The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there has been any recent change to the guidance given to senior personnel in the armed forces on the public comments on political matters which they may make.
Michael Fallon
No.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of GP surgeries which will pay increased rental charges for their premises after NHS Property Services Ltd moves to market value rents; and if he will make a statement.
George Freeman
The Department has been reviewing the rent arrangements NHS Property Services inherited from primary care trusts in April 2013, with a view to moving towards a more rational charging policy. It is estimated around 900 general practitioner practices would pay increased rental charges for their premises if NHS Property Services moves to market value rents. Rental costs would be reimbursable in the normal way in accordance with the NHS ‘premises costs’ directions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what involvement her Department has had in the grant originally made available to the Pioneer Communities Project that was administered through her Department.
Edward Timpson
No grant funding was made available by the Department for Education to support the Pioneer Communities Project.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support the West Midlands Police Force respond to an increase in the levels of gun crime in Birmingham.
Mike Penning
The Government and police work nationally, and with international partners, to reduce the threat to the UK from the criminal use of firearms. In 2013/14, firearms were used in a small and diminishing proportion of total police recorded crime, 0.2%. We also support local areas to take action against gang violence to reduce offending and protect vulnerable people. Under the Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme, Birmingham was subject to a peer review in 2012 and has implemented and integrated the recommendations from the review into their local strategic plans. The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of arrests made in connection with gun crime. The UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world and the government and the police continue to work together to reduce the threat from the criminal use of firearms. We will be reviewing options to strengthen the current legislation to ensure it safeguards against abuse by criminals following representations made by the police (and other stakeholders) during the Law Commission’s scoping consultation on firearms legislation. The number of offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) in the West Midlands has fallen by 40% since 2010, from 903 offences in 2009/10 to 540 in 2013/14.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with supermarkets on reducing the amount of food that is wasted because it is not considered aesthetically appealing to customers.
Rory Stewart
The Government, through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), is working with food manufacturers and retailers, including all the major UK supermarkets, to meet targets to reduce food waste from the grocery supply chain under the Courtauld Commitment. Signatories have reported a 7.4% reduction in supply chain waste between 2009-2012, with interim results for Courtauld 3 showing a further 3.2% reduction by 2014.
WRAP has worked with supermarkets and consumers to support acceptance and use of ‘imperfect’ fruit and vegetables. Work is also in progress with signatories, trade bodies and redistribution organisations to build a better understanding of the amounts and causes of waste in the supply of food & drink. WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which will build on this progress.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration detainees were held in each prison establishment in each of the last 12 months.
James Brokenshire
The information requested is not routinely collected and could be provided only by examining individual case records, which would result in disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to encourage Chinese investors to invest in the UK dairy industry.
George Eustice
China is one of the UK’s priority markets for investment. The Government is providing increased funding to UKTI across its China network and in the UK. The state visit last month demonstrated China’s recognition that the UK is one of the most open markets in the world for foreign investment and there is significant appetite from Chinese companies to invest here.
UKTI has a dedicated Food and Drink sector team and proactively works with potential Chinese investors. The UK offers Chinese investors strong proposals for milk powder, cheese (Cheddar) and butter production due to the vibrant dairy research sector, temperate climate and increasing milk production volumes.
Last week the Secretary of State was in China supporting the Food is GREAT campaign there; dairy is a key focus area allowing participating British companies to meet potential Chinese investors and buyers looking to invest in the UK and source UK dairy products.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been granted retirement on the grounds of ill health in each of the last 10 years.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Prison Officers who have been granted retirement on the grounds of ill health by financial year from 2005/06 to 2015/16
|
Year |
Band 5 Officers |
Band 4 Officers |
Band 3 Officers and Officer Specialists |
Total |
|
2005/06 |
~ |
10 |
70 |
90 |
|
2006/07 |
~ |
10 |
70 |
80 |
|
2007/08 |
~ |
~ |
30 |
40 |
|
2008/09 |
~ |
10 |
50 |
70 |
|
2009/10 |
~ |
~ |
80 |
80 |
|
2010/11 |
10 |
10 |
60 |
80 |
|
2011/12 |
~ |
20 |
90 |
110 |
|
2012/13 |
~ |
20 |
110 |
130 |
|
2013/14 |
~ |
10 |
110 |
120 |
|
2014/15 |
10 |
30 |
120 |
150 |
|
Apr-Sep 2015 |
~ |
10 |
60 |
70 |
All figures are rounded to the nearest 10, with numbers ending in5 rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. As with all HR databases, extracts are taken at a fixed point in time, to ensure consistency of reporting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the final report of the Lead Ammunition Group.
Rory Stewart
The Government is considering the independent Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effect of lead shot on human and wildlife health and will respond as soon as possible.
The Food Standards Agency has produced advice on the consumption of lead shot game which can be accessed at https://www.food.gov.uk/science/advice-to-frequent-eaters-of-game-shot-with-lead.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many young people are classified as long-term unemployed in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.