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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lay magistrates were recruited in the last year for which figures are available for each decile by age.

    Lord Faulks

    A total of 403 magistrates were appointed in England and Wales between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. A breakdown of those appointments can be found in the tables below:

    Gender

    Male

    Female

    158 (39%)

    245 (61%)

    Ethnicity

    White

    Mixed

    Black

    Asian

    Chinese

    Other

    333 (83%)

    15 (4%)

    24 (6%)

    22 (5%)

    3 (>1%)

    6 (2%)

    Age

    18-29

    30-39

    40-49

    50-59

    60-65

    24 (6%)

    75 (19%)

    97 (24%)

    154 (38%)

    53 (13%)
  • Baroness Deech – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Deech – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have discussed with the government of Austria the case of Stephan Templ, chronicler of Nazi looting in Vienna, who has been sentenced to imprisonment in connection with his claim for restitution.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of the legal case concerning Stephan Templ. Our Embassy has close relations with the Secretary General of the Austrian National Fund for Victims of National Socialism, which was established in 1995 to fulfil Austria’s responsibility towards the victims of National Socialism. The British Government encourages the authorities in Austria and other countries in the region to address restitution and compensation claims from those who were tragically affected by the Holocaust as soon as possible, in a way that would be just and satisfactory to the claimants. We will continue to engage with the authorities to press the case for victims of National Socialism to receive justice and fair compensation, particularly through the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The Government has appointed Sir Eric Pickles as its envoy for post holocaust issues, and he will continue to raise such issues at every opportunity.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the present situation of the Yezidis displaced from the Sinjar/Shengal region, irrespective of their current location; what proportion of those displaced are in camps; and what plans there are for protecting those outside camps during the winter.

    Baroness Verma

    UK aid is reaching thousands of vulnerable people across Iraq, include the most vulnerable groups, such as Yezidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. The UK works with the Government of Iraq, Kurdish Regional Government, UN and the international community to support the rights of all minorities and to ensure our aid reaches those in greatest need.

    Humanitarian actors have started the winterisation preparations. We regularly engage with the UN and other partners to ensure that the needs of those most requiring assistance are taken into account. As part of the humanitarian response in Iraq, populations outside of camps have been described as a priority target.

    DFID announced an additional £20 million of humanitarian funding for Iraq on 29 September, taking our total contribution to £79.5 million since June 2014.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 17 December 2014 (HL3284), whether the collection of consistent and comparable data on domestic abuse is now under way, and when they plan to publish the results.

    Lord Bates

    All forces through the Annual Data Return must record and provide data on domestic abuse related crimes and incidents. The requirement is part of the Home Secretary’s commitment to take forward recommendations made by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in its report on the police response to domestic abuse published in March 2014. It came into force in April 2015 and the first findings from this collection will be published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in October as part of the quarterly Crime in England and Wales statistics publication. The Home Office is working with the ONS on the publication of more detailed data in future crime publications.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have taken, if any, in response to the most recent arrests of members of the Sudan Congress Party, and more broadly regarding the treatment of members of civil society, political activists and journalists in Sudan since the election in April.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Whilst we have not raised this specific case, we regularly highlight our concerns over the treatment of political parties, civil society and the media with the Government of Sudan, most recently with a member of the National Congress Party in September this year.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what comparisons they have made between their current and previous schemes to encourage foreign students to prolong their studies and take up employment with United Kingdom business and industry; and whether, as a result, they plan to amend their current scheme.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Prior to 2012 international students who successfully completed a degree at a UK institution could apply for permission to work in the UK for two years. This Post-Study Work route was closed from 6th April 2012 as it granted unrestricted access to the UK labour market for two years to non-EEA nationals at a time when a large number of British graduates were unable to find work. The route was also found to be heavily abused with many people taking up low-skilled work rather than the intended graduate level roles. There are no plans to reintroduce this scheme.

    The UK has an excellent offer for overseas students graduating from UK universities wishing to remain in the UK. Those with an offer of a graduate-level job, paying a salary of at least £20,800, can take up sponsored employment for up to six years. In 2014 some 11,000 international students switched to skilled work. PhD students can stay in the UK for an extra year, under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme, to look for work or start their own business. Graduate entrepreneurs can stay on for up to two years to develop their business in the UK. The Government has also made provisions for graduates wishing to undertake a period of professional training or a corporate internship related to their qualifications, before pursuing a career overseas.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many National Health Service organisations currently have vacancies for chief executive posts.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    This information is not held centrally by the Department.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the past five years, what percentage of applicants aged between 18 and 25 have been granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom on compassionate grounds; and how many applicants are still waiting for a decision.

    Lord Bates

    People in all immigration application routes have the potential to be granted leave to remain on compassionate grounds. There is no formal application category for ‘compassionate grounds’. The Home Office therefore cannot determine the percentage of applicants between 18 and 25 who have been granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom on compassionate grounds or how many applicants are still waiting for a decision.

  • Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have sought, or been given, the advice of the National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites concerning proposals for dualling the A303 through the Stonehenge part of the World Heritage Site; and if so, what advice they received.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Highways England is currently in the early stage of scheme development looking at options and to date have not sought the advice of the National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assets of (a) President Assad and (b) the Syrian government have been frozen in the UK; and what the value is of those assets.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In view of the situation in Syria, Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 of 18 January 2012 imposed an asset freeze against listed Syrian individuals and entities. The EU Regulation, which has direct effect in the UK, requires that all funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by listed persons are frozen.

    Those listed under this regime include natural and legal persons, entities and bodies who have been identified as being responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria, persons and entities benefiting from or supporting the regime, and natural or legal persons associated with them. These persons and entities include, but are not limited to, President Assad and several members and agencies of the Syrian government.

    The approximate aggregate value of funds frozen in UK jurisdiction under EU Regulation 36/2012 is £151,080,000 (based on an annual audit in September 2014). These funds continue to belong to the individuals and entities listed under the Regulation and are not seized or otherwise held by HM Government.

    The Regulation states that HM Treasury can use this information only for the purpose for which it was provided. In order to comply with this requirement, and to comply with UK data protection law, the figure is provided on an aggregate basis so as not to disclose data relating to funds held by particular individuals or entities.

    HM Treasury publishes the names of those subject to EU financial sanctions on the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK, which can be found on the gov.uk website.