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Tag: 2014

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s current target impairment for student loans is; how such a level was decided on; when this target was introduced; and what change there has been in this target since its introduction.

    Mr David Willetts

    This Department does not set a target for impairment of student loans. Our reforms were designed to put higher education on a sustainable footing. Universities are now well-funded and this is driving up the quality of the student experience and helping to stimulate economic growth, while keeping access to higher education free at the point of entry.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Iran for an independent international inquiry into the events at Evin Prison in Tehran on 17 April.

    Baroness Warsi

    The Government was disturbed by reports of physical violence against political prisoners in Evin prison on 17 April 2014. We have been concerned about prison conditions in Iran for some time and set out our views formally in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2014 Human Rights report. The UK has been a strong supporter of the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Iran, Dr Shaheed, and successfully lobbied for the extension of his mandate in 2014.

    In March, Dr Shaheed reported that conditions for prison inmates range from poor to inhumane, access to medical services is often limited, and hygiene and nutrition are poor. The UK works closely with international human rights bodies and partners to encourage Iran to engage seriously on human rights issues. The UK’s non-resident Charge d’Affaires also raised human rights with a range of Iranian government officials during his visit to Iran in March.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the use of chlorine as a disinfectant in drinking water; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    By law, water companies are required to supply safe drinking water at the tap. Companies are free to choose the technology they use to treat water and in doing so are required to ensure it is correctly designed, operated and maintained. Increasingly a combination of filtration and ultra violet light is used by companies in England and Wales as an alternative to chlorine.

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress his Department has made on increasing the number of women in engineering roles.

    Mr David Willetts

    BIS funds or supports a range of activities aimed at increasing the number of women in science and engineering roles. 55% of National Science and Engineering Competition prize winners were girls, as was the UK Young Engineer of the Year 2014.

    BIS also funds STEMNET to run the STEM Ambassadors programme: a nationwide network of over 28,000 volunteers who visit schools to inspire young people, act as role models and bring STEM career opportunities to life. 40% of STEM Ambassadors are women. 91% of UK state secondary schools accessed STEM Ambassadors between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014.

    BIS is also part of the ‘Your Life’ campaign that is designed to boost participation in science, technology, engineering and maths at school and beyond. Over 180 leading businesses and institutions have pledged to do more to highlight the career opportunities open to those studying STEM subjects, committing to create over 2000 new entry level positions including apprenticeships, graduate jobs or paid work experience posts.

    As one of our pledges under the Your Life campaign, on 12 June 2014, my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise (Matthew Hancock) announced £30 million funding to increase the supply of engineers, to encourage more women into the sector and to address engineering skills shortages in smaller companies. The fund will enable engineering companies to establish training programmes to develop future engineers and boost the number of women in the profession. £10 million of the fund will be directed to a call to ‘Developing Women Engineers’ and £10 million to a call to ‘Improving Engineering Careers’.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been paid by his Department to Aspire to Change (A2C) since its formation; for what purpose each payment was made; what assessment he has made of the value for money of such expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

    Jeremy Wright

    Under Transforming Rehabilitation, we are opening up the market to a diverse range of new rehabilitation providers, so that we get the best out of the public, voluntary and private sectors, at the local as well as national level. Managers in a number of Probation Trusts, including Essex, have set up mutuals so that they can bid to become owners of the new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs). In line with wider Government policy, we have encouraged those Trusts that have been interested to consider the mutual option. All those developing mutuals have had the opportunity to bid for further advice, guidance and assistance through the Cabinet Office Mutual Support Programme (MSP). The MSP has allocated a total of £1.5million to support prospective mutuals with the greatest potential. Support to organisations has been provided in two phases. Phase 1 supported organisations to prepare them for the competition. Phase 2 is providing further support to those that passed the first stage of the competition throughout the negotiation phase and, if they are successful in the competition, support their transition to a mutual.

    We launched the competition to establish the owners of the 21 CRCs on 19 September 2013. Competition rules preclude this Department from contacting potential bidders other than through the competition process so that is, and will remain the only avenue for Aspire 2 Change Ltd. to communicate with the Department until the competition is completed.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Catherine McKinnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average annual cost of childcare in the UK for a child aged (a) two and under, (b) three to four and (c) five and over in each year since 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the honourable member to the answer given by the Hon. Edward Timpson MP on 17 June 2014 c538W. This points the honourable member to, amongst other sources, the Family and Childcare Trust Annual Cost Survey for 2014 and sets out the action the Government is taking to support families.

  • Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the expected additional cost is in 2014-15 of the increased staffing levels agreeed for HM Prison Oakwood.

    Jeremy Wright

    Staffing levels at HMP Oakwood are regularly reviewed by both the Ministry of Justice and G4S. There are currently no plans to increase staffing levels at HMP Oakwood.

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much lottery funding and from which year is being committed to Arts Council England’s national portfolio organisations and national partner museums as part of their overall settlement for the period 2015 to 2018.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    DCMS allocates 13.956% of Lottery income to Arts Council England. It is for the Arts Council to make decisions about how to allocate this funding, and to which organisations. The Arts Council is currently finalising how it will allocate funding from 2015/16 onwards, and is due to make an announcement on 1 July.

  • Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thornton on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the national averageweekly income in the West Midlands for (1) men, and (2) women.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • 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 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost was of the Nimrod MR4A programme; and what payments were made to each company involved in the programme after 20 October 2012.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor (Peter Luff) on 15 November 2011 (Official Report, column 743W).

    The Nimrod MR4A aircraft programme was cancelled in November 2010, after only one aircraft was delivered which was subsequently grounded due to safety concerns.

    Available financial information has not identified payments relating to the programme to any company after 20 October 2012.