Tag: 2014

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the Farming Recovery Fund to cover the cost of restoration of agricultural land following the recent floods has been received by farmers and businesses to date.

    Dan Rogerson

    As of 10 June 2014 a total of 131 applications have been received with a total grant request of £1,173,310.

    Of these, 62 applications have been approved with a total grant request of £403,617.

    In view of the continued level of interest in the Farming Recovery Fund we are exploring with officials the possibility of extending the closing date beyond 27 June 2014.

    You will also wish to be aware that the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS) which supports investments targeting farming competitiveness closed on 4 April having received more than 2,700 applications and a national grant request of over £27m.

  • 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, what modifications to the original design of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers were necessary to accommodate repeated vertical landings by the Joint Strike Fighter; what estimate he has made of the heat produced by vertical landing by the Joint Strike Fighter which has the heaviest safe configuration to allow the procedure; and whether vertical landings can take place on any flat area of the carrier deck.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The ability of the ship to support F-35B vertical landings has been incorporated into the design of Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carrier from the outset. Environmental considerations including heat generation & dissipation have been thoroughly evaluated, including assessments from trials on the USS Wasp. UK assessments have covered all necessary aircraft configurations.

    The QEC Flight Deck has been designed with specific operating spots for vertical landing to deliver maximum Sortie Generation Rate. These are the spots where the F-35B will plan to land vertically on a routine basis. If required, in the event of an emergency the whole flight deck can support vertical landing.

  • 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, what estimate he has made of the disposal cost for BAE System’s Woodford site.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Ministry of Defence has made no estimate for the disposal cost for the Woodford site; it is a matter for BAE Systems.

  • Nigel Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nigel Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which companies have registered an interest in the contract for the JAMES requirement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The current contract for the Joint Asset Management Engineering Solution (JAMES) was let on 1 July 2004. A restricted competition is currently underway to provide JAMES capability from expiry on 31 December 2015.

    I am withholding information on those companies which have registered an interest as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

  • David Davis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Davis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has made representations or had discussion or meetings with (a) the United States Select Intelligence Committee or (b) others on the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program.

    Hugh Robertson

    The British Government has an ongoing dialogue with the United States over its detention and interrogation programs. As part of engagement with the US Congress, our Embassy in Washington has met with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to discuss its work, including in relation to the detention and interrogation program.

  • Tom Clarke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tom Clarke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the threshold charge payable for a type 2 machine for the purposes of calculating machine gaming duty was set at £5.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Explanatory Note for Clause 117 of Finance Bill 2014, which can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/298680/ENs_Finance_Bill_2014__1_.pdf

  • Alison McGovern – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alison McGovern – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing a BSL interpreter for each individual needing one to fill an access to work position adequately.

    Mike Penning

    Access to Work is a discretionary grant award designed to assist disabled people and their employers to overcome individual barriers encountered at work. We assess thecosts for all awards, including those for BSL interpreter support, against the specific needs of individual customers. As such, there is no single estimate of the cost of the support the scheme provides.      

  • 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, if he will publish the findings of all market research on attitudes in Scotland towards Scottish independence and related matters commissioned by the Devolution Team in his Department since May 2011.

    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 29 April 2014, Official Report, column 636W, on the Air Force, whether any such UK personnel are embedded or otherwise interact with the US Air Force’s 17th Reconnaissance Squadron.

    Mr Mark Francois

    732nd is an Operations Group which comprises four Reconnaissance Squadron’s – 17th, 22nd, 30th and 867th. No UK Remotely Piloted Air System personnel are embedded with, or interact with the 732nd Operations Group Squadrons.

  • Paul Uppal – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Uppal – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Uppal on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart about the destruction of an historically important Bahá’í cemetery in Shiraz.

    Hugh Robertson

    I was deeply concerned to learn of the destruction of a Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz, where approximately 950 Baha’is are buried. On 14 May 2014, I made a statement on this issue, calling for Iran to abide by its international commitments to ensure all Iranians are free to practice their religion without fear of persecution. This includes protection of religious sites.