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Tag: 2015

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of his Department’s budget has been spent on science and technology in each year since 2010.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Expenditure from the centralised Ministry of Defence Science and Technology Programme under the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser for each year since 2010 (inclusive of non-recoverable VAT at current prices) is given below:

    Financial Year

    Defence Science and Technology programme expenditure (£million)

    2010-11

    422

    2011-12

    432

    2012-13

    444

    2013-14

    435

    2014-15

    436

  • Guto Bebb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Guto Bebb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Guto Bebb on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the availability of comparative information on and screening for prostate cancer.

    Jane Ellison

    The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation. In 2010, the UK NSC recommended against a screening programme for prostate cancer as there was no clear evidence that the benefit to screen for prostate cancer outweighed the harms. The UK NSC re-affirmed this decision in 2012 and is in the process of reviewing this policy currently.

    The School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield performed an option appraisal for the UK NSC based on the latest trial evidence for screening for prostate cancer in 2013. A number of screening strategies were considered including annual screening in men aged 50 to 74 years. The overall survival benefit with all strategies was small and outweighed by the harms of over diagnosis and the adverse effects of over treatment.

    Public Health England (PHE) ran a local pilot campaign for six weeks in 2014, specifically targeting prostate cancer within Black African-Caribbean men, because of their significantly increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The campaign ran in six London boroughs. In addition, PHE will be running a national campaign on “Blood in Pee” in early 2016. This is primarily aimed at bladder and kidney cancer but blood in the urine can also be a sign of prostate cancer.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 33 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, if he will set out the elements of the new pay model for members of the armed forces.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We will provide further updates on Armed Forces Pay Reform in 2016.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much UK aid was provided to countries on the EU Commission tax haven blacklist or identified as zero tax jurisdictions in the financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID uses a range of criteria to inform how we allocate aid across countries. These criteria include, for example, current and projected poverty levels in the country, the country’s ability to self-finance its development (e.g. through domestic taxation), and the likely effectiveness of UK aid.

    A number of EU member states maintain lists of jurisdictions for tax purposes against criteria concerning tax transparency and/or the prevailing tax rate. The EU does not maintain a blacklist; however a list of 30 jurisdictions that featured on 10 or more member state lists was compiled and then superseded by a recent European Commission update.

    This update included UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories which had the UK’s signature of the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters extended to them in 2014. The updated individual member state lists can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/gen_info/good_governance_matters/lists_of_countries/.

    Of the 30 jurisdictions named in the original list, 14 received UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 (the most recent year for which consolidated figures are available). Of these 14, only three (Liberia, Montserrat and Vanuatu) received ODA from DFID for development and humanitarian assistance in that year. Details of funding amounts to these 14 jurisdictions can be found at the Statistics on International Development 2014 page of the gov.uk website.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when he plans for his Department to achieve its target strength for the Army Reserve.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by my right hon. Friend the previous Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) on 19 December 2013, (Official Report, column 124WS) on Future Reserves 2020, and the accompanying document that was placed in the Library of the House which sets out the planned growth of the trained strength of the Reserve Forces, together with the enlistment targets for the next five years.

    I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2015 to the hon. Member for Strangford (Mr Shannon) to Question 11812 which explained the improvements we have made to ensure we reach our target strength of 35,000 trained volunteer Reservists by 31 March 2019.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the universal credit programme was subject to Project Assessment Reviews instead of Gateway Reviews.

    Priti Patel

    The Department is following the procedures for the assurance and support of major projects outlined in ‘HM Treasury the Major Project approval and assurance guidance’ introduced from April 2011. More details can be found in the link below.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/179763/major_projects_approvals_assurance_guidance.PDF.pdf

    “

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training her Department has provided to staff on the family test; what other steps she has taken to raise awareness of the family test among staff of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    Officials from the Department for Education have liaised with the Department for Work and Pension as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test, disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

    The Department for Education follows that guidance, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-test-assessing-the-impact-of-policies-on-families.

    “

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new rules for English Votes for English Laws relating to votes on matters that have been returned from the House of Lords to the House of Commons during parliamentary ping-pong will allow for amendments to, and substitution of, Lords amendments, as well as the rejection of Lords amendments.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Members of the House of Commons will continue to be able to table amendments to, and suggest the substitution or rejection of, Lords amendments, as they can now.

  • David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much has been paid into the Exchequer from surpluses accrued by the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme since privatisation of the coal industry.

    Andrea Leadsom

    I refer the hon. Member to House of Commons Library Briefing Paper Number SN01189 dated 25 November 2015 which contains at page 17 a table showing the total gross payments made to the Guarantor from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme since privatisation:

    http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01189/SN01189.pdf

    “

  • Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances they would consider using British military assets to prevent President Assad from using barrel bombs against civilians in Syria.

    Earl Howe

    We have repeatedly demanded that Assad ceases the use of barrel bombs and called on his allies, Russia and Iran, to apply pressure to that end. Ultimately, a negotiated political transition is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria’s humanitarian crisis. Any decision to commit UK military assets in order to prevent Assad’s use of these indiscriminate weapons would be subject to appropriate legal consideration, close consultation with allies and the endorsement of the House of Commons.