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Tag: 2015

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that UK citizens travelling to India, Thailand and other elephant-range states are made aware of the illegal practice of capturing and breaking the spirit of baby elephants for use in the tourist industry.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The United Kingdom is committed to conserving Asian elephants and recognises the growing threats to their populations, particularly from poaching and cross-border, illegal trade in live animals to feed the demand by the tourist and entertainment industries. We have been working internationally through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in discussion with elephant range states, such as India and Thailand, to increase protection for Asian elephants. In 2014, we secured agreement in 2014 for elephant range states to put in place measures to prevent illegal trade in live elephants.

    Although it is not for the Government to make British citizens aware of this practice, we will continue to work together with the Indian authorities, as well as non-governmental organisations, on protecting elephants.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what influence they and the EU will exert to secure the lifting of restrictions imposed on Palestinians in and near Hebron.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement in and near Hebron as well as elsewhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv, we continue to lobby the Israeli authorities on the issue of movement and access, most recently on 24 November when our Deputy Head of Mission discussed with the Head of the relevant unit at Israel’s Ministry of Defence. We continue to work closely with EU partners to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that junior doctors do not suffer a reduction in pay as a result of the Government’s proposals to change junior doctors’ contracts.

    Ben Gummer

    Our offer on a new contract for junior doctors includes transitional arrangements that guarantee that all junior doctors currently working legal hours will not receive a pay cut compared to their current contract. Those in the higher stages of training will remain on current pay terms; for those moving onto the new pay terms, we are offering pay protection.

    Around 1% of junior doctors currently work on rotas that have breached the current limits on hours, and these junior doctors receive Band 3 payments (100% of basic salary). New contractual safeguards will include stronger limits on hours and patterns of work; and there will be stronger contractual processes, with external scrutiny, for dealing with variations from planned working. These Band 3 payments will not, therefore, apply or be protected.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the spread of Acute Oak Decline in the UK.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Over the past five years Forest Research, in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, has conducted a systematic survey to model the distribution of acute oak decline (AOD) in England and Wales. The results show that the condition currently affects several thousand oak trees, mostly across East Anglia, the Midlands and southern England.

    The complex nature of the condition means it is often associated with other pathogens, as well as insect defoliators and the research has not yet concluded whether AOD kills trees or not. A large proportion of the infected trees monitored have entered remission suggesting some level of host resistance. We do not have information at the landscape level on the number of oak with AOD symptoms that die every year.

    Since 2013, Defra has invested £1.1 million in research to understand the causes, distribution and scale of AOD in the UK. This includes work to investigate the bacterial species associated with the condition and to understand whether the Agrilus biguttatus beetle plays a role in the dispersal of these bacterial species. Early findings from this research are still inconclusive. There is currently no firm evidence of transmission by the beetle.

    Earlier this year, Defra in collaboration with the Research Councils, Scottish Government and the Forestry Commission launched a further £2 million call for research proposals on ‘oak health’ and Phytophthora. The successful bids from this call are due to be announced shortly.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of locums to the NHS arising from the General Medical Council’s revalidation programme.

    Ben Gummer

    Medical revalidation is underpinned by structured appraisal processes that support a doctor’s professional development. Doctors will prepare for their appraisal during planned periods away from clinical practice, thus removing the need for additional locum cover in the National Health Service.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the viability of biodiesel made from waste products in comparison to biodiesel made from virgin products.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) provides double rewards for biofuels derived from wastes.

    The Department concluded a post-implementation review of the RTFO in April 2014. Evidence from the review indicates that double rewards for biofuels from wastes, which were introduced under the RTFO in 2011, have encouraged a strong market for biodiesel from used cooking oil in the UK.

    Since the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) was established waste based biofuels have risen from 12% of total biofuel supply in the first year of the obligation 2008/09, to 50% according to the data for 2014/15 (Biofuels Statistics obligation year 7 2014/15 – Report 5).

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the money pledged by the UK at the donor conference for Palestinians in Cairo in October 2014 has reached beneficiaries in the Gaza Strip; and what that money has been spent on.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    In October 2014, the UK pledged £20 million in early recovery assistance at the Gaza Reconstruction Conference in Cairo. We have fully disbursed our pledge and will exceed it over the coming months, as we disburse residual funds on getting businesses back to work in Gaza.

    DFID’s support has included reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation for those injured in the conflict, clearance of unexploded ordnance, short-term employment schemes, shelter and basic services, support to the private sector, funding for the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM), and direct support and technical assistance to the Palestinian Authority.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Attorney General, what training the Law Officers’ Departments have provided to staff on the family test; what other steps he has taken to raise awareness of the family test among staff of the Law Officers’ Departments; and if he will make a statement.

    Robert Buckland

    The Government Legal Department provides training to all lawyers within the Government Legal Service, Attorney General’s Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, and hosted a training session on the legal implications of The Family Test in May 2015. While training places were prioritised for lawyers advising the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), all government lawyers were eligible to apply.

    In addition, the training committee within the DWP legal advisers will consider the inclusion of further training on The Family Test in response to any further needs identified.

    The Serious Fraud Office and Crown Prosecution Service are not directly involved in frontline policy development and whilst they are aware of the published DWP guidance on applying the test, no specific training has been deemed necessary at this stage. However, they would of course apply the test should the need arise.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from her Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    There has been no stationery reported lost or stolen in my Department during the period requested.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what responsibilities the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has which relate to the Duchy of Lancaster.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is responsible to the Sovereign for the administration of the estates of the Duchy of Lancaster, in which he is assisted by the Duchy Council. The Chancellor also appoints various Duchy representatives on university councils, school governing bodies and charities in the County Palatine.