Tag: 2015

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings he has had with (a) Israeli and (b) Palestinian officials in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    In the last year, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has held three meetings with Israel officials and two meetings with Palestinian officials. He also visited Israel and the OPTs in July 2015. I have also held numerous meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials, and visited the region last October.

  • Andrew Griffiths – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Griffiths – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Griffiths on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many families have been assisted by the Family Nurse Partnership in each NHS trust area in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    Information is not available in the format requested. The table shows the number of families actively taking part on the Family Nurse Partnership Programme (FNP) across England in each of the last five calendar years for which information is available.

    The FNP lasts for approximately two and a half years, from early pregnancy until the child’s second birthday. Some people can leave the programme before their child is two for a variety of reasons.

    There are currently over 16,500 FNP places available in England across 135 local authority areas.

    Year (1 January-31 December)

    Number of women active in year

    2010

    5,458

    2011

    6,160

    2012

    8,403

    2013

    9,981

    2014

    11,850

  • Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration she has given to the use of family reunions to facilitate resettlement within the Government’s Syrian refugee programme.

    James Brokenshire

    We recognise that families may be separated because of the nature of conflict and persecution and the speed and manner in which those seeking asylum often flee their country of origin. Our refugee family reunion policy allows immediate family members of a person in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection status – that is a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18, who formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin – to reunite with them in the UK.

    The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme was launched in January 2014 and is the first resettlement programme run by the UK to target support for refugees specifically on the basis of their vulnerability. On 7 September 2015, the Prime Minister announced a significant extension of the scheme, in recognition of the worsening crisis. We intend to resettle 20,000 refugees from Syria’s neighbouring countries over the lifetime of this Parliament.

    The scheme is helping those in the greatest need who cannot be supported effectively in the region by giving them protection and support in the UK. The current criteria for acceptance under the scheme will be expanded to ensure more of those in the greatest need are resettled, together with their family members, in the UK. Where possible, the Government working with UNHCR, aims to resettle all close family members and dependents together.

    Those resettled under the Syrian VPR scheme are eligible to act as sponsors under the family reunion provisions. This means that if their immediate family members are still abroad, and they meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules, they will be issued with a visa and the family will be able to reunite in the UK. Any family members who are already in the UK are also eligible to apply under the family reunion provisions.

  • Mary Glindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mary Glindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) total and (b) average monthly cost has been of the nationally co-ordinated detached duty scheme for prison officers since that scheme’s introduction.

    Andrew Selous

    Using centrally held financial records it is not possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to determine the costs of the nationally coordinated detached duty scheme.

    Information on the average monthly provision of Band 3 to 5 prison officers received as part of the nationally coordinated detached duty scheme, since November 2013, are shown in the table below. November 2013 was the first full month of the nationally coordinated detached duty scheme.

    Average provision of Band 3 to 5 Prison Officers on detached duty to public sector prisons in England & Wales, November 2013 – June 2015

    Month

    Equivalent Full Time Officers

    Nov 2013

    110

    Dec 2013

    210

    Jan 2014

    210

    Feb 2014

    160

    Mar 2014

    130

    Apr 2014

    210

    May 2014

    160

    Jun 2014

    170

    Jul 2014

    230

    Aug 2014

    240

    Sep 2014

    230

    Oct 2014

    240

    Nov 2014

    230

    Dec 2014

    240

    Jan 2015

    260

    Feb 2015

    230

    Mar 2015

    210

    Apr 2015

    190

    May 2015

    260

    Jun 2015

    270

    All figures in the tables are rounded to the nearest 10, with numbers ending in 5 rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Rounding to 10 accurately depicts the level of certainty that is held with these figures. Values of 5 or fewer are denoted as ‘~’

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will introduce a cap on the amount of public money used to fund surface access costs arising from the construction of a new airport runway at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report, including its examination of the costs and financing of the schemes, before taking any decisions on next steps.

    In terms of surface access proposals, the Government has been clear that it expects the scheme promoter to meet the costs of any surface access proposals that are required as a direct result of airport expansion and from which they will directly benefit.

  • Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many officials work in each section of the Northern Ireland Office.

    Baroness Randerson

    The number of staff working in each business group of the Northern Ireland Office in January 2015, the latest period for which figures are available, is shown below:

    Business Group

    Number of Staff

    Senior Management

    6

    Business Delivery

    40

    Security and Protection

    31

    Legacy

    23

    Community Engagement

    15

    Economic Constitutional and Political

    19

  • Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the proposed acquisition of Aer Lingus by International Consolidated Airlines, whether they have made representations to safeguard the slots at Heathrow airport for flights by British Airways and Aer Lingus to Belfast City; and whether they have made representations to safeguard the slots at Gatwick airport for flights to Belfast City.

    Baroness Kramer

    The Government does not currently consider that there is a risk of air services between Belfast and London being lost. The routes remain commercially viable, with nearly two million passengers carried on almost 19,000 flights between the two Belfast airports and the five main London airports in 2013.

    EU Regulations govern the allocation, transfer and exchange of slots at Heathrow, Gatwick and other slot co-ordinated airports in the UK. The purpose of the EU Slot Regulations is to support the operation of a single market for aviation by seeking to ensure airlines have fair and equal access to airports across the EU through the application of independent, non-discriminatory and transparent slot allocation procedures. The Regulations stipulate that the actual process of slot allocation is undertaken entirely independently of the Government, the UK Civil Aviation Authority or other parties. The Government has therefore made no representations to safeguard Heathrow or Gatwick slots for air services from Belfast.

    In circumstances where vital air connectivity would be lost, EU law does provide some limited scope to protect regional air services by allowing Member States to establish public service obligations (PSOs) to protect air services to airports serving a peripheral or development region, or on thin routes considered vital for a region’s economic and social development. Where a PSO has been approved, this would permit slots to be ring-fenced at a London airport. There is no other mechanism for the Government to intervene in the allocation of slots at London airports.

    As part of the 2013 Spending Round the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced that £20million would be made available over the two years 2014-15 and 2015-16 through a Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain regional air access to London through the establishment of PSOs where there was the probability that an existing air service would be lost. The 2014 Budget announced a doubling of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain existing connectivity to London.

  • Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which European Union legislation they have considered in framing the proposed draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015; what view they have taken on the applicability of the European Union legislation; and what is the basis for their view.

    Earl Howe

    As I said in the debate on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 on 24 February 2015 (columns 1570 and 1617-8) the Government is satisfied that the Regulations do not contravene any aspect of European Union law. It has carefully considered recent arguments relating to the Clinical Trials Directive (Directive 2001/20/EC) but is satisfied that the Directive is not relevant in this context as it relates to clinical trials of medicines.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what incentives he is providing to encourage investment from Commonwealth countries in the UK.

    Matthew Hancock

    UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the Government department that works to encourage foreign direct investment into the UK.

    UKTI’s has teams focussed on attracting inward investment in Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand and all UKTI teams in Commonwealth countries together with UK based UKTI staff provide support for companies or funds considering inward investment into the UK.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to publish the Government’s response to the review of gambling advertising before the General Election.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    Yes.