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Tag: 2015

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans for the Dementia Research Institute to conduct research into Parkinson’s dementia.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Prime Minister announced up to £150 million for the UK’s first Dementia Research Institute on 24 November. The institute will cover the full spectrum of discovery science into age-related neurodegenerative diseases that progress to dementia, including Parkinson’s Disease.

    Development of the Dementia Research Institute will be led by the Medical Research Council (MRC). In 2016 the MRC will open a competitive process to identify a host for the institute and lead the search for its director.

  • Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the reasons why only 37 per cent of the millennium development goals in the UK’s 28 priority countries have been marked as met or will be met in her Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2014-15.

    Grant Shapps

    The majority of DFID’s priority countries are fragile or conflict-affected. These states have historically been under supported by the international development community. DFID increased its focus and spend in fragile states in 2010 and it was right to do so.

    Progress against the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is driven by the collective action of developing countries and all development partners. DFID’s development programmes are designed to contribute towards these goals.

    DFID’s ongoing Bilateral Aid Review will assess and review progress towards the MDGs as part of our strategic planning processes to inform future programming.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what weight will be given to the security situation in Syria at such a time as Syrian refugees who have entered the UK due to the present crisis in that country become eligible for indefinite leave to remain of UK citizenship.

    Richard Harrington

    Syrians who are resettled under the Syrian Resettlement Scheme will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain and UK citizenship at the expiration of their five year humanitarian protection visa. Each application will be assessed on a case by case basis in line with our guidance which considers the ongoing need for protection, including the security situation in Syria at the date of decision, as well as the individual’s behaviour.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on funding the independent review on the future of the Manston airfield.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport spent £75,000 to undertake an independent review of the Compulsory Purchase Order process regarding Manston airfield.

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 17450, what assessment his Department has made of the performance of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

    Mike Penning

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has improved its performance in recent years from closing 947 cases in 2010/11 to closing 1,632 cases in 2014/15. The CCRC has also recently undertaken a review of working practices that is expected to lead to further improvements.

  • Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will continue to fund the Routes into Languages programme after the current funding expires in July 2016.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    This programme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE). HEFCE will review its spending priorities (including for Routes into Languages) in the light of its grant settlement from Government, following the Spending Review.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will establish an independent inquiry to consider the costs and benefits of frozen pensions.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Any independent inquiry to consider the costs and benefits of frozen pensions for the Civil Service Pension Scheme will be a matter for the Cabinet Office.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of calls for a UN Commission of Inquiry into alleged human rights abuses by Egyptian security forces including those alleged to have taken place in July and August 2013.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware that calls were made for a UN Commission of Inquiry shortly after the events of July and August 2013, as well as on the recent anniversary of these events. In December 2013, Interim President Adly Mansour established a Fact-Finding Committee into the events that followed the removal of former President Morsi in July 2013. The Egyptian government released an executive summary of the Committee’s findings on 26 November 2014, which included recommendations for the police, educational institutions, the legislature, investigative authorities and the media. Since the publication of the summary of the Fact-Finding Committee’s report, the UK has encouraged the Egyptian government to release the report in full, and has stressed the importance of accountability for the deaths that took place during the clearances.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress his Department is making on doubling the proportion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education by 2020.

    Joseph Johnson

    We have taken significant steps to widen participation in higher education. In particular, from 2015/16, we have removed the cap on student numbers, enabling more people than ever before to benefit from higher education. We have also established a stronger framework with increased responsibility placed on providers to widen access. The Director of Fair Access has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 containing an estimated £745m to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds – up from £404m in 2009/10.

    The Green Paper Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, CM 9141 sets out additional steps the Government plans to take to increase the proportion of students from disadvantaged background entering higher education including through the new guidance that we plan to issue to the Director of Fair Access, and through the social mobility taskforce being set up by Universities UK.

    We will work with the Higher Education Funding Council for England to target the Student Opportunity Fund in the most effective way and with the Director of Fair Access to ensure that universities take more responsibility for widening access, prioritising activities that demonstrate the greatest value for money.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Attorney General, which regulations his Office introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Office expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    Robert Buckland

    The Attorney General’s Office has not introduced any regulations as a result of EU legislation over the past three years and has no plans to do so during the next two years.