The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2014-05-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Ministers will attend the Global Partnership for Education replenishment conference in June.
Baroness Northover
Ministerial attendance is currently being discussed and we will look to make a decision in the coming weeks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2014-05-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the changes to the Disabled Students Allowance, what criteria will be used for assessing complex needs in candidates with specific learning difficulties or dyslexia.
Viscount Younger of Leckie
Discussions are underway with experts in the sector. Disabled students whose needs cannot be met by the reasonable adjustments made by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will continue to receive support through Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote the enhancement of urban (a) green infrastructure and (b) waterways.
Nick Boles
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning authorities should plan positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of green infrastructure. This is supported by the recently published planning guidance which includes guidance on green infrastructure.
The maintenance and promotion of inland waterways is a matter for navigation authorities rather than Government. However, Government provides grant in aid funding to the two largest navigation authorities in England and Wales – the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of the data on levels of child mortality in the UK published by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Dr Daniel Poulter
We have no reason to question the accuracy of the data from the Global Burden of Disease study. Any limitations of the estimates made and methodology used are clearly set out in the published article.
The findings reflect other studies which show that the United Kingdom child mortality rate continues to fall, but not as much as in comparable European countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to the Answer of 20 October 2011, Official Report, column 1099W, on electoral register, what proportion of pupils between the ages of 16 and 18 on the National Pupil Database were registered to vote in each year for which data is available.
Greg Clark
The information requested is not held centrally.
The National Pupil Database does not include information on pupils’ eligibility to be registered.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funds the Crown Estate received from offshore wind farms in each coastal constituency in each of the last five years.
Nicky Morgan
It is not possible to breakdown the revenue The Crown Estate receives from its offshore activity against constituency boundaries onshore.
The Crown Estate’s Annual reportand accounts is available at http://ar2013.thecrownestate.co.uk/ and includes a section on Energy and Infrastructure.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Chinese authorities regarding reports that Christian communities in and around the City of Wenzhou are fearful following attacks on churches and threats made against other Christians.
Mr Hugo Swire
We have continuing concerns about restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in China. We are aware of particular cases such as the demolition of Sanjiang church in Wenzhou and of raids on churches and threats made to Christians.
We continue to raise our concerns publicly through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy and the quarterly updates to this. We also raise our concerns directly with Chinese officials. We next plan to do so during the forthcoming UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made implementing the recommendations of Getting It Right for Victims and Witnesses, Cm 8288, published in January 2012; and if he will make a statement.
Damian Green
We have made great progress in implementing all recommendations from the ‘Getting it right for victims and witnesses’ consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2014, Official Report, column 762W, on terrorism, in what circumstances the information pertaining to grants of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy between 1987 and 1997 was lost; and what steps she plans to take to recover that information.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
The information provided in my written answer of 1 May 2014 (Official Report, Column 762W) was based on information held by my Department. I first became aware of the issue of missing files while preparing to answer that question. I directed that a review take place, along with other relevant Departments, of the historical records relating to RPMs during the period 1987 to 1997. This is ongoing.
Records indicate that the vast majority of uses of the RPM referred to in my answer of 1 May did not relate to terrorist offences. Historically, the RPM was used to remit sentences of individuals before statutory means existed to do so. This included releasing individuals from prison for compassionate reasons (e.g. those who were terminally ill), individuals who assisted the police and prosecuting authorities (now provided for by the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005), or to correct errors in calculating release dates. Further information on the general operation of the RPM can be found in the Ministry of Justice’s “Review of the Executive Royal Prerogative Powers: Final Report”, published in October 2009.
In a written answer to the Member for North West Norfolk on 17 March 2014 (Official Report, Column 368W), I repeated an answer given on 20 March 2003 by the then-Secretary for State for Northern Ireland to the Member for Lagan Valley (Official Report, Column 895W) – namely that 18 individuals had been granted the RPM in relation to terrorist offences since 1998. Given the RPM has not been used since 2002 and has not been used by this Government, the answer given was the same as the 2003 one. However, early findings from the review of files have indicated that at least one of these cases did not relate to a terrorist offence and in one other case the records do not indicate whether or not the offence was terrorism related.
In relation to the remaining 16 uses of the RPM between 2000 and 2002 (which did concern terrorist offences), I understand that previous Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland used the RPM in relation to individuals who for technical reasons fell outside of the letter of the Early Release Scheme, to shorten (i.e. not waive or remove) sentences in order that individuals fell within what I understand the then-Government saw as the spirit of the Scheme.
In other words, the RPM was used to correct what the last Government viewed as discrepancies between the letter and the intention of the Belfast Agreement and the subsequent Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act – that for a certain category of terrorist offences, offenders could be released after serving two years of their sentences.
The reasons for exercising the RPM in the 16 terrorism-related cases are summarised as follows:
· to correct an anomaly in the treatment of an offender convicted of the same offence(s) and given the same sentence as co-defendants but who would otherwise have served longer in prison;
· to release prisoners who would have been eligible for early release under the Belfast Agreement had they not transferred to a different jurisdiction;
· to release prisoners who would have been eligible to be released under the Belfast Agreement had they not served sentences outside the jurisdiction having been convicted extraterritorially, or;
· to release prisoners who would have been eligible to be released under the Belfast Agreement had their offences (which subsequently became scheduled offences) been scheduled at the time they were committed.
The names of the 16 individuals granted the RPM in relation to terrorist offences since 2000 are currently being considered as part of an ongoing court case in Northern Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff who were suspended remained on his Department’s payroll in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14; and on what date the official suspension commenced in each such case.
Mr Francis Maude
In line with the practice of previous Administrations exact numbers are not usually disclosed to protect individual privacy when numbers are five or fewer.
No staff in my department were suspended and remained on payroll in 2012-13.
Five or fewer civil servants in my department were suspended on full pay in the year 2013-14.