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Tag: 2015

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding his Department will make available to support the retraining of workers recently made redundant by Cleveland Potash.

    Anna Soubry

    This is clearly a worrying time for those affected by ICL’s announcement that it is proposing to make 220 employees and 140 contractors redundant as part of a restructuring at its Boulby mine. Those affected will be able to access Jobcentre Plus’ Rapid Response Service, which is delivered locally with partners, is tailored to an individual’s needs, and can include some or all of the following elements:

    • Help with job searches, including CV writing and interview skills.
    • Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour market).
    • Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised certification that will improve employability.
    • Help to overcome barriers to attending training or securing a job or self-employment such as child care costs, tools, work clothes, travel costs etc.

    We will, of course, consider with local partners whether the area needs extra support to respond to this news – including Jobcentre Plus, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the Local Authority. However it is important to fully understand the impacts of this announcement before any decisions are taken.

    Whilst this remains a difficult time, it was encouraging to read that the company intends to invest at least £20m in infrastructure at the mine to support its restructure.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the case of six British ex-servicemen detained in India; what steps his Department is taking to provide diplomatic and consular assistance to those people; and what information his Department has received from Indian officials about the reason for the detainment of those men.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The six men remain in India due to an ongoing Indian legal process on their case. Ministers have raised this case at the highest levels nearly thirty times since the men were first detained in November 2013. Most recently, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), raised it for the third time with Prime Minister Modi, during his visit to the UK in November. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs at the UN General Assembly on 29 September and I raised it again on 24 November with the Indian High Commissioner to London.

    Consular staff in Chennai continue to provide consular support to the men, but we cannot interfere in the ongoing Indian legal process. We are working with them to assess their needs and will continue to identify organisations who can help them and their families.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-11-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average duration of a claim for tax credits was in Salford in the most recent (a) three and (b) six months for which data is available.

    Damian Hinds

    The answers are only available at disproportionate cost.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Care Quality Commission has any plans to reduce the number of core services it inspects at NHS hospitals as a consequence of the changes to his Department’s budget announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Ben Gummer

    In January 2016, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will consult on its proposed strategy for inspection and regulation from 2016 to 2021. Following the consultation, the CQC will formally publish its strategy which will set out how it proposes to inspect hospital services including its approach to the inspection of core services.

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change was in the number of firefighter posts in the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

    Greg Clark

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 November 2015, PQ 13946.

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities affected by the recent flooding have applied to his Department for funding under the Bellwin scheme.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    As at 16 December, the 11 local authorities listed below had registered for financial support from the Bellwin scheme for the December 2015 severe weather events. More local authorities are expected to register for the scheme in the coming days and weeks.

    Allerdale Borough Council

    Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council

    Carlisle City Council

    Copeland District Council

    Cumbria County Council

    Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner

    Eden District Council

    Lancaster City Council

    Northumberland County Council

    South Lakedale District Council

    Wyre Borough Council

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on integrating the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft with (a) Storm Shadow missiles, (b) Meteor missiles, (c) the DASS radar system and (d) other avionics.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The UK is committed to a series of phased enhancement programmes for Typhoon to increase its overall capability. Under current plans, the in-service dates on Typhoon will be August 2018, for Storm Shadow, and June 2018 for Meteor. Integration trials on both weapons are continuing. The Defensive Aids Sub System (DASS) is an existing part of the UK Typhoon fleet and is subject to continued review and enhancement. Separate development of an Active Electronic Scanned Array radar for Typhoon also continues.

  • 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 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on police workloads of planned reductions in local authority funding on (a) emergency planning, (b) vulnerability strategies, (c) youth offending services, (d) anti-social behaviour strategies and (e) community safety strategies.

    Karen Bradley

    Funding for local authorities in England is a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government. Funding for local authorities in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.

    It is for local authorities to decide how they spend their budgets on these and other issues. Many local authorities already understand the value of working closely with Police and Crime Commissioners and are best placed to make the right decisions for their communities locally.

    PCCs have a duty under the provisions of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act to work with local authorities in their respective police force areas.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on the resilience and security of the energy supply in Scotland.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change Energy regularly meets with the Scottish Government to discuss resilience issues in the energy sector.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the Israeli government about the restrictions on construction in government-planned Bedouin towns.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to demonstrate UK concern by regularly visiting Bedouin communities in the Negev. The Embassy has arranged for the Arab Centre for Alternative Planning to meet Israel’s Minister of Construction to discuss the issue of restrictions on construction in Negev Bedouin towns. The Ambassador plans to raise this issue with the Minister of Construction in January.