UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2015

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consulted the Electoral Commission prior to the publication of the draft Recall of MPs Act 2015 (Recall Petition) Regulations 2015, and if so whether the response from the Electoral Commission indicated support for those draft Regulations.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    As required by section 7(2) (k) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the Government formally consulted the Electoral Commission prior to the publication of the draft regulations. The Commission’s response did not give an indication as to whether or not it agreed with the policy approach but made a number of recommendations which were considered when finalising the draft regulations. The Government did not consult any registered political parties prior to laying the draft Regulations as there is no statutory requirement to do so.

  • Lucy Powell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lucy Powell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, why the Weald of Kent Grammar School was not able to expand on its existing site.

    Edward Timpson

    The Weald of Kent School has set out its plans in expansion proposals. Pupils at the Sevenoaks annexe will attend the Tonbridge site at least once a week to attend a whole school assembly and additional lessons. The school will also operate a house system across the expanded school, regularly bringing students together on a range of curriculum projects. The length of the school day is a matter for the academy trust.

    The newly expanded school will better meet the needs of parents in the community that the school currently serves. Over 41% of pupils at the Tonbridge site already travel from the Sevenoaks area. The travel arrangements between the sites will use existing bus companies to transport pupils who live in Sevenoaks to the Tonbridge site. The proposal indicates that the journey time is approximately 17 minutes and no additional funding is being provided to the academy to cover the costs.

    The decision issued on 15 October 2015 was in respect of a proposal received on 14 September 2015. The Department can comment on the costs of external legal advice once we have the final costs bill.

    The school would not have the required capital funding to expand on this scale at the existing site.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what part of the defence budget is allocated for military action in Syria.

    Earl Howe

    In agreement with Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Ministry of Defence draws upon the Special Reserve to meet the net additional costs for operations. As such, no part of the Defence budget is specifically allocated for military action in Syria.

  • David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with UNESCO on ensuring that world heritage sites (a) are protected from development by extraction industries and (b) encourage eco-tourism.

    Tracey Crouch

    Officials from DCMS regularly meet with UNESCO, and discuss a range of issues covered in the Department’s portfolio.This Government is committed to theprotectionofCulturalHeritage here and abroad.

  • Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the age profile of the total number of apprentices in 2013–14 and 2014–15.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    In the 2013/14 academic year there were 851,500 government funded apprentices. Of these, 185,800 were aged under 19, 308,900 were aged 19-24 and 356,900 were aged over 25.

    Over the 2014/15 academic year there were 871,800 government funded apprentices. Of these, 194,100 were aged under 19, 315,000 were aged 19-24 and 362,600 were aged over 25.

    Information on Apprenticeship participation by age in 2013/14 and 2014/15 is published as part of a Statistical First Release:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

    “

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 2.21 of the Summer Budget 2015, what arrangements he has put in place to enable the funding provided for defibrillators to be disbursed.

    Jane Ellison

    Following our 2015 Budget commitment on defibrillators, we have awarded the British Heart Foundation (BHF) £1 million to make public access defibrillators and coronary pulmonary resuscitation training more widely available in communities across England.

    More information can be found on the BHF’s website:

    https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/nation-of-lifesavers/about-defibrillators/apply-for-a-defibrillator-in-england

    “

  • 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 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements train operating companies are required to have in place to allow passengers on feeder services to a mainline hub station who have bought advance tickets online which start from a station without a ticket machine, and where the tickets have to be acquired at the mainline hub station, to travel by using booking confirmations that have been printed out, or can be shown on mobile devices, or by other means.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The National Rail Conditions of Carriage (NRCoC) states that Train Operating Companies must make tickets and reservations available at stations, over the internet or by telephone as appropriate.

    When booking Advance tickets online most train operators give passengers the choice to print their ticket at home, collect it from a ticket machine, receive it by post or, where available, download their ticket onto a mobile phone.If a passenger chooses to collect from a ticket machine the train operator will give the passenger a choice of stations with ticket collection points available. These can be collected any time in advance of travel.

    Passengers do have an obligation to have a valid ticket for the whole of the journey, and to keep their ticket safe. The NRCoC states that it is the ticket, not the receipt for it, which gives the right to travel.

  • David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seizures of illegal animal wildlife products have been made at UK ports of entry in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The table below shows the number of seizures under CITES by Border Force (Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species).

    Year

    Number of seizures under CITES

    2011

    422

    2012

    665

    2013*

    569

    2014*

    512

    2015 (Jan to June 2015)*

    490

    *These figures are published, and can be found on the GOV UK website.

    The figures quoted above are management information, which are subject to internal quality checks and may be subject to change.

    Link to website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-august-2015

  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the cumulative effect of the Government’s spending policies on the economic prospects of young people.

    Damian Hinds

    The economic prospects of young people are improving. The number of 18 to 24 year olds not in education, employment, or training is at its lowest rate since Q1 2004. And the youth unemployment is at its lowest rate since Mar-May 2008.

    We have supported youth employment by abolishing employer National Insurance Contributions for those aged under 21, introducing the apprentice levy to provide funding for 3 million apprenticeships, and will introduce the Youth Obligation, which will help develop the skills that young people need to enter sustainable employment. The government is also building 200,000 starter homes, sold at a discount to first time buyers, which will help young people to get on the housing ladder.

  • Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many officials of her Department have been employed to communicate the benefits of the Union to the Scottish public.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Scotland’s contribution to the UK’s international development effort is immense and we can be proud of what we have achieved together. As one United Kingdom, we have a much greater impact in saving lives and helping the world’s neediest people.

    We have a duty to communicate to the UK public how international development, funded by the British people, is making a difference in the world’s poorest places. That includes making sure that people in Scotland know what we are achieving together.

    In line with the cross-party International Development Committee’s recommendations, DFID has recruited one senior external communications officer for Scotland and devolved administrations.