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Tag: 2014

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that personal independence payment applicants do not suffer financial hardship due to delays deciding their claims.

    Mike Penning

    Claimants already in receipt of Disability Living Allowance will continue to receive it while their personal independence payment (PIP) claim is being assessed. Most claimants to PIP will already be receiving some element of financial support, for example through earnings or through receipt of other benefits such as employment and support allowance. No successful new claimant to PIP will lose out financially as claims will be backdated.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Quarterly Data Summary for any department does not include the data compared (1) to budget, (2) to the same period in the previous year, and (3) to the end of year target.

    Lord Bates

    In each quarter of the 2013/14 financial year, 15 of the 17 departments taking part in the Quarterly Data Summary process have provided all of the information requested. In quarter 3, the most recent quarter for which data is available, average completion was 96%.

  • Baroness Brinton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Brinton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Brinton on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Sri Lanka about the attacks on Muslims on 15 June by Buddhists in Aluthgama; and what information have they received from the government of Sri Lanka about its plans to halt the sectarian violence.

    Baroness Warsi

    We continue to raise our concerns about the recent communal tensions and the significant surge in attacks against members of religious minority groups in Sri Lanka including those of 15 June, with the Sri Lankan authorities. Our High Commissioner to Colombo has met Muslim community representatives to discuss their concerns. The Head of the EU Delegation has raised recent developments with the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary. The EU delegation has released a statement in agreement with EU Heads of Mission in Sri Lanka condemning the violence and have called on the Sri Lankan government to uphold law and order.

    Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa and other senior Sri Lankan Ministers have visited the area affected by violence, and the army and police have been deployed to those areas. President Rajapaksa has also urged restraint and pledged that those responsible for the violence would be held to account. We continue to watch the situation closely.

  • Lord Wills – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Wills – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they calculate the local government finance settlement.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The method of calculating the local government finance settlement is set out in the Local Government Finance Report (England) for each year. The report for 2014/15 was approved by Parliament on 12 February. A copy of this report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-finance-report-2014-to-2015

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  • Lord Storey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to extend summer school initiatives to help disadvantaged children improve their levels of attainment after the summer of 2014.

    Lord Nash

    A decision on whether to extend the Department for Education’s summer schools programme in 2015 will be made towards the end of 2014, in light of information gathered on this year’s summer school programme.

  • 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, whether any alternative learning providers have not met the standards he recently announced on (a) quality assurance, (b) financial sustainability and (c) management and governance.

    Mr David Willetts

    To date, 16 alternative providers that applied to have courses designated under the new specific course designation arrangements have not met the standards required. 3 applications were rejected because of quality assurance; 13 applications were rejected because of concerns over financial sustainability.

  • Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that any extension of the mutual defence agreement with the United States does not pre-empt decisions by Parliament on the future of Trident.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    Renewal of the Mutual Defence Agreement (MDA) does not pre-empt a Main Gate decision on the Successor submarine in 2016. The MDA underpins the nuclear relationship between the UK and US and enables the UK to procure from the US certain non-nuclear components for the existing UK warhead.
    The Government’s policy is to maintain and renew the continuous at sea nuclear deterrent based on a submarine system and Trident missiles.

  • 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.