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Tag: 2015

  • 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 2015-12-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Oral Statement of 25 November 2015, Official Report, column 1358, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Midlands is creating jobs three times faster than London and the South East; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    The independent Office for National Statistics publishes labour market statistics for the 12 UK regions every month.

    According to the latest data which covers the 3 months to September 2015, the total number of people in employment in London and the South East has increased by 53,000 since the same period one year earlier (the 3 months to September 2014). This equates to an increase of 0.6 per cent on the employment level one year ago.

    According to the same data, the total number of people in employment in the East and West Midlands combined (the ‘Midlands’) has increased by 101,000 over the same period. This equates to an increase of 2.1 per cent on the employment level in the Midlands one year ago. This rate of increase is more than 3 times faster than the rate for London and the South East.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many of his Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments that have been carried out; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test and disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 1.149 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, how local authority funding allocations for temporary accommodation will be calculated over the Spending Review period.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Spending Review and Autumn Statement announced that funding of the Temporary Accommodation management fee will be devolved to local authorities from 2017/18, giving them more freedom and flexibility in how they use this funding. Current levels of funding will be maintained and, in addition, councils will receive £10 million a year more. The Department for Communities and Local Government will set out the precise detail of how the new funding will be distributed in 2016/17. The Department will work closely with local authorities and other partners to ensure that funding will be allocated in order to most effectively help councils tackle homelessness.

  • Steven Paterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Steven Paterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the seaworthiness is of HMS (a) Astute and (b) Ambush.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The safety of the UK submarine fleet is of paramount importance. The Ministry of Defence assesses seaworthiness for submarines through a robust sea clearance process. This assessment is kept under continuous review.

    I am withholding the seaworthiness state of each submarine as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who his Department has consulted on the development of the UK’s Air Power Doctrine; and when he expects to publish that doctrine.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Work will commence on the next UK Air and Space Doctrine in the summer of 2016 and it is expected to be published in 2017. As with the previous version published in 2013, the RAF will consult widely across Defence as well as in the academic community. Research will draw on similar work from sources such as NATO and the United States Air Force.

    In addition, the Development Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) will review the related Joint Doctrine Note (JDN): The UK Approach to Unmanned Systems. The intention is to publish the revised doctrine by autumn 2016.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many of her Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps she has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments that have been carried out; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Family Test was announced by my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister in August 2014, and introduced in October 2014. DWP published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and the Department follows that guidance:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf.

    The Family Test is an integral part of the policy making process and is applied in a proportionate way in the development of all new policy in line with the Family Test guidance.

    The objective of the Test is to introduce a family perspective to the policy making process, specifically to make the potential impacts on family functioning and relationships explicit.

    DECC has not applied the Test to date but is considering where it is appropriate to do so. In addition where relevant, DECC already publishes in Impact Assessments analysis of the impact of policies on energy bills across different types of households.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2015 to Question 18390, if she will include within the scope of character education referred to teaching on the dangers of problem gambling.

    Edward Timpson

    All young people need strong academic skills as well as a complementary set of character attributes to be successful in life. That is why we have invested £5 million in character and resilience and made it very clear that schools should teach personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).

    The non-statutory PSHE programme of study, published by the PSHE Association, includes teaching about all forms of gambling and its psychological and financial impact. The programme of study is available online at:

    https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/

    “

  • Baroness Hamwee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Hamwee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) parents of a minor, (2) siblings of a minor, and (3) other persons, were granted, on the basis of exceptional compelling, compassionate circumstances outside the Immigration Rules, a family reunion visa for reunion with a family member in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection, in each year from 2011 to date; and from which countries those persons have come.

    Lord Bates

    Family reunion applications are considered within the scope of the Immigration Rules. Under these Rules, only pre-existing families are eligible for family reunion i.e. spouse, civil partner, unmarried/same sex partner and minor children who formed part of the family unit at the time the sponsor (the person granted protection in the UK) fled to seek asylum.

    Family reunion visas are available to help families that become fragmented. Family reunion is intended to allow family members who formed part of the family unit before the refugee fled their country of origin, to reunite in the UK.

    The number of Family reunion visas issued and the country of application from 2011 to date can be found in the table below. It is not possible to break down the data to the applicant’s relationship with the individual that has already gained asylum in the UK.

    To note: ‘*’ appears where there are less than three applications.

