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Tag: 2015

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Russian authorities about an international tribunal to investigate the destruction of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

    Mr David Lidington

    I wrote to the Russian Ambassador to the UK in July, prior to the vote in the UN Security Council on a Resolution to establish an international tribunal which would prosecute those found responsible from the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17. I made it clear that there must be accountability for this crime and we expected all UN Security Council Members to cooperate. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials also raised this issue with their Russian counterparts both in London and in Moscow and will continue to do so.

  • Lord Robertson of Port Ellen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Robertson of Port Ellen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no Minister or senior British representative attended the second global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, Brazil on 18–19 November.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The second global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, Brazil was attended by Deputy Head of Mission, Mr Wasim Mir.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were (a) receiving and (b) on the waiting list to receive cognitive behavioural therapy on 1 October in each year since 2010 in (a) the UK, (b) London, (c) each London borough and (d) each health trust in London.

    Alistair Burt

    This information is not held centrally.

  • Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McColl of Dulwich on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children were referred to the child trafficking advocate trials from each of the 23 participating local authorities.

    Lord Bates

    Section 48(7) of the Modern Slavery Act requires the Government to lay before Parliament a report setting out the steps it proposes to take in relation to independent child trafficking advocates within nine months of Royal Assent of the Modern Slavery Act. The Government will publish this report by 16 December, whilst Parliament is sitting. The evaluation report will be published by 16 December and set out the number of children referred into the trial and their countries of origin.

  • Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    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.

  • Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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).

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    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.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    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.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    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.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    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.