Tag: 2015

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their estimate is of the cost of Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords, and which department will cover those costs.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston):

    Lord Strathclyde is being supported in his review by a panel of external experts and a small secretariat of civil servants in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat does not include political advisers. The expert panel comprises Sir Stephen Laws, former First Parliamentary Counsel; Jacqy Sharpe, a former Clerk in the House of Commons and Clerk to the Joint Committee on Conventions; and Sir Michael Pownall, former Clerk of the Parliaments.

    Several reviews have examined the powers of the House of Lords, including the Royal Commission on the reform of the House of Lords (2000) and the Joint Committee on Conventions referenced above (2006).

    The review led by Lord Strathclyde is due to consider how to protect the ability of elected Governments to secure their business in Parliament in the light of the operation of certain conventions. The review will consider in particular how to secure the decisive role of the elected House of Commons in relation to its primacy on financial matters; and secondary legislation.

    Ministers regularly discuss a wide range of issues with the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

    Lord Strathclyde will determine the way in which the review is undertaken and the content of his recommendations, including any definitions required. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the exercise at this stage, but neither Lord Strathclyde nor his panel of experts will be paid a fee. Lord Strathclyde is expected to seek views from a wide range of Parliamentarians, parties and groups in undertaking his review, and has issued a letter to all Parliamentarians inviting their input. He is also seeking views from the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Clerk of the House. Lord Strathclyde will report to the Prime Minister, and the Government will decide how to proceed upon receipt of his recommendations.

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

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2015 to Question 17679, what the maintenance, improvement and development costs of (a) MOD Grantown-on-Spey, (b) MOD Llanrwst, (c) MOD Fairbourne and (d) MOD Crickhowell were in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by the Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans (Mark Lancaster) on 2 December to Question number 17679. Some costs for some previous years may be available and Ministry of Defence officials are reviewing them. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date they first discovered that the funding formula for police forces in England and Wales was based on incorrect data.

    Lord Bates

    The Minister of State for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Victims made a statement to the House on Monday 9 November on this issue. Ministers were informed of this issue on Friday 6 November.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13645, how and by whom each (a) headteacher and (b) school was recommended; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    We selected these headteachers to work with us on this issue because of the high quality of provision of PSHE education in their schools. The group of headteachers and practitioners that we are currently working with includes Carl Ward of Haywood Academy in Stoke on Trent; Cathie Paine of the Reach2 Academy Trust; Jerry Rayner of Rugby Independent School in Warwickshire; Michelle Colledge-Smith of the Outwood Grange Academy Trust; and Vanessa Ogden of Mulberry School in Bethnal Green.

    The group has not been asked to advise the Government on the content of PSHE. Their focus is to produce an action plan and recommendations for improving the quality of PSHE teaching. We want to draw on expertise from a range of headteachers and practitioners and will invite others to join the group as appropriate. The Department regularly speaks to a wide range of stakeholders and will continue to do so regarding PSHE.

  • Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to help Syrian refugees in the Jungle” camp at Calais who are in need of advice about applying to the UK for asylum.”

    Lord Bates

    A joint communications campaign, involving British officials speaking to migrants in Calais, has been taking place to inform migrants of the reality of life in the UK and of their rights to claim asylum in France. The frequency of these campaigns has been increased in line with the commitment in the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of infractions of the Environmental Protection (Restriction of the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 in the last 15 years.

    Rory Stewart

    The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that no defendants were proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Environmental Protection (Restriction of the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 in England between 2011 and 2014.

    This return relates to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. Up to and including 2010, these regulations were part of a miscellaneous grouping, which could only be separately analysed at disproportionate cost. Data for 2015 is not yet available.

    In the last 12 months Defra has received:

    • the Lead Ammunition Group report,
    • a report submitted by those that resigned from the Lead Ammunition Group, and
    • papers from the Oxford Lead Symposium.

    The Government is considering this information and will respond as soon as possible.

  • Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Dowd on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his Department’s publication, Reviewing post-16 education and training institutions, of 20 July 2015, how much his Department expects to save as a result of implementing the proposals set out therein.

    Nick Boles

    The reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Their purpose is not to secure savings to Government. However, early evidence from the pilot reviews indicates that there is potential for the reviews to secure efficiency savings.

    The second wave of area reviews will start in January 2016 and we aim to announce details within the next few weeks. We are currently looking at the geographies and phasing for other areas and will aim to issue further information on this before the end of the year but in doing this we recognise that the position should remain fluid to take account of the views of local partners and also cases of college failure. We expect all reviews to be completed by March 2017.

  • Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to work with the Department for Education on increasing awareness in schools of stem cell donation.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department funds charities such as Anthony Nolan who have campaigns to promote awareness in schools.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) contracts and (b) sub-contracts (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department have awarded (A) Netcracker Technology and (B) Computer Sciences Corporation.

    Matthew Hancock

    Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:http://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive

    Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

    “

  • Julian Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what protections she plans to put in place for landlords who, unwittingly and after carrying out reasonable checks, allow an illegal immigrant to rent their property.

    James Brokenshire

    The Immigration Act 2014 prohibits landlords from leasing property to persons who are disqualified from renting by reason of their immigration status. Right to rent checks are simple to conduct and comprise of an examination of documents from a range prescribed in law as acceptable for the purposes of establishing a right to rent. Landlords are not expected to be immigration or forgery experts and the Act provides defences in law for the landlord who may have accepted a falsified document in good faith and having acted reasonably.