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Tag: 2015

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their criteria for identifying countries of concern in the FCO annual report on human rights and democracy.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    In the 2014 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, we continued to use the criteria published in the 2012 report to determine whether a country should feature as a country of concern:

    • the gravity of the human rights situation in the country, including both the severity of particular abuses and the range of human rights affected;

    • whether a deterioration or improvement in the human rights situation in the country would have a wider impact in the region;

    • whether the human rights situation in the country has an impact on wider UK interests; and

    • whether we are able to influence the human rights situation there.

  • Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stuart on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what trade missions to Latin America the Government has organised in the last 12 months; and what such trade missions are planned in the next 12 months.

    Anna Soubry

    In the last 12 months, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has organised the following trade missions to Latin America;

    Multi-Sector Mission to Colombia and Peru – November 2014

    Multi-Sector Mission to Mexico and Colombia – November/December 2014

    Automotive Mission to Mexico – December 2014

    Oil & Gas Mission to Colombia – March 2015

    Trade Mission to Mexico – March 2015

    Trade Mission to Brazil – March 2015

    Global Sports Mission to Brazil – August 2015

    Northern PowerHouse Mission to Mexico/Colombia – September/October 2015

    Water Mission to Brazil (visiting FITABES Trade Show) – October 2015

    MSB (Medium Size Business) to Brazil (led by Lord Maude) – November 2015

    Broadcast Mission to Mexico – November 2015

    Multi- Sector Mission to Colombia and Peru – November 2015

    Information relating to planned missions from April 2016 onwards is not available at this time. UKTI is currently undertaking business planning for the period in question. The 2016-2017 Events Programme will be available by end of March 2016.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support women and ethnic minorities to reach senior positions in the legal sector.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government is keen to see a diverse legal profession. Regulation of the legal profession is independent of Government. The Legal Services Board (LSB) and Approved Regulators are responsible for setting the requirements for entry to the profession as well as for continued professional development. These bodies have a duty to promote competition in the provision of regulated legal services, and encourage an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession.

    There are a number of initiatives being taken forward on education and training by the three largest frontline regulators for the legal profession, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board and CILEx Regulation, to widen opportunities for a more diverse pool of people to enter the profession through more flexible routes to qualification. These are published on each of the frontline regulators’ website.

  • 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 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost is of each (a) Paveway IV bomb and (b) Brimstone missile procured by the RAF; and how many such weapons are in the RAF stockpile.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I am withholding details of costs for in-service Paveway IV bombs and Brimstone missiles as disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. I am also withholding details of the number of bombs and missiles held by the RAF as disclosure would or would likely prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our Armed Forces and allies.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Civil Service Commission was consulted on changes to the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, published in October 2015.

    Matthew Hancock

    The October 2015 version of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers was revised and published in accordance with the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the (a) location and (b) budget is for each agri-tech centre in each year from 2016-17 to 2020-21.

    Anna Soubry

    The planned budgets (2016/17 to 2020/21) and locations of the four Centres for Agricultural Innovation are:

    Centre for Crop Health and Protection (CHAP) – headquarters in York at the National AgriFood Innovation Campus in Sand Hutton

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    6.5

    4.3

    4.4

    0.0

    0.0

    Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) – headquarters in York at the National AgriFood Innovation Campus in Sand Hutton

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    8.6

    6.0

    4.5

    0.0

    0.0

    Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation Centre (Agri-EPI) – hubs in Edinburgh, Harper Adams University (Shropshire) and Cranfield University (Bedfordshire)

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    5.3

    3.6

    3.0

    0.0

    0.0

    Centre for Agricultural Informatics (Agrimetrics) – headquarters in Harpenden (Hertfordshire) at Rothamsted Research

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    3.2

    2.9

    1.8

    0.0

    0.0
  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 5 of his Department’s document Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation, Cm9098, published in July 2015, what analysis his Department has made of the effects of changes to vehicle excise duty and the creation of a roads fund on UK productivity.

    Damian Hinds

    The reform of VED announced at the Summer Budget delivers long-term revenue sustainability whilst simplifying the current system. This reform enabled the government to set up a Roads Fund, which from 2020-21 will provide the necessary funding for a high performing road network that is as efficient as possible. This is vital for efficient running of business and enabling connections to bigger markets and labour pools.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2015 to Question 18221, what estimate she has made of the time taken to process a family from Syria onto the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme before they are housed in the UK.

    Richard Harrington

    The time taken to process a family from Syria onto the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme varies depending on the individual circumstances of that family.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his most recent estimate is of the number of UK military personnel currently involved in military operations in (a) Iraq and (b) Syria; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We have over 850 military personnel committed to Operation SHADER (counter-ISIL operations in Iraq and Syria) based across the Middle East

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of legislative proposals in the Trade Union Bill on the finances of the Labour Party.

    Nick Boles

    The proposals in the Bill are not about party funding. The Trade Union Bill is about employment and industrial relations. We are introducing a greater level of transparency into union activities by requiring union members to make an active decision to contribute to a union’s political fund.

    If union members want a political fund, this will not necessarily lead to a reduction in the funds available. Therefore no assessment has been made in relation to the impact on the finances of any political party.