The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to change the rules on staff-pupil ratios in early education settings.
Mr Sam Gyimah
There are no plans to change the staff: child ratios for providers registered on the Early Years Register. Lord Nash made clear, during passage of the Childcare Bill in the House of Lords, that we are committed to keeping the existing ratios.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) maintain and (b) increase the proportion of land used for growing cucumbers.
George Eustice
Commercial cucumber growers in the UK require heated glasshouses.
In 2010, we introduced the National Planning Policy Framework which encourages sustainable growth in rural areas and promotes the development and diversification of agricultural and other land-based rural businesses. We aim to remove the barriers to building glasshouse nurseries.
There are several examples where large industrial plants have constructed substantial heated glasshouse facilities adjacent to their factory to make use of surplus heat and carbon dioxide in horticultural production. The government supports innovative initiatives of this sort.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2015 to Question 13387, what information her Department holds on the number of sites approved for fracking in England and Wales; what the location is of each such site; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
There are currently no sites approved for fracking in England and Wales. Any operator would need a Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence (PEDL) in place before commencing hydrocarbon operations. A PEDL does not, in and of itself, allow an operator to commence hydrocarbon operations. Rather, they grant exclusivity to licensees within a defined area. All operations would also require local planning permission,Environment Agency permits, Health and Safety Executive scrutiny, Oil and Gas Authority consent and access agreement(s) with relevant landowner(s).
The Infrastructure Act 2015 introduced a range of further requirements that must be met before an operator can carry out hydraulic fracturing in a responsible, sustainable and safe manner. A hydraulic fracturing consent will not be issued unless my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State is satisfied that the conditions are met. The Secretary of State must also be satisfied that it is appropriate to issue the consent.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on recent arrests by the Turkish government of members of the (a) Kurdish political opposition and (b) Daesh in that country; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Lidington
We are closely monitoring all of these and related events in Turkey and the region. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continues to kill members of the Turkish police service and security forces. We support Turkey’s right to defend itself against all forms of terrorism. We have been clear that the PKK must cease its violence and the peace process needs to be resumed. The UK stands ready to help in any way it can in this regard. I last raised this with my Turkish counterpart when we met in August.
The Government continues to monitor closely Turkey’s democratic reforms, including as part of the EU accession process, focusing particularly on freedom of expression, respect for the rule of law and minority rights.
We welcome Turkey’s invaluable contribution to the international campaign against Daesh, particularly its agreement for the use of its airspace and airbases, as a member of the Global Coalition committed to defeating it. Turkey has been carrying out military strikes against Daesh since July 2015, and state that they have detained over 2,500 Daesh suspects since 2013, of whom one third are foreigners. Turkey recognises the role that Syrian Kurds have to play in the fight against Daesh, and accepts that Syrian Kurds receive Coalition support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department spent on (a) temporary agency staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising (i) in 2014-15 prices and (ii) as a proportion of her Department’s expenditure in each year since 2010-11.
George Eustice
The Department’s expenditure is audited and published each year. Annual reports and accounts for each of the last five years are available here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2010-11
www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2011-to-2012–6
www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-to-2013
www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-to-2014
www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish his Department’s contingency plans for provider failure in the social care market.
Alistair Burt
Local authorities retain responsibility for managing provider failure in the social care market. The Government has worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and partners to publish guidance to support local authorities to develop contingency plans for managing the failure of a social care provider in their local area. The guidance can be found at:
http://www.lgiu.org.uk/report/care-and-continuity-guide/
The Care Act also gave the Care Quality Commission a new function to oversee the finances of care providers which are either large or whose provision is geographically concentrated as their financial failure would make it difficult for local authorities to discharge their statutory responsibilities.
The oversight function will provide early warning to relevant local authorities in the event that one of these providers is likely to fail and their services cease. This will allow local authorities time to implement contingency plans.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has provided support for the fish farming industry in Egypt.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Government does not provide support for the fish farming industry in Egypt.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting times are for the return of Disclosure and Barring Service documentation for applicants from Dorset.
Karen Bradley
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is undertaking a transformation programme to reform the way it delivers its services. Release 1 (R1) will improve efficiency with modernised IT solutions and business processes, making it more convenient and quicker for customers. This does not include using volunteers to operate the disclosure process, given the highly sensitive nature of the information involved.
For applications received from individuals with a Dorset postcode between December 2014 and November 2015, the average processing time was 23.4 days. It is not possible to calculate the average figure for those from East Dorset specifically as this information is not collected.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the Government is taking to support the Angolan government in building capacity to support civil society and freedom of expression.
James Duddridge
We and EU partners have established a human rights dialogue with the Angolan government under the EU-Angola “Joint Way Forward”, which includes support to civil society and promoting freedom of expression. We are also funding work to build human rights capacity in the diamond producing areas of the Lundas and funding training on legal awareness.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2015 to Question 18564, whether further funding will be provided to countries outside Syria that are housing Syrian refugees in addition to the £1 billion committed for reconstruction inside Syria.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US. Of this total, the UK has allocated £559 million to support refugees in the region and vulnerable host communities.
In line with the current UK Aid Strategy, DFID will allocate 50% of its spending to fragile and conflict-affected states and regions, including Syria and the surrounding region, over this Parliament. In addition the Government has pledged to create a £500 million Overseas Development Assistance crisis reserve to allow still greater flexibility to respond to emerging crises such as the displacement of Syrian refugees.