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Tag: 2015

  • Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to maintain current spending levels on the core elements of the science budget in real terms over the course of the Parliament.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government made clear in the Spending Review its commitment to science and research. We will protect science resource funding in real terms from its current level of £4.7 billion per annum for the rest of the Parliament. Growth in the ring fence will be used to invest in a new £1.5 billion Global Challenges Research Fund for UK science to pioneer new ways of tackling global problems. As well as increasing resource spending for science, we are investing in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale, delivering on the £6.9 billion science capital commitment in our manifesto to provide the infrastructure and funding to keep the UK globally competitive.

    The allocation of budgets to individual funding bodies, programmes and facilities has yet to be determined. As per previous spending rounds this allocation process will take place over the coming months.

  • Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Ellman on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients are registered with GPs who are based outside the clinical commissioning group area in which the patient resides.

    Alistair Burt

    From 5 January 2015, all GP practices are able to register new patients who live outside the practice area.

    NHS England has been reviewing the numbers of patients registering with practices away from their home address and have also been monitoring the number of patients who have had cause to seek in hours care whilst at their home address. To date, NHS England has not reviewed the effectiveness of community health services.

    As at 1 November 2015, 33,347 patients in England were registered as out of area patients.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress HM Revenue and Customs has made in recovering VAT and business rates from the shooting industry in the last five years.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs do not collect business rates. Information on VAT receipts by industry or trade is not held.

  • Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the devolution of abortion legislation to the Scottish Parliament.

    Jane Ellison

    I have had discussions with Ministers on the Smith Commission Agreement and the Scotland Bill. The Secretary of State for Scotland has spoken to women’s groups in Scotland about devolution of abortion legislation, and Department of Health officials have had informal discussions and communication with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on this matter.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of whether the Code of Conduct for bookmakers is meeting the aims for which it was drawn up.

    Tracey Crouch

    All betting shop operators are required by the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Code of Practice to have social responsibility policies and processes in place. In addition, the industry trade body the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) has a mandatory code of conduct in place, which is reviewed regularly to evaluate its effectiveness.

    I have explained to the industry that I expect them to demonstrate that they are improving existing player protection initiatives and evaluating the effects of previous initiatives. As I said at the recent RGT harm minimisation conference, government and industry should never feel that there is an end point to social responsibility. Industry owes a duty of care to its customers.

  • Michael Dugher – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Michael Dugher – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy that police officers be assigned to support all Royal British Legion Remembrance parades.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The police have never had a policy of routinely attending remembrance parades. Decisions on the operational deployment of resources are matters for Chief Constables, in association with Police and Crime Commissioners. There are no plans for the Home Office to issue guidance to the police on this matter.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) HMS Brocklesby M33 mine sweeper will be refitted at Portsmouth naval dockyards and (b) that refitting will include new propulsion capability; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As part of the Royal Navy’s continual examination of its resources and operational priorities, HMS Brocklesby’s docking period and refitting of her propulsion capability has been deferred.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make representations requesting reforms of the management and administration of the World Food Programme to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID continually works to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the World Food Programme (WFP). As an active donor and Executive Board member, DFID champions value for money and pursues increased efficiency and effectiveness in all areas including organisational reform, financial procedures and programme activities. DFID is also currently assessing WFP in its Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) 2015 and will use the MAR findings to take forward continued reform with WFP.

    Examples where DFID has pursued reform of management and administration of the WFP include the six-monthly Commercial Expertise Reviews which DFID conducts to assess procurement functions and make recommendations for increased efficiency. Another example is DFID support to the expanded forward purchasing facilities proposed by WFP which is leading to large cost savings.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to increase the study of Japanese in schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The government supports the efforts of the Japan Foundation to help schools teaching Japanese. Since September 2014, maintained primary schools in England must teach a modern or ancient foreign language to pupils at key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11). Schools can choose which language or languages to teach and should enable pupils to make substantial progress in one language by the end of primary school.

    The government took action in 2010 to halt the decline in the number of school children taking language GCSEs by including it within the English Baccalaureate. This has had a positive effect on the take up of languages in schools. The proportion of the cohort in state funded schools entered for a modern foreign language has risen from 40 per cent in 2010 to 49 per cent in 2015. The government’s goal is that, in time, at least 90 per cent of pupils enter GCSEs in the EBacc subjects of English, maths, science, humanities and languages.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what matters relating to (a) nuclear disarmament and (b) nuclear non-proliferation he discussed with the Prime Minister of India during his visit to London in November 2015.

    Mr David Cameron

    During Prime Minister Modi’s visit India and the UK agreed a Defence and International Security Partnership that pledged to deepen our dialogue on disarmament and non-proliferation and work towards India’s entry into all Export Control Regimes. India and the UK also released a Joint Statement that welcomed the agreement reached earlier this year on Iran’s nuclear programme, and noted the strong commitment of the international community to its swift and full implementation.