Tag: 2014

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 3 February (WA 17), whether court orders handed down in the United Kingdom are enforceable in the Channel Islands; and, if not, what action is taken in those circumstances to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable persons.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The Channel Islands (the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey) are Crown Dependencies. The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing dependencies of the Crown, with their own directly elected legislative assemblies, administrative, fiscal and legal systems and their own courts of law. Judgments of the courts of England and Wales are not, therefore , of themselves effective in the Bailiwicks of Guernsey or Jersey, but it is possible for UK court orders to be recognised and enforced if they meet certain established criteria whether pursuant to statute, or pursuant to the common or customary law. Much depends upon the circumstances and type of offence committed or judgment made.

    Criminal law in Scotland and Northern Ireland is devolved, meaning that responsibility for such matters lie with the devolved administrations of
    Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

    There is excellent co-operation between Common Travel Area (CTA) partners, including the UK and the Channel Islands, to prevent abuse of the CTA by strengthening its external border. The UK Government is working with the Channel Islands authorities to ensure that the implications of the Modern Slavery Bill and the Modern Slavery action plan for the Common Travel Area are fully understood.

    UK Border Force staff receive mandatory training to help identify and tackle human trafficking, and to date we have not seen any evidence that individuals are being trafficked to the UK via the Channel Islands. However, we remain alert and will act on any information received.

  • 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 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the total cost of disposal of Nimrod MR4A associated material at RAF Kinloss.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The current net cost of removal of Nimrod MR4A material is £86,000. However, we expect the final net cost to be lower since some of the material removed from site has yet to be sold.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the repeal of European Union Directive 2009/40/EC and the agreement of a new directive at Strasbourg on 11 March with regard to the periodic roadworthiness testing of motor vehicles and their trailers, it will be the United Kingdom Government or the European Union Commission that will decide how the new directive is implemented.

    Baroness Kramer

    The European Union Commission does not have a role in deciding how to implement the new Directive. We are already compliant with the new Directive in most areas and will implement appropriately in the remaining areas in consultation with all parties impacted by changes.

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings he has had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser in the last 12 months.

    Elizabeth Truss

    As was the case under previous administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

  • David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities who will hold a referendum as a result of raising council tax by two per cent or more for 2014-15.

    Brandon Lewis

    [Holding Reply: Thursday 3 April 2014]

    The DCLG statistical release of 26 March 2014 showing the levels of council tax set by local authorities in England for 2014-2015 is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2014-to-2015

    It shows that no local authority in England is required to hold a council tax referendum in 2014-15 (table 11).

    “

  • Joan Walley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Joan Walley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Walley on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which UN peacekeeping missions established since 1990 do not have a human rights mandate.

    Mark Simmonds

    21 out of 51 peacekeeping missions established since 1990 did not include a human rights mandate to monitor and intervene. Of these 21, only the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is still in operation.

    Human rights mandates or components in peacekeeping missions vary depending on the context, and are common in newer peacekeeping missions. The UK Government has supported these human rights mandates wherever possible. This is part of our broader efforts to mainstream human rights into the UN’s peace and security work.

  • 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 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what interruption to commercial and recreational shipping traffic is expected during the dredging of Portsmouth Harbour.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Portsmouth is a busy military port, which also manages commercial and recreational traffic flows, and the maintenance of harbour facilities, including dredging, around harbour users’ requirements is routine business.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of reports that scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a virus that closely resembles the 1918 Spanish flu strain; whether he has made an assessment of the potential threat to the UK population arising from that experiment; and whether the Government has made any representation to the US administration on this matter.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) was advised that the work undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been reviewed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, in keeping with the institute’s implementation of the United States Government Policy for Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern.

    As part of this, PHE understand that the research was carried out in secure facilities with high levels of containment. A key finding of the research was that people vaccinated with the current seasonal influenza vaccine (which protects against 2009 H1N1 influenza, a related virus) had some evidence of protection against the novel virus that had been created. In addition, the team showed that the novel transmissible virus is expected to be sensitive to the antiviral medication oseltamivir. Effective counter measures to this novel virus are therefore available.

    This research provides information on the mechanisms responsible for adaptation of avian influenza viruses to mammals. Knowing what genes are associated with a potentially severe pandemic strain can help predict the likelihood of a strain emerging and help devise appropriate counter measures.

  • 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 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish (a) the results of the review of each area of the Environment Agency’s existing workloads against enforcement priorities and available budgets and (b) any decisions made about the future workload and priorities of the enforcement and legal caseload.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency’s process of reviewing its baseline total enforcement and legal casework to match its future budget will be used for internal workforce planning and resource allocation. It is, therefore, not intended for publication.

    The announcement in the budget statement of an additional £5m for tackling waste crime means that the Environment Agency is reviewing its planning assumptions and associated workload.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will review the effectiveness of Part 8 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to extend the scope of these provisions to include complaints on high hedges.

    Nick Boles

    Part 8 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 (‘High hedges’) addresses private disputes about tall evergreen hedges adversely affecting neighbouring homes and gardens. We have no current plans to undertake a specific review of this part of the 2003 Act.