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, what the target strength is 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.

  • Lord Grocott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Grocott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define (1) a fatal, and (2) a non-fatal, motion, or amendment to a motion, relating to a statutory instrument.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The Companion to the Standing Orders distinguishes between amendments to approval motions whose effect is to withhold the agreement of the House to an affirmative instrument, and amendments or motions that do not prevent approval of the instrument (Companion to the Standing Orders, Para. 10.14). The terms “fatal” and “non-fatal” do not appear.

    The amendments in the name of Baroness Meacher and Baroness Hollis of Heigham passed by the House on 26 October withheld the House’s agreement to the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2015.

  • Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures she has implemented in response to the recommendations of the review panel overseeing the VCS Transitions Grant Programme which made its report in February 2011.

    Edward Timpson

    The Independent Review Panel of the grant transition programme was commissioned in 2011. The aim of the Independent Review Panel was to inform advice put to the Secretary of State. We do not publish advice given to Ministers.

    The advice of the Independent ReviewPanel informed the allocation process of awarding grants to the Voluntary and Community Sector in 2011-13. A ‘lessons learned’ exercise has been part of each subsequent grants allocation round. Guidance regarding the allocation of grants is reviewed routinely to ensure that it is robust and fit for purpose.

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

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with Vivarail, train operating companies, and Passenger Transport Executives on the potential use of D-trains (class 230), and for which areas or services.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The deployment of rolling stock is a matter for train operators.

    Department for Transport officials have met with Vivarail to understand their proposals for the refurbishment of D78-Stock. Along with other industry stakeholders, officials have visited Vivarail’s facilities at the Long Marston Depot.

    The Great Western Railway franchise includes a commitment for the operator to carry out initial feasibility studies in respect of a number of potential projects, and one of these is into the use of D-Class trains.

    Vivarail is a private sector company that has developed these proposals at its own risk.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of her Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    George Eustice

    Allocations for future years are currently being finalised as part of the Department’s business planning process. A breakdown of the funding allocated for research and development cannot be provided until this exercise is complete.

  • Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are considering to allow flight training organisations based in the United Kingdom to train overseas student pilots for a professional pilot’s licence.

    Lord Bates

    Flight training organisations can teach courses lasting up to six months to international students, under the short-term study visa route.

    Alternatively, they may use the Tier 4 visa route where the course lasts longer than six months and they hold a Tier 4 sponsor licence. To qualify for a Tier 4 sponsor licence, an institution must have a track record of teaching UK or EEA students, and be teaching courses which meet Tier 4 requirements. To meet Tier 4 requirements, a course must lead to an approved qualification, as defined in the Tier 4 Guidance for Sponsors.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to support children and young people who are referred to NHS Mental Health services but do not receive treatment as they did not meet the clinical threshold to quality for treatment at a Child and Mental Health Services centre.

    Alistair Burt

    The Government is committed to transforming the support for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing as set out by the vision in Future in mind. This includes both clinical services commissioned by the NHS, and the wider support on offer in a range of settings.

    One of the first stages in achieving this vision is the implementation of Local Transformation Plans for children’s mental health and wellbeing developed by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), together with their local partners. These Plans cover the full spectrum of mental health issues: from prevention and resilience building, to support and care for existing and emerging mental health problems, as well as transitions between services and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.

    This means that by 2020, local offers will be transformed so that the emotional welfare and mental health of children will be supported whether or not their mental health issues are clinically diagnosable. In many cases, by building resilience in schools or by early intervention, we hope to prevent the emergence of mental disorders.

  • 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 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what he plans for the size of the stake which the Government will retain in the Green Investment Bank to be after that bank’s privatisation.

    Anna Soubry

    Decisions on the size of stake retained in the Green Investment Bank will be taken on the basis of what achieves best value for money for the taxpayer.

  • Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are in place to ensure that animals sent from the UK for use in experiments in laboratories abroad were not subject to a greater degree of suffering than that which they would have experienced in UK laboratories.

    Mike Penning

    The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires that before an animal can be released from the controls of the Act, in order to be sent to a laboratory abroad, I must be assured that:

    • the animal’s state of health allows it to be sent to a new establishment;

    • the animal poses no danger to public health, animal health or the environment;

    • there is an adequate scheme in place for ensuring the socialisation of the animal upon being sent to new establishment; and,

    • appropriate measures have been taken to safeguard the animal’s well-being when being sent to a new establishment.

    The Home Office will seek reassurance that there are appropriate measures to safeguard the well-being of protected animals exported, within the context of their use in scientific procedures. Consent is only given for export where it is to a recognised scientific research establishment with a requirement for the specific live animals and sending tissue is not practicable.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2015 to Question 12791, on married people: tax allowances, what the best telephone number is for customers to use; and what rate that telephone line charges.

    Mr David Gauke

    People wanting to apply for Marriage Allowance by telephone should call HM Revenue and Customs’ helpline on 0300 200 3300. Call charges vary depending on the package provided by phone service providers, and further information can be found at GOV.UK.