Tag: 2015

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress her Department has made on plans to improve energy efficiency across schools through introducing solar hubs.

    Andrea Leadsom

    In April 2014 the Department published a leaflet encouraging schools to invest in Solar PV, which was followed up with a letter to local authorities in November 2014, and we have also continued to encourage deployment through the financial incentive of the Feed-in Tariff.

    DECC officials are continuing to work with other Government Departments to explore what more can be done to make it easier for schools to invest in renewable energy.

    Their ability to fund such projects through commercial and third party loans is restricted, to ensure value for money and protect public sector finances, but schools have found alternative ways of funding solar projects, for example through crowd funding and other mechanisms.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to ensure that Do Not Resuscitate orders are not assigned in the future to patients solely because they have Down’s syndrome or any other learning disability.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department expects National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts to have in place local policies on resuscitation that are based on expert professional guidance. We have commended, as a basis for local policies, professional guidance, Decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2014), published jointly by the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing. The guidance is clear that any resuscitation decision must be free from any discrimination, tailored to the individual circumstances of the patient and fully documented. The use of a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation decision solely on the basis that a patient has Down’s Syndrome is totally unacceptable.

    A copy of the guidance is attached.

  • Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has received representations from any representatives of the Israeli government to stop funding specified Israeli human rights NGOs.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As of 20 November 2015, neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or our Embassy in Tel Aviv have received any repesentations from the Israeli authorities asking the Government to stop funding specified Israeli human rights non-governmental organisations.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 8 December (HL4152), how many refugees have applied for family reunion in Britain (1) from France, and (2) from other countries, since 1 January 2013; and how much of the funding provided by the UK under the Joint Declaration of 20 August has so far been (1) spent, and (2) committed to be spent.

    Lord Bates

    For the period January 2013 to September 2015, internal management information (not quality assured to National Statistics standards) indicates there were 11 entry clearance visa family reunion applications made from France and 17,292 from other countries.

    Under the Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK has committed to providing €5 million (£3.6 million) per year for two years to help manage the migrant population in Calais by providing support and facilities elsewhere in France, the first of these two payments is currently being processed. This is in addition to €750,000 (£530,000) which has been paid to fund a project to identify and protect vulnerable people in the camps in Calais.

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on ensuring that mental health is removed as an obstacle to entering the workplace.

    Alistair Burt

    Ministers at the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions met on 3 June and agreed to greater cross government working between our respective Departments. Following that meeting, the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions Work and Health Unit was created to improve the health and employment outcomes of benefit claimants. Next year, the unit will launch a range of voluntary mental health and employment pilots to support working age individuals with or at risk of developing a mental health condition retain and return to employment.

    We know that people come into contact with the welfare system at a time when they may be vulnerable because of unemployment and its associated consequences. The Department for Work and Pensions provides guidance and training for staff to help them identify and support people who may be vulnerable.

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

    Lord Mawson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the building developments in Stratford, the Olympic Park, and the Lower Lea Valley, what practical steps they are taking to ensure that Eurostar stops at Stratford International in future.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    I recognise the international importance of the HS1 network in allowing high-speed rail services from London to reach Europe, whilst noting that no international services currently serve Stratford International station.

    Eurostar, in which the government recently sold its 40% stake, accesses the HS1 network on an open access basis and is not subject to the terms of a franchise agreement or a contract let by government. Government has no power to direct or specify that Eurostar stops at Stratford International station. A decision made by Eurostar not to serve Stratford International would be as a result of commercial imperatives and priorities, for example, the potential revenue derived from customers using the station or the increased journey time which a further stop would involve. It would not be appropriate for government to interfere with that decision-making process.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hannah Bardell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on accepting asylum claims from (a) Syrian refugees who have reached the UK travelling through other EU member states without claiming asylum in one of those states and (b) such refugees who reside with family members who have a right to reside in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Asylum seekers should not travel through safe countries illegally and then choose where to claim asylum.

    If we have evidence that a Syrian asylum seeker is the responsibility of another European country we can and will seek to return them there under the Dublin Regulation. Similarly, if we have evidence that the person claiming asylum in the UK has already been granted international protection by another European country we will also seek to remove them to the country that granted protection. When making a decision on whether to remove refugees under the Dublin Regulation full consideration is given to the right to family and private life under Article 8 of the ECHR.

    The Dublin Regulation does contain family unity provisions which may result in the responsible State being that where an asylum seeker’s close family members are legally present. The asylum seeker would, however, in the first instance need to make an asylum application in the country that they are in, in order for the provision to be considered.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many asylum seekers facing deportation committed self harm or suicide in the past year.

    Lord Bates

    The number of cases where individuals facing deportation have committed self harm or suicide cannot be extracted without incurring disproportionate cost. Figures therefore cannot be provided.

    The Home Office is committed to ensuring adequate safeguards are in place for those where there are concerns about self harm or suicide. Guidance has been provided to immigration case workers, and there is a requirement to share concerns with other officers involved in the case by noting such concerns on the Department’s case information database (CID).

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners are serving sentences beyond the limit of the tariff for the crimes for which they were sentenced.

    Andrew Selous

    Prisoners serving indeterminate sentences have a minimum term, or tariff, imposed by the court for the purposes of punishment and deterrence. Once this has been served release is determined by the Parole Board on the basis of risk.

    The latest figures for the indeterminate sentence prison population by tariff length and tariff expiry date can be found in table 1.9 of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin published on 29 0ctober 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2015

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  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of different elements of embarked carrier squadrons working to different harmony rules and whether it will affect deck qualifications such as that for night flying.

    Earl Howe

    When necessary to deliver the carrier strike programme, embarked jointly manned F-35B air squadrons will operate to the same harmony guidelines.

    Deck qualifications will not be affected by harmony rules.