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Tag: 2015

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the total operational cost of UK overseas military bases in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The operating costs of overseas bases are not held centrally and some cost elements are not immediately available. I have provided statistics for financial years 2011-12 and 2014-15, and will write to the hon. Member shortly to provide the rest of the information.

    Base

    Expenditure 2011-12 (£ million)

    2014-15 (£ million)

    Belize

    2

    Brunei (1)

    66

    Canada

    68

    Cyprus

    257

    250

    Diego Garcia

    3

    Germany

    907

    235

    Gibraltar

    71

    70

    Kenya

    41

    Nepal (2)

    11

    South Atlantic Islands

    99

    85

    Notes:

    (1) The majority of the expenditure is funded by the Sultanate of Brunei.

    (2) The costs shown are partially offset by income received from UK-delivered training.

    These figures represent the cost of operating our permanent bases overseas (including stock consumption, infrastructure, welfare and medical, leases, equipment support) and the cost of employment of the personnel based there.

    Decisions on the UK’s permanent military presence overseas will be taken in the Strategic Defence and Security Review. This Government is clear that there will be no reduction in Britain’s influence overseas, and Defence will continue to play a strong global role.

  • Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has been made of the cost to police forces of (a) the apprenticeship levy and (b) a single tier pension.

    Mike Penning

    Home Office officials have written to the National Policing Lead for Workforce Development to ensure that chief constables, who are the employers in each local force, are aware of the opportunity that apprenticeships present as they strive to develop greater workforce flexibility. A number of forces have already taken steps to develop apprentice models and a cross-force working group has been established by forces to consider the matter.

    We worked closely with policing partners, as part of Spending Review preparations, to understand the impacts on forces of transition to the single-tier state pension. We continue to keep this under review.

  • Alan Whitehead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alan Whitehead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Whitehead on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, under what timetable she will announce the mechanism for ensuring that hydraulic fracturing cannot be conducted from wells that are drilled at the surface of sensitive areas.

    Andrea Leadsom

    On 4 November 2015, the Government set out proposals to ensure that hydraulic fracturing cannot be conducted from wells drilled at the surface of specified protected areas. [1] The proposals are now subject to consultation with key stakeholders, including industry and non-governmental organisations.

    [1] See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/oil-and-gas-licensing-rounds#surface-development-restrictions

    “

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders of each offence type pleaded guilty to an offence during (a) the latest period for which information is available after 13 April 2015 and (b) the equivalent period of time before 13 April 2015 in (i) Magistrates Courts and (ii) Crown Courts.

    Mike Penning

    The proportion of defendants who were tried at the Crown Court and who pleaded guilty, by offence group, in England and Wales in 2014 can be viewed in the table.

    Centrally held information does not include the plea of defendants proceeded against and handled entirely within the magistrates’ courts. This is held on individual court records, which could only be examined at disproportionate cost.

    Final data for defendants tried at the Crown Court is only available up to the end of 2014.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will request information from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on the measures it has taken to meet the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We consistently raise concerns over the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) appalling human rights record. In late October, a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) official met the DPRK Ambassador to the United Kindom and pressed for the DPRK to make tangible progress in addressing these concerns. We believe that implementation of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations presents an opportunity for progress to be made on human rights in DPRK. Earlier in October, a senior FCO official met the International Organisations Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, responsible for DPRK engagement on human rights at the UN, and requested details of their implementation plans for the UPR’s recommendations. We were informed the accepted recommendations were being discussed by the relevant domestic DPRK institutions. We will continue to raise the need for implementation plans to be shared.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department’s policies of the recommendations of the Second Global Conference on Road Safety organised by the UN/WHO in Brasilia between 17 and 19 November 2015.

    Andrew Jones

    The themes of the recommendations from the Second Global Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia are broadly in line with our approach to road safety, with an emphasis on education, enforcement and infrastructure with particular regard to vulnerable road users.

    The Government has a Manifesto commitment to reduce road deaths and injuries amongst cyclists and other road users every year. We are working with road safety groups and other stakeholders to determine what more can be done to meet this commitment.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of suicides by young men.

    Alistair Burt

    We know that men are three times more likely than women to die by suicide. The cross-government suicide prevention strategy, Preventing Suicide in England, identifies young men as a high risk group to prioritise suicide prevention activities.

    The strategy also recognises that schools, social care and the youth justice system have an important contribution to make in suicide prevention by promoting mental wellbeing and identifying underlying issues such as bullying, poor self-image and lack of self-esteem.

    We provide financial support for the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and work with a range of experts and partner organisations to deliver suicide prevention activities across all age groups, including young men. I will be meeting experts again shortly to advance the strategy.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of vacancies advertised on Universal Jobmatch in the last three months which offered flexible working arrangements for lone parents.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available.

  • 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 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has made to manufacturers on minimising increases in the price of insulin for treating type 1 diabetes.

    George Freeman

    There have been no such representations or discussions. The prices of branded medicines are controlled by the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme or under the statutory scheme established under the Health Service Branded Medicines (Control of Prices and Supply of Information) (No.2) Regulations 2008 and the Health Service Medicines (Information Relating to Sales of Branded Medicines etc.) Regulations 2007.

  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of freezing local housing allowance on working families in privately-rented accommodation.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation levels are close to zero, the impact of freezing Local Housing Allowance rates will have no impact in 2016/17 when compared to the counterfactual of uprating by CPI. (In future years, 30 per cent of the savings from the ‘freeze’ will be used to create further Targeted Affordability Funding to help those areas where rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation.)