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Tag: 2014

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to (a) improve the security of humanitarian aid goods and workers and (b) speed up customs processes for humanitarian aid shipments in South Sudan.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to press for safe and unhindered access for humanitarian goods and workers in South Sudan. At the Humanitarian Conference on South Sudan in Oslo on 20 May, which was attended by both the South Sudanese Government and the Opposition, I called on all parties to facilitate safe and speedy access, including accelerated customs clearance. The FCO Minister for Africa raised humanitarian access with senior Ministers when he visited Juba in April.

    The UK is also providing practical support to help improve security. For example we are funding well-coordinated and security-aware transportation of goods and staff, including emergency air evacuations, through the World Food Programme Logistics Cluster. We are also supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which works to increase understanding of, and respect for, International Humanitarian Law by all parties to the conflict. UK officials raise our concerns about the humanitarian situation and the need to improve access regularly in Juba and Addis Ababa.

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when (a) he and (b) officials in his Department first heard about allegations of misconduct at the Park View Educational Trust.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The allegations made in relation to Park View Educational Trust in Birmingham are very serious and are being investigated. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, made a statement to the House on 9 June 2014 on the allegations.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will bring forward proposals to encourage households off the mains gas grid to use condensing boilers.

    Michael Fallon

    The Government fully recognises that Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and oil, like other fossil fuels, will continue to play a part in the UK’s energy mix, while the way we heat our homes changes. DECC has introduced the domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme to support renewable heating systems. The domestic RHI is targeted predominately at off gas-grid households, by compensating for the additional costs faced when replacing an oil boiler with a renewable heating system. New incentives for oil and LPG boilers would undermine the balance struck in the design of the RHI, and potentially cause confusion for consumers.

    The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) will continue to support oil and LPG condensing boilers for low income and vulnerable households. By February this year around 320,000 households were helped under ECO. We are making changes to ECO to provide a greater incentive for targeting measures at off-gas grid households.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kevin Brennan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish his correspondence with the Secretary of State for the Home Department relating to extremism in schools.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    In line with long-standing precedent, the government does not normally publish internal correspondence between departments.

  • George Howarth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    George Howarth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support the Government is providing for community projects being conducted by UK zoos in collaboration with universities.

    Mr David Willetts

    Government funding to universities supports a range of collaborative activity. Information on specific work with zoos on community projects is not collected centrally.

  • Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will publish the findings of all market research on attitudes in Scotland towards Scottish independence and related matters commissioned by his Department since May 2011.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland Office has not commissioned any market research on attitudes in Scotland toward Scottish independence and related matters.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the abolition of the Independent Living Fund; what discussions he has held with his ministerial colleagues on this issue; and what steps he is taking to monitor the effect of this decision on disabled people at a national and local level.

    Mike Penning

    My Department is committed to working closely with the ILF and other Government Departments to support the work required to enable an effective transfer for ILF users by 30 June 2015.

    The ILF also has undertaken a dedicated programme of engagement with local authorities and is also engaging directly with all of those authorities who will be involved in the transfer of user care and support in 2015.

    This includes a local authority commitment to the Code of Practice between the ILF and local authorities in England, backed by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and the Local Government Association (LGA).

    DWP is currently developing plans for monitoring the impact of ILF closure on those groups who share protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, both on former users of the ILF and on disabled people more generally.

  • Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Evans on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of victims of human trafficking through the UK; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    In 2013 the UK National Referral Mechanism (NRM) received 1,746 referrals of
    potential victims of trafficking. However, trafficking is a covert crime and
    victims are often hidden, making it difficult to establish the true scale of
    the issue.

    The National Crime Agency’s UK Human Trafficking Centre publishes an annual
    assessment of the number of victims of human trafficking. The most recent
    assessment was published in August 2013 and can be found on the NCA website
    (www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk).

    The Government is determined to lead the global fight against human trafficking
    (including modern slavery), and has introduced the Modern Slavery Bill. The
    Bill will give law enforcement the tools to stamp out modern slavery, and
    enhance protection for victims. To complement the Bill, the Government is also
    ramping up non-legislative action to tackle this abhorrent crime.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions coroners have attributed motor accidents involving fatalities to the age and deterioration of tyres on coaches since 1994.

    Simon Hughes

    The Ministry of Justice collects data from coroners on the deaths reported to them for the annual Coroners Statistics bulletin.

    The bulletin is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coroners-statistics-2013

    The statistical information is collected in summary form and does not include data at the level of detail requested.

    “

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of export licence appeals were finalised within (a) 20 and (b) 60 working days in 2013.

    Michael Fallon

    In 2013 4 out of 56 (7%) appeals cases were finalised within 20 working days and 22 out of 56 (39%) were finalised within 60 working days.

    Officials continue to review procedures to streamline the handling of appeals, including additional resources and revised arrangements for consulting Ministers and advisers in other Government Departments. We expect an improvement in performance during 2014.