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Tag: 2014

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of conclusions of the recent UN IPCC report on the effects of climate change on developing countries.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The Government welcomes the IPCC report. Climate change poses very serious consequences to human health, global food security, and can slow economic growth. Its impacts will be an extra burden for those living in poverty, and make it harder to reduce poverty in developing countries.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of opiate-related overdoses among people recently released from prison.

    Jane Ellison

    People who have recently been released from prison are at a greater risk of overdose. A 2005 report on drug-related mortality among newly released offenders (1998-2000) showed that male prisoners in the study were about 29 times more likely to die than males in the general population.

    The Department of Health and Ministry of Justice have funded a joint initiative to improve the “through the gate” provision for prisoners who are dependent on drugs and alcohol. Ten prisons in the North West are currently piloting a range of innovative interventions to provide more intensive support and supervision for people leaving custody which include the use of peer mentors, recovery housing services and take-home naloxone as they return to the community.

    Public Health England has also published a checklist to support local authorities with commissioning services and interventions that help to prevent overdose, as part of a wider treatment and harm reduction system.

    The Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) programme, implemented in prisons between 2006 and 2010, sought to improve the standard and quality of drug treatment in prisons. One of the key drivers for this programme was the need to reduce drug-related deaths among people who had been recently released from prison.

    Through IDTS, prisoners could get access to evidence-based opioid substitution treatment in prison, which they could continue in the community after release. The extent in which this was successful in reducing drug-related overdose deaths will be one of the themes in the IDTS evaluation, which will be published next year.

    The principles of IDTS continue to be adopted by local partners responsible for commissioning health services.

  • Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he intends to respond to the consultation on the introduction of a Land Registry service delivery company.

    Michael Fallon

    We are aiming to publish the Government response within 12 weeks of the consultation closing, in line with the consultation principles.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what performance indicators for the renewal of existing passports have been met by each passport office administrative centre in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England in each year since 2009.

    James Brokenshire

    Her Majesty’s Passport Office does not log performance data at office, regional
    or home country level. Performance is monitored at a national level as Her
    Majesty’s Passport Office distributes work across the UK estate to manage
    variation in local levels of passport demand. The cost of identifying the information
    in the format requested would be disproportionate.

    Information on the number of passports issued each year in the UK is set out in
    Her Majesty’s Passport Office’s Annual Report and Accounts. I refer to the
    Answer given to the hon. Member on 30 June 2014, Official Report, column 381W.

    Her Majesty’sPassport Office have issued over 4 million passports in the year
    2014 to date.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how self-reported data from local authorities on the Troubled Families programme is audited.

    Kris Hopkins

    All results are approved within each local authority’s internal audit arrangements and under the statutory authority of the Chief Executive. My Department then undertakes a verification process on a sample of claims made.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were (a) cautioned, (b) proceeded against and (c) convicted of an offence under the provisions of the (i) Game Act 1831, (ii) Deer Act 1991, (iii) Protection of Badgers Act 1992, (iv) Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, (v) Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, (vi) Animal Welfare Act 2006, (vii) Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994 and Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, (viii) Hunting Act 2004, (ix) Night Poaching Act 1828, (x) Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997, (xi) Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, (xii) Pests Act 1954 and (xiii) Conservation of Seals Act 1970 in each year since 2009.

    Mike Penning

    The number of offenders cautioned and defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty at all courts for offences (all in England and Wales from 2009 to 2013) under the Game Act 1831 can be viewed in Table 1, under the Deer Act 1991 in Table 2, under the Protection of Badgers act 1992 in Table 3, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Table 4, under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 in Table 5, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in Table 6, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 in Table 7, under the Night Poaching Act 1828 in Table 8, under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 in Table 9, under the Hunting Act 2004 in Table 10 and under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 in Table 11. The tables can be found in the Library. Data for the Pests Act 1954, the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994 is held as part of a miscellaneous group that cannot be separately analysed.We are very clear that serious offences will always go to court where tough punishments are available to the independent judiciary, who make their sentencing decisions based on the individual facts of the case.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there has been any testing (a) in Southern Australia and (b) elsewhere of the ability of the Taranis system to identify or strike targets autonomously.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I am withholding details of the locations at which Taranis flight trials have taken place for the purpose of safeguarding national security. The Ministry of Defence has no plans to create weapons that operate without human control. Trained members of the Armed Forces will always be involved in the command and control of unmanned air systems.

  • Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent estimate his Department has made of the potential effect of the adjusted funding arrangement in the Scotland Bill on per capita spending in Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland Act 2012 provides the Scottish Government and Parliament with new tax and borrowing powers. The effect of these powers on public spending in Scotland will therefore depend on the decisions taken by the Scottish Government and Parliament.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) amount and (b) proportion of the budget of the Environment Agency is allocated to staff and other departmental costs associated with the regulation of hydraulic fracturing and unconventional gas in each year between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency does not keep separate records of its regulatory costs for hydraulic fracturing and unconventional gas so we cannot provide figures for previous years.

    For 2014-15 the Environment Agency has allocated £2.6 million to its work on onshore oil and gas. This is 0.39% of the Environment Agency’s total revenue budget.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with his European counterparts to encourage the reduction of fuel consumption by heavy-duty vehicles across the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    We are committed to reducing the fuel consumption of heavy duty vehicles. We continue to work closely with both the UK industry and our European counterparts to ensure that the recently published EU Strategy for improving heavy duty vehicle fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions reflects UK interests, and is ambitious but deliverable, proportionate and cost effective.