    Applications issued

    Country of application

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015
    (Jan-Jun)

    Albania

    *

    *

    *

    5

    –

    Algeria

    –

    –

    *

    –

    5

    Bahrain

    *

    15

    10

    5

    5

    Bangladesh

    –

    10

    5

    10

    10

    Belarus

    *

    5

    –

    5

    –

    Belgium

    –

    5

    5

    –

    5

    Burma

    20

    25

    5

    5

    5

    Cameroon

    60

    40

    30

    55

    15

    Canada

    *

    *

    *

    –

    *

    China

    25

    15

    20

    20

    10

    Congo (Dem. Rep.)

    80

    55

    70

    45

    15

    Cuba

    –

    *

    –

    5

    –

    Denmark

    –

    *

    5

    –

    5

    Egypt

    20

    50

    145

    135

    120

    Ethiopia

    685

    475

    450

    295

    85

    France

    5

    –

    5

    *

    –

    Gambia

    40

    40

    40

    80

    50

    Georgia

    –

    5

    5

    *

    –

    Germany

    *

    –

    5

    –

    –

    Ghana

    15

    25

    25

    30

    10

    Greece

    *

    5

    5

    10

    5

    India

    45

    30

    30

    25

    15

    Iran

    190

    55

    *

    –

    –

    Iraq

    –

    –

    *

    35

    30

    Irish Republic

    *

    5

    –

    –

    –

    Israel

    5

    *

    10

    15

    –

    Italy

    5

    5

    5

    5

    *

    Ivory Coast

    –

    –

    –

    10

    *

    Jamaica

    5

    –

    –

    *

    –

    Jordan

    20

    40

    95

    385

    60

    Kazakhstan

    *

    *

    –

    –

    –

    Kenya

    160

    160

    105

    80

    20

    Kuwait

    25

    25

    30

    40

    40

    Lebanon

    10

    110

    280

    405

    260

    Libya

    *

    *

    5

    5

    *

    Morocco

    –

    –

    *

    10

    5

    Mozambique

    *

    *

    –

    –

    –

    Namibia

    *

    *

    *

    *

    –

    Nepal

    10

    –

    10

    15

    5

    Netherlands

    *

    *

    5

    5

    –

    New Zealand

    *

    –

    –

    –

    –

    Nigeria

    5

    10

    10

    10

    5

    No biometrics

    775

    595

    740

    630

    80

    Pakistan

    345

    305

    360

    525

    300

    Portugal

    –

    –

    5

    –

    –

    Qatar

    –

    *

    5

    *

    5

    Romania

    –

    –

    5

    –

    –

    Russian Federation

    5

    5

    *

    10

    –

    Rwanda

    5

    5

    5

    5

    –

    Saudi Arabia

    5

    10

    10

    25

    40

    Senegal

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

    Sierra Leone

    35

    10

    15

    20

    5

    South Africa

    55

    25

    20

    25

    10

    Sri Lanka

    305

    250

    305

    220

    105

    Sudan

    215

    380

    360

    355

    230

    Sweden

    –

    5

    5

    *

    *

    Switzerland

    –

    –

    5

    –

    *

    Syria

    235

    105

    5

    –

    –

    Tanzania

    15

    5

    10

    10

    5

    Trinidad and Tobago

    –

    –

    –

    *

    5

    Tunisia

    5

    5

    –

    *

    –

    Turkey

    55

    215

    330

    550

    215

    Uganda

    85

    135

    225

    195

    45

    Ukraine

    *

    5

    *

    *

    –

    United Arab Emirates

    25

    100

    120

    75

    70

    United States

    *

    –

    5

    5

    5

    Uzbekistan

    10

    5

    5

    *

    –

    Vietnam

    5

    –

    –

    5

    *

    Zambia

    10

    *

    –

    10

    *

    Zimbabwe

    640

    265

    145

    110

    25

    Grand Total

    4305

    3670

    4120

    4540

    1940

    “

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Written Answers of 16 November 2015 to Question 16305 and of 23 November 2015 to Question 17205, whether agreed funding is now in place for the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2016.

    Rory Stewart

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy, on 7 December 2015, PQ18354.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to reintroduce charges for museum entry in the next year.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    This Government is committed to maintaining free admission to the permanent collections of major museums and galleries, as set out in the 2015 Conservative Party general election manifesto.