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Tag: 2015

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislation to encourage the greater use of non-custodial sentencing options for driving offences where danger was caused but with no evidence of intent or wilful risk-taking on the part of the driver.

    Andrew Selous

    Parliament sets the maximum penalties for driving offences and it is for the courts to decide what sentence to impose, taking into account aggravating and mitigating factors of the offence and the offender, and in line with the sentencing guidelines. The previous Secretary of State established a review into these issues. We are considering how to take this forward. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State is meeting colleagues to discuss this issue in the new year.

  • Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will extend the current additional financial incentives for modern foreign language teachers in secondary schools to language specialists entering the teaching profession in primary schools.

    Lord Nash

    Financial incentives for initial teacher training (ITT) are designed to attract applicants to certain subjects. We have increased bursaries for secondary languages ITT trainees for 2016/17 in response to growing demand.

    We have no current plans to extend these generous financial incentives for secondary language trainees to primary trainees. Primary ITT courses continue to be popular with applicants, and we are confident that we can recruit enough trainees nationally to meet need at the bursary rates announced for 2016/17.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the scale of the change of his Department’s workforce arising from the departmental settlement announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    As set out in Table 1.B of the Spending Review document, the Department’s Spending Review settlement includes a real terms reduction to its administration budget of 12%. The Department’s workforce will need to reduce broadly in line with this settlement.

  • 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 are their criteria for identifying countries of concern in the FCO annual report on human rights and democracy.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    In the 2014 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, we continued to use the criteria published in the 2012 report to determine whether a country should feature as a country of concern:

    • the gravity of the human rights situation in the country, including both the severity of particular abuses and the range of human rights affected;

    • whether a deterioration or improvement in the human rights situation in the country would have a wider impact in the region;

    • whether the human rights situation in the country has an impact on wider UK interests; and

    • whether we are able to influence the human rights situation there.

  • Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stuart on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what trade missions to Latin America the Government has organised in the last 12 months; and what such trade missions are planned in the next 12 months.

    Anna Soubry

    In the last 12 months, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has organised the following trade missions to Latin America;

    Multi-Sector Mission to Colombia and Peru – November 2014

    Multi-Sector Mission to Mexico and Colombia – November/December 2014

    Automotive Mission to Mexico – December 2014

    Oil & Gas Mission to Colombia – March 2015

    Trade Mission to Mexico – March 2015

    Trade Mission to Brazil – March 2015

    Global Sports Mission to Brazil – August 2015

    Northern PowerHouse Mission to Mexico/Colombia – September/October 2015

    Water Mission to Brazil (visiting FITABES Trade Show) – October 2015

    MSB (Medium Size Business) to Brazil (led by Lord Maude) – November 2015

    Broadcast Mission to Mexico – November 2015

    Multi- Sector Mission to Colombia and Peru – November 2015

    Information relating to planned missions from April 2016 onwards is not available at this time. UKTI is currently undertaking business planning for the period in question. The 2016-2017 Events Programme will be available by end of March 2016.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support women and ethnic minorities to reach senior positions in the legal sector.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government is keen to see a diverse legal profession. Regulation of the legal profession is independent of Government. The Legal Services Board (LSB) and Approved Regulators are responsible for setting the requirements for entry to the profession as well as for continued professional development. These bodies have a duty to promote competition in the provision of regulated legal services, and encourage an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession.

    There are a number of initiatives being taken forward on education and training by the three largest frontline regulators for the legal profession, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board and CILEx Regulation, to widen opportunities for a more diverse pool of people to enter the profession through more flexible routes to qualification. These are published on each of the frontline regulators’ website.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost is of each (a) Paveway IV bomb and (b) Brimstone missile procured by the RAF; and how many such weapons are in the RAF stockpile.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I am withholding details of costs for in-service Paveway IV bombs and Brimstone missiles as disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. I am also withholding details of the number of bombs and missiles held by the RAF as disclosure would or would likely prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our Armed Forces and allies.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Civil Service Commission was consulted on changes to the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, published in October 2015.

    Matthew Hancock

    The October 2015 version of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers was revised and published in accordance with the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the (a) location and (b) budget is for each agri-tech centre in each year from 2016-17 to 2020-21.

    Anna Soubry

    The planned budgets (2016/17 to 2020/21) and locations of the four Centres for Agricultural Innovation are:

    Centre for Crop Health and Protection (CHAP) – headquarters in York at the National AgriFood Innovation Campus in Sand Hutton

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    6.5

    4.3

    4.4

    0.0

    0.0

    Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) – headquarters in York at the National AgriFood Innovation Campus in Sand Hutton

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    8.6

    6.0

    4.5

    0.0

    0.0

    Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation Centre (Agri-EPI) – hubs in Edinburgh, Harper Adams University (Shropshire) and Cranfield University (Bedfordshire)

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    5.3

    3.6

    3.0

    0.0

    0.0

    Centre for Agricultural Informatics (Agrimetrics) – headquarters in Harpenden (Hertfordshire) at Rothamsted Research

    16/17

    17/18

    18/19

    19/20

    20/21

    £m

    3.2

    2.9

    1.8

    0.0

    0.0
  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 5 of his Department’s document Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation, Cm9098, published in July 2015, what analysis his Department has made of the effects of changes to vehicle excise duty and the creation of a roads fund on UK productivity.

    Damian Hinds

    The reform of VED announced at the Summer Budget delivers long-term revenue sustainability whilst simplifying the current system. This reform enabled the government to set up a Roads Fund, which from 2020-21 will provide the necessary funding for a high performing road network that is as efficient as possible. This is vital for efficient running of business and enabling connections to bigger markets and labour pools.