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Tag: 2015

  • 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, how much time pupils will spend at each site of Weald of Kent Grammar School when its new site is open; by what mode of transport they will move and how that will be funded; what estimate she has made of the amount of time that it will take pupils to move between sites; and whether the school day will be extended to make up that time.

    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 West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to place the order for the first Type 26 frigate.

    Earl Howe

    The statement made on 23 November 2015 in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister on the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (Official Report, column 1049) set out the Government’s commitment to build eight Type 26 anti-submarine warfare ships, preceded by two additional Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), as well as the intent to develop a new light frigate programme.

    We have now begun detailed work to take forward the programme outlined by the Prime Minister. The impact of building the two additional OPVs on the Type 26 programme schedule, including the timing of the award of the contract to build the ships and their build schedule, will be central to this work. In due course, a revised programme will be produced and be considered through the normal investment approvals process.

  • David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many diplomatic staff whose work includes tackling the illegal wildlife trade are based in (a) China, (b) Vietnam, (c) Laos, (d) Malaysia, (e) Botswana, (f) Mozambique, (g) Gabon, (h) South Africa, (i) Thailand and (j) India.

    James Duddridge

    The numbers requested of diplomatic staff whose work includes illegal wildlife trade are as follows:

    China – 5
    Vietnam- 3
    Laos- 2
    Malaysia – 1
    Botswana -2
    Mozambique- 2
    Gabon -2
    South Africa -2
    Thailand- 2
    India -1

    In most cases our diplomatic staff in these Posts spend a proportion of their overall time on this issue and are supported by locally engaged staff who also work on tackling illegal wildlife trade.

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

    Lord Crathorne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to build bicycle tracks when new roads are constructed in the UK.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Management of roads is a devolved issue so I can only respond in respect of roads in England.

    Highways England have committed to provide a safer, integrated and more accessible strategic road network for cyclists and other vulnerable road users, and will play a key role in ensuring that the ambition set for growth in cycling is fully supported by a dedicated programme of work to improve cycle facilities on or near our strategic road network.To support this, The Government has outlined a commitment to invest £100m between 2015/16 and 2020/21 to improve provision for cyclists on the strategic road network.

    On a local level, provision of cycling infrastructure is for local traffic authorities as they are responsible for managing their road networks. The Department encourages them to ensure cycling is considered as part of the process of planning new development.The Department for Transport’s Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance supports local authorities on providing cycle-safe infrastructure for cyclists. The Government will continue to support sustainable transport with a new £580 million ‘Access’ fund, with £80 million revenue and £500 million capital. This will build on the legacy of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and support growth in both cycling and walking.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for NHS policies of the use of a regional eye inspection liaison officer in Northern Ireland.

    Alistair Burt

    The Health and Social Care Board Northern Ireland (HSCB) have funded Eye Care Liaison Officers since 2012. The HSCB are not aware of any regional eye inspection liaison officers in Northern Ireland.

    In England, the Government fully appreciates the impact that sight loss can have on a person’s life and the importance of information being available for those newly diagnosed with sight loss, including signposting patients to appropriate support and rehabilitation services.

    Eye clinics and their staffing, including eye clinic liaison officers, are commissioned and funded by individual clinical commissioning groups on the basis of local assessments of need.

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the budget for the National Infrastructure Commission for the current year; what are the locations of its office accommodation; what that accommodation costs; and how many staff it employs, and at what cost.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    A suitable budget will be made available to cover the costs of staff and commissioning work from external organisations where necessary. The Commission is currently located at 1 Horse Guards Road on a temporary basis. The Commission is expected to have a staff of around 30 and it is now recruiting for these positions. The staff are being paid in line with salaries for government officials.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Question 1 of the consultation, Tackling exploitation in the labour market, published by her Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in October 2015, what the legal definition is of organised labour market exploitation.

    Karen Bradley

    Exploitation of workers comes in many different forms. The definition of ‘labour market exploitation’ used in the consultation is not a legal definition. For the purposes of the consultation, the phrase is explained at paragraph 50 in the consultation as meaning “more than merely deliberate non-compliance”.

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his strategy is for maximising the economic contribution of (a) the steel industry and (b) other industries vital to the UK’s economic success.

    Anna Soubry

    The best way the Government can support our industries is to continue to deliver a strong and growing economy.

    In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced an exemption for Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs), including the steel industry, from the policy costs of the Renewables Obligation and Feed-in Tariffs, a hugely significant step to provide industry with long-term certainty and helping them remain competitive. This is on top of the millions that has already been paid in compensation to EIIs for energy costs.

    The Government engages with various industrial sectors through our Sector Councils, where we discuss the opportunities and challenges facing certain sectors.

    The Government recognises the current difficulties that are unique to the steel sector. While we cannot fix the price of steel, halt global overproduction or fix currency rates, the Government has taken a number of measures to help our steel industry.

    We have taken action on unfair trade, recently voting in support of anti-dumping measures on wire rod and steel tubing imports, as well as lobbying successfully for an investigation into cheap imports of Reinforcing Steel Bar.

    The steel industry’s request for flexibility over Industrial Emissions Directive exemptions has been secured. This will save the industry millions of pounds of unnecessary expenditure at a time of crisis by offering steel companies more time to comply with this European legislation.

    Finally, we are taking action to drive up the number of public contracts won by UK steel manufacturers and their partners through fair and open competition. The Government published on 30 October new guidelines for departments to apply on major projects when sourcing and buying steel. The new instructions will help steel suppliers compete on a level playing field with international suppliers for major Government projects.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator on the situation in Yemen.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    My officials are in regular contact with the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen to discuss the latest humanitarian situation, as well as with the UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, the UN Special Envoy on the Yemen crisis for the Emergency Relief Coordinator, heads of agencies and our partners on the ground.

    The Secretary of State for International Development has frequent discussions with the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien on the situation in Yemen – the most recent call was on 28 October. On 28 September, the Secretary of State co-chaired an event with him and the Assistant Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the situation on Yemen with heads of UN agencies and international partners. Ministers have regular meetings with NGO partners to discuss their assessment of the situation. The Co-Chairs statement from the meeting can be found here: http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/co-chairs-statement-ministerial-yemen-meeting-monday-28-september-2015

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  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking to recover money owed by people who benefited from the employee benefit trust scheme used by Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs has a statutory duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality and cannot comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers.