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Tag: 2014

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for renewing the 1958 Agreement between the UK and US for Co-operation in the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defence Purposes; whether he will lay the draft renewed agreement before Parliament; and what role the British Embassy in Washington DC will play in the renewal.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    We are continuing to work with the US and satisfactory progress is being made. Parliament will be informed of the amending text at the appropriate time. The British Embassy in Washington DC will facilitate discussions between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the US Department of State.

  • Biography information for Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Biography information for Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Julian Huppert on Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

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    Hugh Robertson

    We are not aware of any recent action taken by the US against Bangladesh.

  • Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the commerical and procurement capability of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; and what steps have been taken to assist the authority in the development of its capability in this area of operations.

    Michael Fallon

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for running competitions to manage its sites, and for managing the contracts with those sites; maintaining the capability to do so effectively is also the responsibility of the NDA. My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State appoints the Chairman and other non-executive members of the NDA Board and we have ensured that it has strong commercial skills to support the Executive. With regard to the NDA’s Parent Body Organisation competitions, the process is subject to governance by the NDA’s Competition Programme Board (CPB), on which the Shareholder Executive (on behalf of DECC), HM Treasury and Infrastructure UK sit. A key role of the CPB is to provide assurance that the NDA has the right commercial and procurement capability. We also monitor continuously the NDA’s performance, capability and overall effectiveness.

  • Biography information for Lisa Nandy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Biography information for Lisa Nandy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lisa Nandy on Transport.

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    Stephen Hammond

    Open access operators have helped to provide innovative services for passengers and grow new rail markets – often generating excellent passenger satisfaction scores. The additional competitive pressure generated by open access operators can also help improve the experience of passengers of franchised services.

    These beneficial impacts must be balanced against the potential to abstract passenger revenue from franchised operators. This abstraction primarily manifests itself as a cost to Government in the form of diminished value of the franchises when they are tendered.

    To mitigate this problem, the Office of Rail Regulation ("ORR") applies the "not primarily abstractive test", which aims to ensure that applicants for open access routes will generate at least 30 pence of new revenue for every £1 of existing revenue abstracted from franchised operators. The ORR considers that if the open access operator generates any less new revenue, the benefits of their operation would not outweigh the costs. Our policy is to support the application of the not primarily abstractive test when open access applications are assessed.

  • 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 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will assess the desirability of separating responsibility for food safety policy and responsibility for food standards policy in England between the Food Standards Agency and his Department.

    George Eustice

    The Food Standards Authority is responsible for food safety and food hygiene across the UK, and for food law enforcement. Their strategic objective is safer food for the nation in order to protect the consumer.

    Defra is responsible for non-safety related food compositional standards and labelling policy in England. Most of these standards are set under EU legislation considered by EU Agriculture Council and there are synergies with the equivalent standards set through the Common Agricultural Policy. The underlying reason for regulating in these areas is to set internationally recognised standards to facilitate trade and ensure a level playing field for food businesses, whilst protecting consumers against product misdescription. Food composition and standards policy is not generally related to food safety.

  • Biography information for Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Biography information for Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Kelvin Hopkins on Home Office.

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    Norman Baker

    The Advisory Board is a strategic sounding board for the Alcohol Impact pilot, providing NUS with advice to enable it to:
    • maximise the impact and success of the pilot;
    • identify, and react to, strategic barriers and opportunities in the short,
    medium and long-term;
    • identify, and develop, influential and effective strategic partnerships for
    the Programme;
    • develop a strong legacy plan beyond the pilot.

    Representatives for the board were selected by the NUS, in consultation with the Home Office, to provide a cross-section of groups who have expertise in a project that combines alcohol and the night-time economy, crime, higher education and community interests.

    In addition to officials from the NUS and Home Office, 19 external advisors form the NUS Alcohol Impact Advisory Board.

    They are representatives of:
    • Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education
    • Association of University Directors of Estates
    • Addaction
    • Portman Group
    • Association of Town and City Management
    • British Universities and Colleges Sport
    • Research and Analysis
    • Leeds University Union
    • Universities UK
    • Best Bar None
    • GuildHE
    • Newcastle University
    • Northamptonshire Police
    • Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers
    • Greater Manchester Police
    • British Beer and Pub Association
    • Public Health England
    • Best Bar None

  • 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 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons cage trapping and shooting of badgers was implemented during the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire in 2013 when the culls were testing for effectiveness, humaneness and safety of free shooting.

    George Eustice

    Both controlled shooting and cage trapping and shooting methods were always available to the cull companies. There was no compulsion on the contractors to use a defined proportion of cage trapping and controlled shooting. How they used these two methods was a decision for them to make. As the pilot culls progressed, cull companies decided to use more cage trapping, as this technique was found to work well under certain circumstances. Ministers were kept informed of progress during the pilot culls from an early stage.

  • Biography information for Lord Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Biography information for Lord Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Coaker on Defence.

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    Anna Soubry

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 June 2014, (Official Report, column 364W) to the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green).

    Reservists are treated exactly the same as regulars in terms of operational training and support while mobilised, including access to the same welfare support and medical treatment through the Defence Medical Services (DMS). They are retained in service and will receive treatment and rehabilitation until they are medically assessed as having reached a steady state of fitness, at which point they will be demobilised. If they have continuing healthcare needs following demobilisation, they will be taken through a transition from military to NHS care. Reservists who are medically discharged as a result of injuries sustained during deployment are also entitled to resettlement training and to the same range of services available to regular veterans. Where service is the only or main cause of injury or illness, members or former members of the reserve forces may qualify for awards under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).

    The level and quality of post-operational support provided to injured mobilised reservists is exactly the same as that provided to regulars, with full access to all the facilities and expertise provided under the Army Recovery Capability, and it is a level of support of which the Army and the Ministry of Defence are extremely proud.

    Following the Reserves 2020 White Paper, which proposed improvements to occupational health provision to ensure consistent access to these services for all reservists, the MOD committed to extending DMS occupational health provision to non-mobilised reservists. Rehabilitation services are also being extended to members of the reserve forces who are injured during reserve training. This is in addition to the procedure in place since 2006, whereby reservists can obtain DMS mental health treatment through the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme. Implementation of the new measures started in April 2014.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security and humanitarian situation in Kessab.

    Hugh Robertson

    We remain deeply concerned about the safety of all in Kessab and in all areas affected by the conflict. We believe that the majority of Kessab’s inhabitants, including most of the ethnic Armenian population, left the town because of fighting in the area. They join the more than 9 million Syrians of all faiths and ethnicities who have been driven from their homes by the ongoing conflict.

  • Biography information for Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Biography information for Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Sharon Hodgson on Justice.

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    Simon Hughes

    I have not discussed the legal status of Islamic marriages with any of the organisations listed.

    There are no plans to change the law to recognise in English law Muslim marriages and divorces which do not conform to the Marriage Act 1949.