Tag: 2015

  • Ivan Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s fact sheet on the Syrian Resettlement Programme, what the evidential basis is for the Statement that Sudan is primarily a country of transit; what assessment her Department has made of the latest immigration statistics show that, in the year ending September 2015, Sudan was the country from which the second largest number of asylum applications originated; and if she will work more closely with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on this policy area.

    James Brokenshire

    The fact sheet on resettlement referred to has been superseded. It is the Government’s current view that Sudan is both a country of transit and a source of refugees, as evidenced by the number of registered refugees in UNHCRcamps in Sudan and the number of Sudanese asylum seekers in the UK in the year ending September 2015 (2,842). The Home Office is working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on tackling migration flows from and through a number of regions and countries, including Sudan.

  • Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Greengross on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what cost was incurred by the NHS due to days lost through the sickness of healthcare workers in each year between 2009 and 2014.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The number of days lost through the sickness of healthcare workers between 2009 and 2014 were:

    England

    Full Time Equivalent Days Lost to Sickness Absence (includes non-working days)

    Full Time Equivalent Days Available (includes non-working days)

    Sickness Absence Rate

    2009-10

    16,745,315

    380,199,666

    4.40%

    2010-11

    15,947,054

    383,278,845

    4.16%

    2011-12

    15,555,507

    377,908,880

    4.12%

    2012-13

    15,947,518

    376,187,354

    4.24%

    2013-14

    15,385,468

    378,691,376

    4.06%

    2014-15

    16,423,722

    386,388,483

    4.25%

    Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre

    The Government does not record the cost incurred by the National Health Service due to days lost through the sickness of healthcare workers.

    Employers are responsible for reducing the days lost through sickness of their staff. The Department supports the NHS by commissioning NHS Employers to provide trusts with advice, guidance and good practice on improving NHS staff health and wellbeing which is available on an online only resource at:

    www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/staff-experience/health-work-and-wellbeing/protecting-staff-and-preventing-ill-health/supporting-line-managers/managers-guide-on-supporting-workplace-mental-health/supporting-staff-who-are-experiencing-mental-health-problems

    NHS Employers is also working with NHS England and Public Health England on a £5 million initiative to improve NHS staff health announced in its Five Year Forward View. A copy of the ‘A healthy NHS workforce’ announcement is attached.

    “

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland in advance of the EU Fisheries Council in December 2015.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I had no direct discussions with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) in advance of the EU Fisheries Council in December as these matters fall within the remit of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

    Preparation of the UK negotiating position in the lead up to the December Fisheries Council included discussions at both Ministerial and official level across all UK fisheries administrations, including DARD. This process also included discussion with representatives of the Northern Ireland fishing industry.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Truscott on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the recent atrocities committed by ISIL in France, Egypt and the Lebanon, whether they have reconsidered the statement by the Foreign Secretary on 10 March that Russia represented the single greatest threat to UK Security”.”

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As the Strategic Defence and Security Review makes clear, Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilising activities in Ukraine directly challenge European security and the rules-based international order. We have long been clear that Russia’s actions are unacceptable. Nevertheless we need to work with Russia on key areas of shared interest: in particular to end fighting in Syria, and to focus on the shared aim of destroying the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. That was the basis on which the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), met President Putin at the G20 Summit in Antalya on 16 November.

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

    Adam Holloway – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Holloway on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to help reduce traffic congestion on the northbound approaches to the Dartford Tunnel.

    Andrew Jones

    Removing the need to pay at barriers has already reduced congestion and eased traffic flow. Latest data shows that Dart Charge has successfully improved journeys through the Crossing with average journey times northbound almost 5 minutes quicker than before the charge was introduced.

    A new road layout has been introduced at the Crossing including a new Traffic Safety System on the northbound carriageway on the approach to the tunnels. This improves the way oversized vehicles or those carrying dangerous goods are prevented from entering the tunnels and holds traffic to allow the safe escort of hazardous goods vehicles or in the event of an incident or congestion in the tunnels.

    However, Highways England recognises that there is still more work to do. Planned improvements include:

    • Fine-tuning the operation of the new Traffic Safety System to continue to maximise traffic flow while ensuring safety to users.
    • Working with Kent County Council as a matter of priority to improve local traffic flows. In particular, this will assess how traffic signals can be better synchronised where the local road network meets the strategic roads network to get the best out of the network and what improvements can be made at key junctions.
    • Work with the freight industry to educate drivers of restricted vehicles, including what lane or route to take to avoid being stopped at the barriers.

    I have written to Highways England requesting an update on their progress.

  • Wendy Morton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Wendy Morton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wendy Morton on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU, Africa and the Middle East on diplomatic steps to tackle the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.

    Mr David Lidington

    Ministers discuss the current migration crisis with EU counterparts and those from other affected regions on a regular basis. Last night, The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met with African and EU representatives as part of a British Chairmanship of the Khartoum Process.The UK is playing a leading role in taking forward joint efforts.

    For example, countering people smuggling will be a priority for the UK in its engagement with a new Libyan Government resulting from the UN-led process.The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron)announced in Valletta £200 million of new UK money for projects in Africa to address the root causes of migration. 31 European nations and 36 African nations attended the Valletta Summit on Migration earlier this month.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of his Department’s employees were paid (a) at the national minimum wage and (b) above the national minimum wage but below the voluntary living wage in each of the last five years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    DWP has paid its employees above the National Minimum Wage throughout the last five years.

    DWP has paid its employees above the voluntary living wage with the following exceptions:

    – A short period from October 2013 to June 2014, following the October 2013 uprating of the voluntary living wage rate. During that time 229 (less than 0.3%) DWP employees earned 1p per hour below the figure.

    – From November 2015 when the voluntary living wage rate was increased by 5.1%. Currently 1,145 (1.4%) employees earn between 4-21p less per hour than the uprated voluntary living wage figure.

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

    Greg Clark

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 November 2015, PQ 13946.

  • Baroness Worthington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Worthington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Worthington on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to undertake a review of the Emissions Performance Standard under section 66 of the Energy Act 2013.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Section 66 of the Energy Act 2013 requires the Emissions Performance Standard to be reviewed as soon as reasonably practicable after December 2018.

  • Alan Whitehead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alan Whitehead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Whitehead on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will specify the comparable operators whose costs would be taken into account prior to the Opex reopeners for the contract for difference relating to Hinkley Point C power station being triggered 15 and 25 years after the first reactor start date.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The terms of the Hinkley Point C Contract for difference (HPC CfD) will set out the mechanism for the Opex reopeners. If my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State decides to direct the Low Carbon Contracts Company Ltd to offer a CfD to HPC, the terms will be published (with commercially sensitive information removed) once it has been entered in to by the parties. The detailed terms of the HPC CfD are commercially sensitive at this time.