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Tag: 2015

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-11-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to deliver a faster payments infrastructure.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Faster Payment Scheme (FPS) launched in 2008 and provides near-instant settlement for over one billion payments that consumers and businesses make every year.

    FPS is one of the eight payment systems regulated by the new Payment Systems Regulator – which the Government launched in 2015, equipped with powers to ensure that UK payment systems are competitive and innovative. A key part of the PSR’s work is to ensure that UK payment systems work efficiently to deliver benefits for the individuals and firms that use them.

    The Government is also working with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Project Innovate – which looks to foster and support innovative financial technology (“FinTech”) firms, including firms that offer customers new and efficient ways to make payments in the UK.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on allegations of doping in athletics.

    Tracey Crouch

    Both my Department and UK Anti-Doping engage regularly with international counterparts to discuss a range of sporting matters, including tackling doping in sport.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) the training of school children in digital skills before they enter the workforce, (b) graduate schemes on digital skills, (c) improving the digital skills of the workforce of firms in the digital technology industry and (d) other initiatives to promote existing professional training and digital skills initiatives; and whether he plans for such initiatives to be supported by the Apprenticeship Levy.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Introduced in September 2014, the new statutory computing curriculum in primary and secondary schools is providing schoolchildren with the digital skills they will need for further study and employment. It is supported by revised computer science A levels, and revised GCSEs will be introduced from 2016. In September 2015 the Higher Education Funding Council for England invited bids for pilot conversion courses in high demand computer science disciplines. This will supply industry with a new stream of graduates with in-demand digital skills from summer 2017.

    Additionally, this Government back a free ‘Introduction to Cyber Security’ course raising awareness of cyber security and developing the necessary skills in the sector. This Government is also funding pilots of short courses in key digital skills areas (web design, database management and digital marketing), designed and accredited by business.

  • Khalid Mahmood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Khalid Mahmood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will take steps to assist in securing the release of Kamal Foroughi from Evin Prison in Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain very concerned about the case of dual-national Mr Kamal Foroughi. Iran does not recognise dual nationality and as such has not granted us consular access. I met his family on 1 December, and confirmed that we have raised this with the Iranian authorities on repeated occasions, urging Iran to provide regular medical assistance and access to a lawyer which are both key to securing his release. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised this with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and President Rouhani during his visit to Iran in August. He also raised it most recently with Foreign Minister Zarif in New York at the UN General Assembly in September. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) raised the case with President Rouhani during a telephone call in July, and wrote a further letter on the matter in October regarding our consular cases.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the establishment of an independent international body to investigate violations of international law in Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation and alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen. The UK fully and actively supports the UN’s efforts to achieve a political solution to bring an end to the conflict. This will help create the conditions for the legitimate Government to improve its capacity to protect human rights. The UK has previously engaged the Yemeni Government – both bilaterally and through the UN Human Rights Council – on a wide range of human rights issues. We continue to raise the importance of compliance international human rights law with all sides to the conflict.

    We welcome the September UN Human Rights Council resolution which contains mechanisms for monitoring the human rights situation in Yemen. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been tasked to help Yemen investigate human rights abuses and violations, but it will be up to Yemen to decide on how it sets up its own domestic mechanism. We welcome Yemen’s commitment to cooperate with the UN on protection of human rights.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of those eligible service personnel who have left the armed forces have participated in the Employment Support Programme of the Careers Transition Partnership in each year since 2010.

    Mark Lancaster

    Personnel with between four and six years of Service are eligible for the Employment Support Programme (ESP). The latest information held on eligible personnel that have participated in the ESP is as at 31 March 2014.

    Between 2010-11 and 2013-14 the following percentage of the total Armed Forces outflow have participated in the ESP:

    2010-11 – 10%

    2011-12 – 6%

    2012-13 – 6%

    2013-14 – 8%

    Figures presented for 2013-14 are provisional as personnel can receive Careers Transition Partnership resettlement services up to two years before and after leaving the UK Armed Forces. Figures are revised annually in the Official Statistic publication with figures being fixed after two years.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what guidance his Department gives to apprenticeship providers on supporting apprentices with dyslexia.

    Nick Boles

    Apprenticeships are covered by the Equality Act 2010, therefore employers and providers are required to make reasonable adjustments. Assessment centres (for example colleges) are responsible for ensuring that they understand and apply access arrangements.

    Ofqual provides guidance for awarding organisations in England on reasonable adjustment. The Joint Council of Qualifications publishes arrangements annually on special considerations and adjustments. The current version has a number of examples of how to apply arrangements to learners with dyslexia.

    The Education and Training Foundation provides guidance for training providers, including advice on supporting apprentices with dyslexia. This can be found in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) section of the Excellence Gateway on the Education and Training Foundation website http://send.excellencegateway.org.uk/.

    “

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government’s planned contributions are to the NATO Ballistic Missile Defence network in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19 and (e) 2019-20.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The UK’s contribution to the NATO Ballistic Missile Defence network for future years will form part of our contribution to NATO in accordance with our agreed cost share. As outlined in the SDSR, we will support research, development initiatives and multinational engagement through the UK’s Missile Defence Centre. The specific expenditure for the years requested has not yet been identified

  • Anna Turley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Anna Turley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to business rate relief on the charity sector.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is continuing to consider representations, including on business rates reliefs, to inform decisions on reform of the business rates system. The Government has confirmed the review will conclude by the end of the year.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18261, if she will make an assessment of the net contribution to the UK economy made by immigration from Australia, Canada and New Zealand in the last five years before proceeding with her Department’s proposals to restrict access to Tier 2 visas for Australian and New Zealand citizens.

    James Brokenshire

    There are no plans to introduce Tier 2 restrictions specifically aimed at Australian, New Zealand and/or Canadian citizens.

    The Government has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on restricting Tier 2 to genuine skills shortages and jobs which require highly-specialised experts, but with sufficient flexibility to include high value roles and key public service workers. The MAC is looking at selection criteria such as, but not limited to, salaries, particular attributes, economic need and skills level. The Government has asked the MAC to consider the economic impact of potential changes.

    The MAC is still finalising its report and we do not yet know what its findings and recommendations will be. We await the report with interest and will consider the potential economic impacts carefully before making any significant changes to the Tier 2 route.