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Tag: 2014

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 766W, on electoral register, in which cases numbers of electors registered to vote in the transition from individual electoral registration will be monitored at an electoral ward level.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it will collect and publish the results of the confirmation data matching process for all electoral wards in Great Britain. These will be available in late-summer 2014.

    The Commission also informs me that subsequently data will be collected and published at a local authority level. This will take place after the publication of the December 2014 register and at the time of the 2015 UK parliamentary general election. However, the Commission may choose to ask for more detailed ward statistics from individual EROs if it has concerns around the implementation of individual electoral registration in a particular area.

    The Commission also expects electoral registration officers to be monitoring their own data on registrations at ward level, or below, throughout the transition to individual electoral registration, and to communicate them locally to elected representatives and others.

  • Chris Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chris Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Evans on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the situation of Christian communities in Syria.

    Hugh Robertson

    The ongoing crisis has clearly had a devastating impact on Christians, and on all of Syria’s communities. We remain deeply concerned by the situation for Christian communities in Syria, including in Raqqah and Kessab.

    This reinforces the need for us to support the moderate opposition who, as the UN Commission of Inquiry has acknowledged, have a pluralist and democratic vision for Syria and who are fighting extremist groups such as ISIL which pose a grave threat to Christians and others.

  • Jim Dobbin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Dobbin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dobbin on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Pakistan on (a) the fairness of the hearing of Asiya Noreen Bibi who was sentenced to death in 2011 at the provincial Lahore High Court and (b) providing adequate protection to judiciary officials to allow a further hearing to take place.

    Hugh Robertson

    We regularly raise the issue of blasphemy laws, and their misuse against both Muslims and religious minorities, at the highest levels in Pakistan and press the government to ensure fair trials.We remain concerned about the case of Asia Bibi and would urge the courts in Pakistan to ensure a fair and swift hearing of her appeal due later this month. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) raised our concerns regarding these laws and the need for reforms during the recent visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities, when the Government plans to introduce regulations under the Equalities Act to prevent discrimination by caste and descent.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    There is a lack of certainty on some intrinsic issues around caste, such as what it is and how it is manifested, partly because there had never been any form of public consultation on caste. It was accepted therefore by both Front Benches during the Parliamentary debate on this issue last year that the whole process, up to and including the commencement of legislation, would take time and should include a consultation on the proposed legislation. The Government is currently considering two issues which have developed and which have potential implications for the consultation stage. We would expect the public consultation document, including our conclusions on these matters, to issue in the Autumn. We will then be in a position to consider plans to introduce regulations. You may also wish to note the answer given to Lord Avebury by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, which can be found in the Official Report for 6 May 2014, Col 331-2.

  • 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 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to commit troops to the European Union mission to the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Warsi

    The UK will not be contributing combat troops to the European Union’s security operation in the Central African Republic (EUFOR). However, the UK has helped EUFOR planning and has provided one Ministry of Defence officer to the Operational Headquarters in Larissa. The UK has also provided airlifts to help with its deployment, and is providing a share of EUFOR’s common costs.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average compensation payment ordered in employment tribunal cases relating to discrimination on the grounds of race was, by ethnicity of complainant, in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I am answering these questions together.

    Data on highest compensation awards for discrimination jurisdictions for the last five years are set out in Tables E6 to E10 of the latest Official Statistics release published by the Ministry of Justice, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2013.

    Data on average compensation awards in race discrimination and religious discrimination claims are set out in Tables E6 and E9 of that publication, respectively.

    Information on the nature of complaints upheld, and the type of race or religion relevant to individual claims, is not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost following a manual trawl of all relevant tribunal files. The records retention and disposal schedule applicable to such tribunal files also means that information covering each of the last five years would not be held.

  • Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of defendants being held in custody pending trial are foreign nationals.

    Jeremy Wright

    Information on the remand population is published quarterly and the latest available data is as at 31 March 2014 and can be found in Table 1.6 of the Prison Population spreadsheet Q1 2014 via the weblink below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-october-december-2013-and-annual

    “

  • Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for free school status from applicants which already have premises have been refused.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education does not hold the information in the form requested.

    Whether applicants already have premises for their proposed school, and who provides those premises, are not, on their own, material factors in the decision to approve or reject a free school application. Rather, that decision is based principally on an assessment of the need for the school, the strength of the applicants’ education plans and their ability to deliver a school that is financially viable and likely to be judged “good” or “outstanding” by Ofsted.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research her Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of street lighting and the incidence of (a) burglaries, (b) offences against the person and (c) other crimes.

    Norman Baker

    The Home Office has not undertaken any recent research into the relationship
    between levels of street lighting and the incidence of crimes.

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the threat to human rights defenders and journalists in Honduras.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Government attaches great importance to the support of human rights and democracy around the world. The human rights situation in Honduras is undoubtedly of concern, particularly in regard to human rights defenders and journalists, who have been known to face particular threats. The limited investigative capacity of judicial institutions in Honduras means it is often difficult to determine who is responsible for such crimes. However, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Honduras set out in a recent statement to mark Press Freedom Day on 3 May, the British Government is working to support the efforts of the Honduran Attorney General’s Office and other institutions to tackle impunity human rights abuses, including crimes perpetrated against journalists and human rights defenders.