The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward proposals to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.
George Eustice
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge, Angela Smith, on 21 July 2015, PQ UIN 7749.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland has the power to require district councils in Northern Ireland to conduct election counts for elections to Westminster and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Lord Dunlop
The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is currently considering a range of options for reforming his Office. This includes capitalising on new technology by introducing on-line registration.
The Chief Electoral Officer will have regard to the continued effective delivery of elections in Northern Ireland and ensuring that his Office remains on a sustainable financial footing. The Northern Ireland Office fully supports him in this approach. I understand that work on some options is at an early stage.
The Representation of the People Act 1983 makes provision for the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland to delegate returning officer functions to the clerk of a district council.
Detailed questions on headcount and budget are operational matters for the Chief Electoral Officer who is independent of Government. The Chief Electoral Officer publishes all such information in his annual report which is presented to Parliament and copies are made available in the Library of the House.
The headline budgets allocated to the Chief Electoral Office are:
|
Financial Year |
Operational Funding |
Capital Funding |
|
2013/14 |
£5.452m * |
£100k |
|
2014/15 |
£2.336m |
£56.2k |
|
2015/16 |
£2.296m |
£25k |
* includes £3m for the 2013 canvass
The Northern Ireland Office has not agreed any budgets with the Chief Electoral Officer for future years pending receipt of the Department’s detailed Spending Review 2015 settlement letter from HM Treasury.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts from Arab League states on the threat posed by ISIS; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK has regular discussions with Arab League states, most of which are members of the Global Coalition to counter ISIL. It is crucial we work together to defeat ISIL. Ensuring peace and stability in the region is an important part of the UK’s counter ISIL strategy.
ISIL has been on the agenda during all recent discussions with Arab League states. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (David Cameron) and President Sisi spoke about a range of foreign policy issues, including ISIL, during his visit to London earlier this month. The Prime Minister also met His Majesty King Salman of Saudi Arabia in the margins of the G20. In October and November, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond) had extensive discussions about ISIL when he visited Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and engaged with regional countries during the talks on Syria held in Vienna on 14 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take steps to ensure that Turkey does not repatriate any genuine refugees, following the recent EU–Turkey financial agreement.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK cooperates closely with Turkey on migration and Turkey has consistently confirmed that their borders remain open to genuine refugees. We commend Turkey’s generosity in hosting over 2.2 million refugees from the crisis in Syria and Iraq. Enhanced cooperation between the EU and Turkey is critical to resolving the current migration crisis. At the EU-Turkey summit on 29 November, the EU agreed €3billion of additional support to Turkey to help ease its refugee burden and prevent further irregular migration to the EU. Turkey and the EU also agreed to activate the migration action plan. As part of this action plan, Turkey committed to accelerate procedures in order to readmit smoothly irregular migrants who are not in need of international protection, whilst ensuring that vulnerable people continue to be identified and taken care of.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the extent to which grants made by his Department to third parties are used for activities designed to influence his Department, other departments or Parliament.
Alistair Burt
Funding applications from voluntary sector organisations are assessed against a number of criteria, but Departmental policy clearly states that grants will not be awarded if there is any indication within the application that some or all of any funding awarded will be used to support political activities, including political lobbying activity.
It remains an important objective of the Department’s partnership with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector that they contribute their voice and expertise to national policy making and implementation, and grant awards can support this objective.
However, analysis of each individual grant awarded by the Department to ascertain the impact of this objective would be at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to connect the building developments in East London Tech City with the developments in the Lower Lea Valley.
Lord Maude of Horsham
The Mayor of London is responsible for economic development in London, as well as housing policy and delivery and strategic planning. These responsibilities come together through the statutory London Plan. Thus it is for the Mayor and the Greater London Authority, working with the relevant London boroughs, to make the most of the important opportunities provided by the developments in East London Tech City and the Lower Lea Valley.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she intends to lay before Parliament her report on the steps she will take in relation to the powers conferred by section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act on independent child trafficking advocates.
Karen Bradley
Section 48(7) of the Modern Slavery Act requires the Government to lay before Parliament a report setting out the steps it proposes to take in relation to independent child trafficking advocates within nine months of Royal Assent of the Modern Slavery Act. The Government will publish this report by 16 December, whilst Parliament is sitting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rogan on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which peers and MPs attended the briefing with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill on 23 November.
Lord Dunlop
The Peers who attended the briefing with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill included: Lord McAvoy; Baroness Randerson; and Lord Trimble.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) independent domestic violence advisers and (b) independent sexual violence advisers operating in the criminal justice system in each year since 2010-11.
Karen Bradley
The previous Government ring-fenced nearly £40 million – £10 million per year – of stable funding up until 2015 for specialist local domestic and sexual violence support services, rape crisis centres, the national domestic violence helplines and stalking helpline. This funding has been extended until April 2016 and includes part-funding for 144 Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) and 87 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs).
The Home Office supports these roles through training and awareness-raising, including for the majority of IDVAs and ISVAs who are employed by local authorities and third sector organisations.
We recognise the importance of specialist support services and are working with voluntary sector partners and local commissioners to assess coverage and need for these specialist advisers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of respondents to the 2021 Census topic consultation requested that the place of birth be included in the 2021 Census.
Lord Bridges of Headley
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.