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Tag: 2014

  • Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Menzies Campbell on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response his Department has made to the expulsion of Médicins Sans Frontières from Rakhine state by the Burmese government.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    On hearing of the expulsion of Médicins San Frontières (MSF) on 26 February, the British Embassy registered our concerns with the Burmese government that same evening. Since then we have been liaising very closely with MSF tailoring our lobbying to their support, as they negotiate with the Burmese authorities. The British Ambassador visited the MSF clinic in Sittwe during his visit to Rakhine State from 19-20 March to hear first-hand the impact this decision has had on the local community.

    I summoned the Burmese Ambassador to London on 7 April to make clear our grave concerns about the situation in Rakhine State, including the expulsion of Médicins San Frontières. I called on the Burmese government to urgently restore humanitarian access to all communities in need and to ensure the security of humanitarian aid workers and all communities in Rakhine State so that they can operate free of constraint and intimidation. We continue to make clear to the Burmese authorities that there must be no deterioration in the provision of health services in Rakhine State, which is already on the brink of crisis.

  • Alun Cairns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Alun Cairns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alun Cairns on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of EU proposals to remove the right for network operators to block 18-plus content.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We are aware that there some concerns that the European Parliament’s amendments to the draft Connected Continent regulation may restrict ISPs ability to block illegal content or to filter adult content at the request of customers. The UK Government supports the aims of the Connect Continent package, but let me clear that we will not agree to any proposals that restrict the ability of parents to protect their children from inappropriate content on line. We are confident that this was not the intention of the European Parliament and we are working with EU Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament to deliver a final package that promotes an open, safe and secure internet.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of contracts for difference auctioning on the quality of solar farms.

    Gregory Barker

    The eligibility criteria for solar farms under contracts for difference are set out in the Allocation Regulations. Any solar farm must meet these criteria in order to be able to apply for a CfD.

    In April 2014 the Government published the Solar PV Strategy [1], which sets out that DECC will continue to work with industry, to promote industry best-practice for the development of solar farms.

    [1]

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/302049/uk_solar_pv_strategy_part_2.pdf

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any increase in remuneration of senior managers in the Highways Agency will have to be agreed by him when the Agency is transformed into a government-owned company.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government intends to transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, as confirmed in the response to consultation published on 30th April. In accordance with TUPE principles, we expect the pay and terms of employment of all staff to remain unchanged once transferred except for the necessary technical amendments to reflect the change to company status.

    Staff management arrangements for the company following transition, including pay and reward, are still being worked through within government. We aim to establish appropriate conditions to allow the company to fulfil its functions efficiently and effectively, whilst keeping costs down for the taxpayer. This will reflect the Government’s pay policy, as well as support the delivery of a substantially increased investment programme.

    There is no intention to encourage or create opportunities for legal tax reduction schemes as part of Highways Agency transformation.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what criteria he will use to assess requests for extra powers from local enterprise partnerships and combined authorities.

    Kris Hopkins

    The Government is currently negotiating a ‘Growth Deal’ with every Local Enterprise Partnership, based on the Strategic Economic Plans they submitted in March 2014. The criteria being used to assess the plans are set out in the guidance published in July 2013. These are: ambition and rationale for intervention; value for money; and deliverability and risk. Combined authorities, where they exist, are represented in Local Enterprise Partnerships and will have been involved in the development of the Strategic Economic Plans.

    Notwithstanding, as I indicated to the rt. hon. Member in my answers to him of 3 April 2014, Official Report, Column 778W and 6 May 2014, Official Report, Column 24W, we should be cautious about any measure which had the effect of transferring power upwards away from elected local councils. Decentralisation should devolve power to the lowest appropriate level.

    Combined authorities are relatively new bodies. They now should focus on using the functions and powers that they currently have and prove themselves on delivering local growth; we do not intend to repeat the “function creep” mistakes of the Regional Development Agencies which just became unwieldy and unfocused, taking on too much and failing to deliver.

  • Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Brazier on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 380W, on developing countries: family planning, how much of her Department’s budget has been allocated to achieving the outcomes in her Department’s policy paper Safe and Unsafe Abortion in each of the last two years; and if she will make a statement.

    Lynne Featherstone

    DFID adheres to Development Co-Operation Directorate (OACD-DAC) expenditure coding requirements to allow comparison across donor spending towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goal targets. This measures against coding titles as have been internationally agreed. Only coding titles as have been internationally agreed can be individually disaggregated by DFID systems.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, from which countries UK citizens returned to complete their sentences in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last four years.

    Jeremy Wright

    It has not been possible to obtain this information. I will write to the Right Honourable member in due course.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps his Department has taken to improve registration rates and voter turnout of (a) visually impaired voters and (b) voters with learning difficulties.

    Greg Clark

    Electoral law requires returning officers to take account of the needs of people with disabilities by making polling stations and voting accessible.

    In June 2014, the government will be introducing an online facility for registration which will support further accessibility options for those with particular needs. User testing of paper forms has allowed their design to take into account the requirements of those with disabilities.

    The Cabinet Office has also funded the Royal Mencap Society to create educational resources for people with a learning disability and to develop a model for one-to-one support for families, carers and others to encourage and enable registering to vote.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, column 471W, on Standardised Packaging for Tobacco Independent Review, what fees were paid to King’s College for hosting the Review team.

    Jane Ellison

    A final breakdown of expenditure will be made public when complete on the Review’s webpage:

    www.kcl.ac.uk/health/packaging-review.aspx

    There was no agreed budget in advance of the Review but an estimate of £177,000 was made for planning purposes. Sir Cyril had control of his own budget, as outlined in the Terms of Reference, and expenditure was passed to the Department and approved in the normal way.

    Sir Cyril travelled to Australia in March 2014, and attended meetings in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. Further details of those meetings are available on the Review’s webpage.

  • Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Danczuk on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the Government plans to increase the 15 year out-of-country voting limit for British expatriates.

    Greg Clark

    The Government will keep the 15 year time limit under consideration, but is not minded to change the law at the present time.