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Tag: 2015

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of adult education courses in helping people into work.

    Nick Boles

    The Department commissioned econometric research to estimate the labour market impact of Further Education (FE), which found that FE generates significant economic effects, resulting in sustained higher earnings and increased employment chances. This report was published in December 2014 and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-comparing-labour-market-economic-benefits-from-qualifications-gained

    “

  • John Healey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much will be made available in additional discretionary housing payments for people in supported accommodation in each financial year from 2018-19 to 2020-21.

    Justin Tomlinson

    In the Autumn Statement it was announced that additional Discretionary Housing Payment funding will be made available to Local Authorities to protect the most vulnerable, including those in supported accommodation. A further £70 million will be made available across 2018-19 and 2019-20.

    This will be in addition to the funding for the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme that was announced in the Summer Budget where the allocation for 2018-19 to 2020-21 is as follows:

    2018/19

    2019/20

    2020/21

    £170m

    £155m

    £140m

    It should be noted that local authorities have the discretion to set their own priorities to ensure Discretionary Housing Payments are awarded to those who most require assistance based on local circumstances.

  • Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the provision of high-speed broadband infrastructure on productivity.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    SQW Consulting’s UK Broadband impact study in 2013 estimates that the availability and take-up of faster broadband speeds will add about £17 billion to the UK’s annual Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2024.

    This Government is helping increase productivity across the UK by investing in and widening access to key digital infrastructure. We are on track to deliver our commitment to provide superfast broadband coverage to 95% of the UK by the end of 2017.Our£40m Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme was taken up by over 55,000 small and medium sized businesses – who employ a million people right across the UK and are already reporting, on average, a £1,300 per year increase in profits and a new job being created for every four new connections. ThePrime Minister recentlyannounced plans to ensure that every home and business can have access to fast broadband by the end of this Parliament.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 7 December (HL4065), whether they are in the process of submitting evidence of genocide against Yazidis and Assyrian Christians to international courts, and if so, which ones; when the international courts last declared a genocide to have taken place; and when the international courts last initiated a trial for genocide, and against whom.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are not submitting any evidence of possible genocide against Yezidis and Christians to international courts, nor have we been asked to.

    The most recent occasion on which an international court found genocide to have occurred was on 10 June 2010, when the Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted several of the accused in the Prosecutor v. Popović et al. case for either committing, conspiracy to commit, or aiding and abetting, genocide in and around Srebrenica and Žepa in 1995. These convictions were subsequently upheld by the Appeals Chamber of the ICTY on 30 January 2015.

    The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) initiated a trial against Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, two former Khmer Republic senior officials, which remains ongoing, and includes charges of genocide against the Cham and Vietnamese people. Evidence relating to the genocide charges began being heard on 7 September 2015.

  • Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) human rights situation in Sri Lanka and (b) detention of Tamil political prisoners in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We warmly welcomed the resolution on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka and adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 1 October. Since President Sirisena came to power in January, there have been improvements in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including on freedom of expression, some return of military held land, and improved relations between different communities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will provide a further assessment in our 2015 Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. We regularly raise matters of concern with the Sri Lankan government, including the detention of Tamil political prisoners without trial. We have been encouraged by the recent announcements that bail has been granted to 39 prisoners being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the size of the Farming Recovery Fund, and how much has been paid to farmers to date.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Farmers affected by the recent flooding in Northern England will be able to apply for between £500 and £20,000 to cover the cost of work to restore damaged agricultural land.

    The scheme is due to open for applications on 18 December and we will pay out on all eligible claims.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of when new, cheap forms of blood cancer tests are likely to be made available on the NHS.

    George Freeman

    A number of new blood tests, which show promise in diagnosing cancers earlier, are currently undergoing clinical trials. We would expect these to become available in the National Health Service once they have satisfied the regulatory requirements.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Tornado aircraft (1) the RAF possess which are (a) available for operation, (b) maintained at each of the various defined levels, and (c) in storage; and (2) the RAF intend to fund for each of the above categories in each of the years from 2015–18.

    Earl Howe

    The information is not available in the format requested. The number of aircraft available varies day-to-day according to normal fleet management activities.

    I am withholding further information on the number of serviceable aircraft available for operations on the grounds of safeguarding national security.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is planning to enable more people aged over 50 to gain employment.

    Priti Patel

    DWP will continue to challenge people’s outdated perception about older workers, and build on the work started by Business Champion for Older Workers to actively promote the business case and benefits of employing older workers, seeking to engage and influence both strategically and in terms of practical advice.

    Jobcentre Plus continues to use a range of innovative approaches to help claimants back to work. Work Coaches have the flexibility to offer all claimants, including older people, a comprehensive menu of help which includes skills provision and job search support.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to produce an update to the 2010 Drug Strategy, and if so, what is the timetable.

    Lord Bates

    The Government plans to refresh our approach and build on the balanced 2010 Drug Strategy ‘Reducing demand, restricting supply, building recovery: supporting people to live a drug-free life’ in line with the manifesto commitments including to tackle drugs as a key driver of crime; intervene early to prevent troubled young people being drawn into crime; and review how best to support those suffering from long term drug dependency back into work.

    There are promising signs our approach is working – with a downward trend in drug use over the last decade and more people recovering from their dependency now than in 2009/10.

    A date for the publication of the refreshed approach is yet to be confirmed.