The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many students from India were granted a visa to study in Britain in 2000.
James Brokenshire
Due to a change of database in 2004, comparable data are not available for visas in years prior to 2004.
In 2005, 18,857 Indian nationals were issued with study visas granting entry clearance to the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote the development of a bio-plastics industry within a UK circular economy; and what the implications for his policy are of the effect of the EU’s Europe 2020 programme in supporting that sector at a regional level.
Joseph Johnson
The Government recognises the potential for the bio-plastics sector to contribute to a circular economy. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is engaged with a range of businesses in the bio plastic industry including via the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association and is working to help promote the potential growth of that sector. The EU 2020 strategy and the funding programmes that support that initiative offer opportunities for the UK. BIS is actively promoting and facilitating engagement and participation in the Horizon 2020 Programme via the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what work her Department is undertaking to encourage the development of democracy and political rights in Ethiopia.
Grant Shapps
DFID and FCO Ministers and officials regularly raise concerns about democracy and human rights with the relevant authorities, at the highest level of the Ethiopian Government. In light of the results of the parliamentary elections earlier this year, UK ministers urged the Ethiopian government to explore ways to increase the diversity of political parties in future parliaments, and to ensure those who voted for other parties this time still feel their voice is heard.
HMG has a number of programmes that support civil and political rights in Ethiopia, including a DFID civil society support programme, and a recently established joint programme with the FCO to support strengthening in democratic governance. We are currently supporting an initiative to engage civil society in a review of Ethiopia’s progress with implementation of recommendations from the May 2014 Universal Periodic Review, (the Universal Periodic Review is a United Nations Human Rights Council mechanism designed to improve the human rights situation on the ground in UN member states).
Ethiopia remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with around 25 million people living in extreme poverty. In the last five years, with UK support, Ethiopia has reduced child mortality by a quarter, put four million more children in primary school and protected almost eight million people from needing humanitarian food aid. A healthier, better educated population will be more able to participate in society and contribute to the progress and development of that country.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve the UK’s economic ties with developing African economies.
Harriett Baldwin
Supporting Africa’s economic development is central to the government’s international agenda. This is highlighted in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 which states that:
Over the next five years, we aim to deepen the UK’s relationships with African countries significantly. To enable this, we will deliver a more strategic and coordinated government approach to Africa… We will continue to make substantial investments to promote greater economic growth and poverty reduction.
In parallel, the Department for International Development (DFID) has previously committed to spend around £1.8 billion of their budget on economic development by the end of the 2015/2016 fiscal year: almost double the level of two years ago. DFID is also working with business and new partners, including new partners in the UK, to support innovative and profitable solutions to Africa’s development challenges. For example, the recently launched Energy Access initiative aims to expand solar energy access across sub-Saharan Africa, by increasing investment in off-grid energy firms, promoting innovation and removing regulatory barriers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many civil servants in his Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to his Department.
David Mundell
The Scotland Office does not hold information on how many civil servants in the office are members of trade unions. There are no staff with facility time arrangements for trade unions duties and activities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which (a) organisations and (b) individuals responded to the public online consultation his Department held on the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR); and for what reasons the SDSR does not mention such responses.
Michael Fallon
The Government received more than 2,000 full responses from members of the public to the online form, as detailed in section 7.5 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). All comments were considered by officials as part of the SDSR process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to secure continued funding for the Short Breaks pathfinder initiative.
Edward Timpson
The Short Breaks pathfinder initiative was part of Aiming High for Disabled Children and ran in 21 local authorities from 2008. Since the pathfinder initiative, funding has been provided to support short breaks provision in all English local authorities. For example, between 2011-12 and 2014-15, short breaks were supported by £800m in the Early Intervention Grant. In 2011-12, and again in 2012-13, local authorities benefitted from an additional £40m per annum of capital funding for short break services.
Since 2011, local authorities have also been under a duty to provide a range of short breaks services and to publish a local Short Breaks Duty Statement showing what services are available; how they are responding to the needs of local parent carers; and how short breaks can be accessed, including any eligibility criteria. Local authorities are responsible for funding this short breaks provision.
This year, the Department for Education has awarded £250,555 to the Short Breaks Partnership (a consortium made up of Contact a Family, the Council for Disabled Children, Action for Children and KIDS) to provide information and advice to those involved in designing, commissioning, providing and taking up short breaks for disabled children.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Capacity Market does not favour any class of generators.
Andrea Leadsom
The Capacity Market is technology neutral, i.e. it does not seek to procure specific volumes of capacity from different types of technology. Before the start of pre-qualification for the auction, National Grid discounts the capacity available from each technology according to its historic reliability. These steps ensure that all types of eligible capacity are able to participate on an equal basis. The principle of technology neutrality allows the market to identify which technology type is cost efficient in delivering security of supply.
We are satisfied with the wide range of different technologies that have prequalified for the next Capacity Market auction, which will take place next month.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-10-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Health Organization research showing that eating processed meat increases the risk of cancer.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The World Health Organization published its conclusions on the carcinogenicity of eating red and processed meat on 26 October. The detailed evaluations will be published in the future; until these are available, we cannot assess them in detail.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has received from the government of Argentina on the status of the Falkland Islands.
Mr Hugo Swire
I have received no such recent representations from the Argentine government.