Tag: 2014

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of establishing new Combined Cadet Force detachments in state schools on recruitment to existing community-based cadet forces.

    Anna Soubry

    The cost of setting up a new Combined Cadet Force (CCF) unit under the Cadet Expansion Programme depends largely on the number of cadets in the unit.

    Decisions on opening new CCFs in schools are made jointly by the Department for Education and Ministry of Defence (MOD). The key criteria for deciding which schools can establish a new CCF are the ability of the school to fund the new unit and provide sufficient adult volunteers to run it. However, we are particularly interested in establishing CCFs in areas of deprivation.

    No assessment has been made of the effect of establishing new CCFs in state schools on recruitment to community cadet units. However, it should be noted that CCFs and community cadet units deliver different but complementary elements of the MOD’s youth engagement strategy.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the passage of Human Rights Council Resolution (A/HRC/25/L.17) on human rights violations in North Korea, what assessment they have made of the suggestion by Amnesty International to increase pressure on North Korea; and whether they are taking any action along such lines.

    Baroness Warsi

    The UK played a leading role in ensuring a strong UN Human Rights Council Resolution and will continue to work with partners to ensure the issue remains in the spotlight. We agree with the view expressed by Amnesty International that the message sent to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) authorities by the resolution could not be clearer. As both Amnesty International and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have said, crimes against humanity will not be tolerated and those responsible must face justice. As the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), outlined in his Written Ministerial Statement of 31 March, we welcome the final text of the resolution which includes a specific request that the UN Security Council consider referral of the situation in the DPRK to the appropriate international criminal justice mechanism. As a first step, the Commission of Inquiry will give an informal “Arria” briefing to the Security Council on 17 April. Other elements of the resolution which reflect earlier calls from Amnesty International include concrete measures to ensure the work of the Commission of Inquiry is continued. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been extended and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is requested to provide the Rapporteur with increased support, not least through a new structure to strengthen monitoring and documentation of the human rights situation in the DPRK, as well as through capacity building of others working to address this issue. These measures will ensure that whenever and however the DPRK regime is brought to account, the material will be there to build a strong case against those responsible for violations.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on the question of who retains ownership of the land in cases where freehold interest in local authority land is granted to an academy trust.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    When community schools convert to academies, the freehold is retained by the local authority and a lease is granted to the academy trust. In some circumstances, where the school governors or supporting foundation already hold the freehold, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may allow publicly-funded school land to be transferred to an academy trust, which will have satisfied the Secretary of State as to its ability to operate a state-funded school.

    There are strict rules protecting publicly funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in published guidance, which is available online:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

    A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.

    The Department does not hold information about the average value of land used for academies on a freehold or leasehold basis. Information about the number of academies that occupy land on a leasehold and freehold basis is not held centrally.

    “

  • – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Astor of Hever on 27 March (WS 49–50) regarding a contingent liability for nuclear indemnity, whether, in the light of the statement in the Departmental Minute that the value of the contingent liability is unquantifiable due to the potentially catastrophic nature of a nuclear incident”

    Lord Astor of Hever

    It is our intention to proceed with the Contingent Liability as this work is an essential enabler in allowing the Ministry of Defence to deliver its projects and estate maintenance requirements on estates where nuclear assets are sited.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent meetings his Department has had with representatives of (a) the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, (b) National Asian Business Association and (c) other representative organisations or affected businesses to discuss (i) the EU ban on importation of mangoes from India, (ii) any alternatives to a ban and (iii) measures to mitigate the effect of such a ban on UK importers, distributors, retailers and restaurateurs.

    Dan Rogerson

    Lord de Mauley chaired a roundtable discussion on 21 May with the National Asian Business Association, the Fresh Produce Consortium and the Indian High Commission to discuss the implications of the European Union (EU) ban on mangoes from India and what help the UK might be able to offer India to comply with EU import requirements. Defra officials have also met these bodies and other trade representatives to discuss the issue.

  • Andrew Bridgen – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Bridgen – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) EIA and (b) non-EIA development recommendations HS2 Ltd has made for conditions to be imposed on planning permission to protect the High Speed 2 project.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Following the making of safeguarding directions for the London to West Midlands section of HS2 in July 2013 (updated October 2013) , the number of recommendations made by HS2 Ltd for conditions to be imposed on planning permission to protect the High Speed 2 project is as follows:

    a) EIA recommendations – 0

    b) Non-EIA recommendations – 7

  • Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bingham on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on allowing the transplant of organs from people deceased outside of hospital.

    Jane Ellison

    Organ donation following death outside of hospital is not broadly practiced in the United Kingdom. For organs to remain viable and suitable for transplantation, they must either be kept supplied with oxygen, blood and nutrients, or kept cold so that the metabolism of the cells is slowed right down. When someone’s heart stops beating suddenly, the blood supply to organs stop and the cells begin to get starved of oxygen and nutrients and start to die. Therefore, there is a very narrow window of a few minutes between the heart stopping beating and the need for organs to be removed and preserved.

    A pilot programme is underway in Edinburgh for retrieval of organs from those who suffer a witnessed cardiac arrest from which they are unable to be resuscitated and are brought within minutes to the hospital. NHS Blood and Transplant is supporting this pilot and, depending on the outcome, will support further similar initiatives.

    Additionally, health care professionals need to obtain consent and get a full medical history to ensure the organs are suitable for transplantation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times he has written to work programme providers or their representative body about the progress of employment support allowance claimants since June 2011.

    Esther McVey

    It is not possible to separately identify the written correspondence from the Secretary of State, to work programme providers or their representative body about the progress of employment support allowance claimants since June 2011 other than at disproportionate costs.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will assess the achievements of Kidney Research UK’s Peer Educator model to support sign-up to the NHS Organ Donor Register in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities; and if his Department will take steps to support rollout of Kidney Research UK’s Peer Educator model across the UK.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department, as part of its support for the National Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Transplant Alliance, is funding Kidney Research UK to run a Peer Educator Project to raise awareness of the lack of donors and increase the numbers on the organ and bone marrow/stem cell registers within the Pakistani Muslim community in Birmingham. Subject to Parliamentary business, the project will be officially launched by the Public Health Minister on 26 June 2014 and will build upon the success of an earlier Department funded Peer Educator project. The project will be fully evaluated and further lessons learned will be used to inform the roll out of any future Peer Educator projects in other BAME locations across the country.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether agreement was received from HM Treasury to the Top Level Budget holder in his Department making ex gratia payments to members of the armed forces wrongly disciplined under AGAI67 following a police caution; what estimate the Treasury made of the cost of such payments; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    No such ex-gratia payments have been made.