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Tag: 2015

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much UK aid was provided to countries on the EU Commission tax haven blacklist or identified as zero tax jurisdictions in the financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID uses a range of criteria to inform how we allocate aid across countries. These criteria include, for example, current and projected poverty levels in the country, the country’s ability to self-finance its development (e.g. through domestic taxation), and the likely effectiveness of UK aid.

    A number of EU member states maintain lists of jurisdictions for tax purposes against criteria concerning tax transparency and/or the prevailing tax rate. The EU does not maintain a blacklist; however a list of 30 jurisdictions that featured on 10 or more member state lists was compiled and then superseded by a recent European Commission update.

    This update included UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories which had the UK’s signature of the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters extended to them in 2014. The updated individual member state lists can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/gen_info/good_governance_matters/lists_of_countries/.

    Of the 30 jurisdictions named in the original list, 14 received UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 (the most recent year for which consolidated figures are available). Of these 14, only three (Liberia, Montserrat and Vanuatu) received ODA from DFID for development and humanitarian assistance in that year. Details of funding amounts to these 14 jurisdictions can be found at the Statistics on International Development 2014 page of the gov.uk website.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when he plans for his Department to achieve its target strength for the Army Reserve.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by my right hon. Friend the previous Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) on 19 December 2013, (Official Report, column 124WS) on Future Reserves 2020, and the accompanying document that was placed in the Library of the House which sets out the planned growth of the trained strength of the Reserve Forces, together with the enlistment targets for the next five years.

    I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2015 to the hon. Member for Strangford (Mr Shannon) to Question 11812 which explained the improvements we have made to ensure we reach our target strength of 35,000 trained volunteer Reservists by 31 March 2019.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the universal credit programme was subject to Project Assessment Reviews instead of Gateway Reviews.

    Priti Patel

    The Department is following the procedures for the assurance and support of major projects outlined in ‘HM Treasury the Major Project approval and assurance guidance’ introduced from April 2011. More details can be found in the link below.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/179763/major_projects_approvals_assurance_guidance.PDF.pdf

    “

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training her Department has provided to staff on the family test; what other steps she has taken to raise awareness of the family test among staff of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    Officials from the Department for Education have liaised with the Department for Work and Pension as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test, disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

    The Department for Education follows that guidance, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-test-assessing-the-impact-of-policies-on-families.

    “

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new rules for English Votes for English Laws relating to votes on matters that have been returned from the House of Lords to the House of Commons during parliamentary ping-pong will allow for amendments to, and substitution of, Lords amendments, as well as the rejection of Lords amendments.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Members of the House of Commons will continue to be able to table amendments to, and suggest the substitution or rejection of, Lords amendments, as they can now.

  • David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much has been paid into the Exchequer from surpluses accrued by the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme since privatisation of the coal industry.

    Andrea Leadsom

    I refer the hon. Member to House of Commons Library Briefing Paper Number SN01189 dated 25 November 2015 which contains at page 17 a table showing the total gross payments made to the Guarantor from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme since privatisation:

    http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01189/SN01189.pdf

    “

  • Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances they would consider using British military assets to prevent President Assad from using barrel bombs against civilians in Syria.

    Earl Howe

    We have repeatedly demanded that Assad ceases the use of barrel bombs and called on his allies, Russia and Iran, to apply pressure to that end. Ultimately, a negotiated political transition is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria’s humanitarian crisis. Any decision to commit UK military assets in order to prevent Assad’s use of these indiscriminate weapons would be subject to appropriate legal consideration, close consultation with allies and the endorsement of the House of Commons.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 12 September 2014 to Question 208785, how much of the £17 million budget for the NHS England Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Transformation programme for 2014-15 was spent; and on what that funding was spent.

    Alistair Burt

    The full £17 million has been spent on the NHS England and Health Education England Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) Transformation programme for 2014-15.

    The funds were spent on delivering the programme to 65 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) partnerships of National Health Service and local authority commissioners working with statutory and non-statutory providers covering 68% of the 0-19 population in England. The model of delivery for the programme is through five Learning Collaboratives made up of Higher Education Institutes and the relevant CAMHS partnerships.

    The collaboratives deliver training, peer mentoring for new partnerships and have a support and challenge role to enable services to deliver a choice of evidence based outcomes focussed interventions in collaboration with children, young people and their families.

    Partnerships also receive funds to backfill staff whilst training, outreach service development and infrastructure improvement.

    In addition, the programme funded participation by children, young people and parents at a national and local level and data capture to inform service planning.

    The direct training delivered includes:

    – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression;

    – Parenting Therapy for the treatment of conduct disorders in those aged 0-10;

    – Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents for the treatment of moderate to severe depression;

    – Systemic Family Practice for the treatment of conduct disorders in the over 10s, self-harm and depression, and eating disorders;

    – Enhanced Evidence Based Practice which teaches practitioners the basic principles of CYP IAPT;

    – All therapy courses have a course for training supervisors; and

    – Service leadership and management.

    The table below outlines the numbers of trainees that were recruited in the 14-15 academic year.

    Training Numbers from 14-15

    Course

    Number of trainees

    Therapy training

    262

    Supervisor training

    87

    Practitioner training

    178

    Service leaders

    59

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of progress by the Aerospace Technology Institute on reaching its goal of reducing fuel emissions by 20 per cent over the next 20 years.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government is working through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to promote UK growth by supporting industry to develop technologies for future aircraft.These will need to meet demanding environmental and societal requirements, and the ATI supports the targets for reducing noise and emissions set out by the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE).These targets include reductions by 2050 in fuel burn of 75%, a reduction of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions of 90% and a reduction in perceived noise of 65% based on a year 2000 baseline.

    To date, over 100 ATI projects, worth a total of over £1bn, have been approved.The majority of these are focused on technologies for more efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many step down beds are under contract to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; what the location of each such bed is; and what the average cost of each such bed was in each of the last three years.

    Ben Gummer

    This information is not collected centrally.

    We have written to Stuart Heys, Chair of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust informing him of the hon. Member’s enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.