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Tag: 2014

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many parliamentary questions tabled to her Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

    Mr Alan Duncan

    According to departmental records DFID answered all parliamentary questions that required a substantive answer before the 2014 prorogation.

  • Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2014-03-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report by UNICEF Under Siege: the devastating impact on children of three years of conflict in Syria, published in March.

    Baroness Northover

    This report provides an account of the impact this most brutal and damaging conflict is having on the lives of Syrian children. DFID shares UNICEF’s concerns for the 5.5 million children who are affected by the crisis, more than double the number in March 2013. The needs of Syrian children are a major priority for the UK’s humanitarian assistance in Syria and the region.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what his objectives are for discussions on human rights with the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang during his visit to the UK this month.

    Mr David Cameron

    I plan to hold wide-ranging discussions with Premier Li. We have a foreign policy that is based on our values, and we consistently raise them with the Chinese government, including during high level dialogues.

    I am very supportive of the business and human rights agenda, and action against climate change is a priority for the government.

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

    Lord Ouseley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2014-03-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is proposed to meet any shortfall in primary and secondary school places in some localities over the next five years, as predicted by the Local Government Association’s analysis of the Department for Education’s figures.

    Lord Nash

    In December 2013 the Department for Education announced an additional £2.35 billion in basic need funding to support local authorities to create the additional places that will be needed by September 2017, in addition to the £5 billion already committed for the period 2011-15. We have also allocated £820 million in targeted basic need funding to fund an additional 74,000 high-quality places in the areas that face the most demand.

    The Department allocates funding for new school places based on information provided by local authorities through an annual survey of the current capacity of schools in the area, and forecasts of future pupil numbers.

    Local authorities are legally responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient school places. The Local Government Association’s report shows how effective many local authorities have been in creating new places and the Department will continue to support local authorities in doing this.

    One of the recommendations of the Local Government Association’s report was for longer-term allocations. The Department wants to give local authorities as long as possible to plan their school places. This should not extend beyond a period where we have confidence in the underlying data and should allow the Department to allocate funding to reflect changes in projected population and in the number of places needed. The Department believes that three-year rolling allocations strike the right balance between these two objectives.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proposals he has to further devolve responsibility for railways to the Scottish and Welsh governments and the English regions.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Government confirmed its support for the principle of further decentralisation of rail franchises in its July 2013 response to the Brown Review of rail franchising. Two propositions from English regions are currently being developed (West Midland Rail) or taken forward (with the Rail North consortium). We are examining the scope for further devolution of rail responsibilities in Wales. The Scottish Ministers already have substantial executive devolved powers in relation to the railways in Scotland.

  • Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a list of approved UK tax warehouses for handling oil products.

    Nicky Morgan

    This information is held on a HMRC database and includes excise identification and approval numbers unique to the traders listed. For taxpayer confidentiality reasons this information is not publically available, and there is no intention to publish it.

    Eligibility criteria for a duty deferment guarantee waiver under the Excise Payment Security System do not apply to or exclude particular sectors. These criteria are published by HMRC, and apply to all applicants.

    HMRC is considering the future of the vapour recovery scheme as part of the wider work programme to determine the appropriate course of action in respect of all their extra-statutory concessions.

    The Government’s policy is not to allow duty suspended movements within the UK, this is both for administrative simplicity and to reduce the opportunities for criminal activity and fraud.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that jobseekers whose jobseeker’s allowance claim is cancelled are informed with greater clarity that their housing benefit will also be cancelled as a result.

    Esther McVey

    When a Jobseeker’s Allowance claim is terminated, the claimant is issued with an end of award notice. This notification informs the claimant that they need to contact their Local Authority if they have a claim to Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit.

    Over and above this, Jobcentre Plus guidance is being strengthened to stress the importance of advising claimants to contact their Local Authority if they have a claim to Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit and their claim is terminated, sanctioned or disallowed.

  • Sir Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Sir Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Greg Knight on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he plans to take to prevent leaks and improve monitoring at existing (a) in use and (b) extinct or abandoned onshore oil and gas sites.

    Michael Fallon

    The construction and use of oil and gas wells in the UK is subject to stringent regulation by the HSE to ensure the integrity of the well in all phases of its life. Recognised industry design and construction processes must be followed, and the operator’s work and plans are subject to scrutiny by an independent well examiner as well as the HSE. Monitoring and inspections are be carried out by the Environment Agency, the HSE and the independent well examiner as appropriate. Oil and gas wells which have no further usefulness are plugged and capped to ensure the retention of any fluids in the well.

    We seek to improve this robust regulatory system further wherever practicable. Further consideration is being given to control and monitoring of methane emissions in the light of the recommendations of the report by Prof David Mackay and Dr Tim Stone on potential greenhouse gas emissions associated with shale gas production and use, published in September 2013.

  • Christopher Pincher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Christopher Pincher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Pincher on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes and activity her Department undertakes in Bangladesh.

    Justine Greening

    DFID funds a wide range of programmes to reduce poverty and support progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in Bangladesh. Our programmes are improving the provision of basic services, supporting private sector development and helping to reduce risks to development, including from natural disasters. We are also focussed on improving working conditions and building safety in the garment sector.

  • Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Julian Huppert on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of updating awareness training for public order-trained staff operating alongside water cannon.

    Damian Green

    The Home Secretary has now received the request to authorise water cannon for
    use by the police in England and Wales. She is considering this request and
    will announce her decision in due course and lay the relevant information in
    the House Library.