Tag: 2015

  • Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military chapels there are in England and Wales; and how many such chapels are registered to conduct (a) same-sex and (b) other marriages.

    Penny Mordaunt

    There are 190 military chapels in England and Wales registered for marriages under the rites of Church of England or otherwise, as described under sections 69 and 70 of the 1949 Marriage Act.

    The Ministry of Defence allows same-sex marriages in military chapels, but none of the Sending Churches using the chapels currently allows same-sex marriages to be conducted there. I have asked the Chaplaincies of the three Services to advise me on how Parliament’s sanction of same sex-marriages may be fully implemented.

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

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

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, during the visit to London by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they will raise with him (1) the issue of gender-based violence in India, and (2) the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts, the powers they grant to the Indian Armed Forces in Kashmir and the north eastern states of India, and related immunities from prosecution.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are committed to tackling violence against women and girls around the world and we work closely with the Indian government and international partners on this important issue. Prime Minister Modi’s speech to 60,000 members of the Indian Diaspora at Wembley Stadium also referred to the importance of ensuring safe and secure work places for women.

    We are aware of concerns regarding allegations of immunity from prosecution for Indian armed forces personnel under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. There is a mechanism which allows people to request that the Indian government investigate such concerns. Any allegations of human rights abuses must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Nuttall on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to safeguard gas and electricity supplies in the event of a terrorist attack.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government takes the security of the energy sector very seriously and DECC works closely with industry and the relevant agencies in order to ensure a robust and proportionate security regime.

  • 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 2015-11-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government from which refugee camps the 1,000 refugees who are to be brought to the UK by Christmas are coming.

    Lord Bates

    UNHCR identifies and proposes Syrian refugees for the VPR scheme from among the whole of the registered refugee population in the region, from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. This includes people in formal refugee camps, informal settlements and host communities. This provides refugees with a more direct and safe route to the UK, rather than risking the hazardous journey to Europe which has tragically cost so many lives.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s plans are for making progress on the UK’s renegotiation with the EU before the next EU summit.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), The Chancellor of the Excheque (Mr Osborne), my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton and I have continued to meet our counterparts to discuss the UK’s renegotiation since September and we will continue to do so. There will be a substantive discussion at the December European Council as planned.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with negotiating parties in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement to ensure that the provisions relating to copyright, trade secrets and intellectual property do not harm freedom of expression.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK is not a party to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and as such we have not had discussions with negotiating parties on provisions relating
    to copyright, trade secrets and intellectual property and their impact on freedom of expression.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what account will be taken of NICE’s clinical guidelines on levels of patient access in setting the budgets devolved by NHS England to clinical commissioning groups for obesity surgery from April 2016.

    George Freeman

    NHS England would expect commissioners to take account of this guidance when commissioning services.

    Any transfer of budget from NHS England to devolved areas will be on the basis of existing contractual activity.

    Before the transfer of services, NHS England will complete a data capture exercise, working with providers through the specialised commissioning hubs, to collect the current activity level. This will provide the basis for the transfer of the budget. Governance sign off will then be agreed at NHS England Board level.

  • Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to maintain the current level of skills funding for 16 to 18 year olds up to May 2020.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Decisions about how 16-19 institutions will be funded in the academic year 2016/17 and beyond will be subject to the outcome of the spending review, which will set the budget for education and other public spending for the coming years.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to assure the public of the safety and quality of laser eye surgery.

    Alistair Burt

    Providers of laser eye surgery are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), as this is a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and meet the new fundamental standards of safety and quality that came into force on 1 April this year. The CQC has a range of enforcement actions that it can take if providers do not meet the fundamental standards.

    Doctors performing laser eye surgery in the United Kingdom must also be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). All registered doctors are expected to be familiar with the GMC’s publication Good medical practice and supporting guidance, which describes what is expected of them. This document makes clear that medical doctors must recognise and work within the limits of their competence.

    It has now been agreed that work to improve the delivery, safety and standards for patient information for laser eye surgery will be taken forward separately from the work to implement the Keogh Review, and that, as the professional body for setting the standards of practice for refractive procedures, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists will lead on this work.

  • 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 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have refused to interview and assess some of the boat people who arrived at the British Sovereign base in Cyprus; whether they plan to deport them as individuals to Lebanon; and what assessment they have made of whether deporting those individuals to Lebanon would be an instance of refoulement.

    Lord Bates

    Under an existing agreement with the Republic of Cyprus, those who claim asylum will be processed by the Cypriot authorities on behalf of the Sovereign Base.

    Those migrants who do not claim asylum and have no other basis on which to remain, face removal to their country of origin or Lebanon.