. This judgement was reached in the knowledge that the strength of the Territorial Army had been over 70,000 in the 1980s.
Subsequent work was then undertaken to establish the timescales to build the trained strength of the Army Reserve to 30,000. This was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement and paper placed in the Library of the House by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) on 19 December 2013 (Official Report, column 124WS).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what incentives were (a) offered to (b) accepted by priority investors in relation to Royal Mail privatisation.
Michael Fallon
No incentives were offered to priority investors.