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Tag: 2014

  • Lord Singh of Wimbledon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Singh of Wimbledon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Singh of Wimbledon on 2014-04-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 7 April (WA 244), by what criteria they decided to promote a United Nations inquiry into events in Sri Lanka; whether they have considered the situation of the Sikh community in India against those criteria; if not, why not; and if so, with what conclusions.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    We have serious human rights concerns on Sri Lanka, and concerns over lack of progress on accountability and reconciliation. In a joint statement with the UN Secretary-General in 2009, the Sri Lankan government committed to addressing accountability issues. In 2011, the UN Panel of Experts recommended that the Sri Lankan government should immediately hold ‘an effective domestic accountability process’ into alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law by both sides of Sri Lanka’s military conflict. The Panel of Experts also recommended that the UN Secretary-General should establish an ‘independent international mechanism’ to investigate these allegations.

    In both 2012 and 2013, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) subsequently called upon the Sri Lankan government to hold a credible domestic accountability process into the allegations. In the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s report to the UNHRC on Sri Lanka in March 2014, the High Commissioner assessed that domestic accountability processes were ‘limited and piecemeal’, and that none ‘had the independence or credibility required’. As a result of this, the British Government supported the High Commissioner’s call for an international investigation. On 27 March, the UNHRC passed a resolution which establishes an international investigation, in addition to calling on the Sri Lankan government to make progress on human rights and accountability.

    On the situation of the Sikh community in India, I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report Column WA 244.

  • Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-04-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent deaths in the Yarmouk section of Damascus, reported by Amnesty International in its report Squeezing the life out of Yarmouk: War crimes against besieged civilians, and, in particular, of that organisation’s attribution of the deaths to starvation and lack of medical care.

    Lord Bates

    DFID is deeply concerned by reports of Palestinian refugees in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus suffering and dying as a result of malnutrition and lack of medical care. Yarmouk has been under siege for some time and we are calling for unfettered access to all affected communities and for all sides to lift sieges to end this suffering.

  • Lord Patten – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Patten – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2014-04-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the announcement by the government of Argentina that their new 50 peso banknote will show the Falkland Islands as part of their national territory.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The British Government obviously has no control over what other countries choose to put on their currency. However, we are clear that incorporating the Falkland Islands in this way in no way affects either the UK’s sovereignty or the right of the Falkland Islanders to self–determination, which they exercised in March 2013 in an overwhelming vote to remain part of the UK.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer to Lord Adonis of 3 June 2013, Official Report, House of Lords, column 122WA, on government departments: secondments, of those secondments to his Department listed on that date, how many of these secondments related (a) wholly, (b) partly and (c) incidentally to the privatisation of Royal Mail; and how many of those secondments took place primarily for the purpose of helping with the privatisation of Royal Mail.

    Michael Fallon

    Of the secondees listed in the answer given to the noble Lord, Lord Adonis on 3 June 2013, two worked on the Royal Mail privatisation in the Shareholder Executive.

  • Karen Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Karen Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much each local authority in England reported as its (a) budgeted and (b) outturn expenditure on all youth work and provision of activities for young people in each year since 2010.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested is collected by Department for Education and published on gov.uk. I have asked that this information for each year since 2010 is placed in the Library of the House as soon as is practicable.

    Figures for actual spend by local authority in 2013-14 will be available in December 2014.

  • Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-04-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs supports in principle the sale of part of the Custom House site adjacent to Dover Priory Railway Station for the development of new parking facilities.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM TREASURY

    Charlie Elphicke MP

    DOVER

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs supports in principle the sale of part of the Custom House site adjacent to Dover Priory Railway Station for the development of new parking facilities. 195498

    DAVID GAUKE

    HM Revenue and Customs does not own the freehold interest of the Custom House site (also known as Priory Court) adjacent to Dover Priory railway station. HMRC occupies the site as part of the STEPS PFI agreement and will consider any proposals from the freeholder Mapeley that affect our rights of occupation.

  • Chris Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Chris Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which 10 consultancy firms were paid the most by his Department in the last financial year; and how much each of those firms was paid.

    Brandon Lewis

    The table below sets out the ten consultancy firms that were paid the most by my Department in the last financial year

    The data complies with definitions on Consultancy laid down by the Cabinet Office which excludes agency staff and interim (contingent) labour.

    Financial Year 2013-14

    Organisation

    Total Expenditure (excluding VAT)

    Local Partnership LLP*

    £150,918

    PricewaterhouseCoopers

    £108,516

    Ove Arup & Partners

    £66,790

    Amec Environment & Infrastructure

    £62,509

    Ernest & Young LLP

    £20,000

    Capgemini UK Plc

    £17,000

    Grant Thornton UK LLP

    £8,815

    Giant Professional Limited

    £6,400

    Oakleigh Consulting Ltd

    £4,950

    Land Use Consultants

    £1,345

    * Local Partnerships is a company that is jointly owned by HM Treasury and the Local Government Association; it provides commercial expertise on matters of infrastructure, legal and contractual complexity and acts for the benefit of the public sector.

    My Department has cut spending on consultancy from £36.6 million in 2009-10 to £0.5 million in 2013-14. This represents a saving of £36.1 million a year (2013-14 compared to 2009-10) and has been achieved through contract renegotiations, terminations and adherence to Cabinet Office controls on consultancy spending.

    To put this in context, based on current estimates (which reflect accounting consequences from machinery of government changes) the DCLG Group is reducing its annual running costs by around 40% in real terms between 2010-11 and 2014-15. This equates to net savings of at least £532 million over this spending review period and includes savings of around £420 million from the closure of the Government Offices for the Regions.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on the Social Work Practice pilots; and which local authorities are taking part in those pilots.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Social Work Practices pilot concluded in 2012. In November last year the Government commenced Part 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 to allow all local authorities to explore new models of provision if they wish to.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount spent per person on flood defences in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 2001 to date; and what estimate he has made of the amounts in each year to 2016.

    Dan Rogerson

    The figures are as follows:

    (a)

    Average Defra spend per head on flood and coastal erosion risk management in England (£)

    2005/06

    9.51

    2006/07

    9.47

    2007/08

    9.34

    2008/09

    10.61

    2009/10

    11.83

    2010/11

    12.53

    2011/12

    10.71

    2012/13

    10.77

    2013/14

    11.34

    2014/15

    14.86

    The figures for each year is the total Defra spend on flood and coastal erosion risk management divided by the most recent ONS population estimate for mid-2012

    · Figures before 2005/06 are not available in a comparable format.

    · Figures for 2013/14 and 2014/15 are budget allocations.

    · Figures for 2015/16 are not available as the budget has not yet been set.

    (b)

    Flood management in Wales is a devolved matter and Defra has made no estimate of the amount spent per person.

    “

  • Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the commercialisation of scientific and technical research undertaken by GCHQ.

    Hugh Robertson

    GCHQ works closely with business to release Intellectual Properties (IP) which are suitable for more general use in the outside world. For example through its information assurance arm, Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG), it operates a number of schemes which enable individuals and companies to gain CESG endorsement of products and services via technical assessment.

    GCHQ is additionally running a number of pilot cases looking at ways of improving its coordination with SMEs and larger industry partners including on Open Source publishing and licencing to SMEs and larger industry partners. GCHQ is also sponsoring research institutes in Cyber Security and running innovation calls aimed at SMEs. The latter initiative in partnership with organisations such as the Centre for Defence Enterprise and the technology Strategy Board.