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Tag: 2015

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what changes she has instituted to the Government’s overseas aid programme to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    To date, the UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. This includes scaling up our support for longer term stability and resilience-building work inside Syria and in neighbouring countries, alongside our humanitarian aid to meet immediate needs.

    On 23 September the Prime Minister announced that the UK will provide £14.5 million aid to countries that refugees and migrants are leaving and transiting through. The UK has offered in-kind assistance to Serbia and Slovenia, through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM).

    Through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, the UK is helping some of the most vulnerable refugees who cannot be supported effectively in the region and whose needs can only be met in countries like the UK.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the National Living Wage on wage growth in (a) Peterborough and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    The new National Living Wage is an essential part of moving to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society; it ensures that work pays, and reduces reliance on the State topping up wages through the benefits system. The Government’s target is for the National Living Wage to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020, and we have asked the Low Pay Commission to recommend the National Living Wage going forward.

    The Office for Budget Responsibility published its latest analysis of the impact on 25 November, here: http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-november-2015/

    The Government will be publishing an impact assessment for the National Living Wage in due course.

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  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what requests were made in his letter of 17 August 2015 to his Ethiopian counterpart on the detention of Andargachew Tsege.

    James Duddridge

    The Government remains deeply concerned by the continued detention of Mr Andargachew Tsege. Extensive Ministerial lobbying resulted in Mr Tsege’s transfer to a normal federal prison in July. The Prime Minister wrote to the Ethiopian Prime Minister on 17 August welcoming this move, emphasising that this should allow regular consular access, and visits by Mr Tsege’s family. The release of video footage of Mr Tsege in July 2014 and January 2015 was not raised in the letter. We continue to press the Ethiopian government for regular consular access, for improvements to Mr Tsege’s welfare and to provide a legal process through which Mr Tsege can challenge his detention, including its consistency with domestic and international law. My Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond MP), Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has raised this case on 17 separate occasions with the Ethiopians.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.66 of the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, what criteria he has for determining the minimum amount of destructive power needed to deter any aggressor.

    Michael Fallon

    The Government continually conducts assessments to ensure that the UK maintains a minimum, credible nuclear deterrent capability.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to provide support to people diagnosed with cancer in the work-related activity group of employment and support allowance who will be affected by the proposed reductions in benefits for people in that group.

    Priti Patel

    No current claimants, including those diagnosed with cancer, will be affected by the change to the work-related activity component and we have already committed to providing up £100m in new, practical support for claimants with limited capability for work to help them move closer to the labour market and, when they are ready, into work.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects to notify the European Commission of draft agreement with the People’s Republic of China and the China General Nuclear Power Group as required by Article 103 of the Euratom Treaty 1957.

    Andrea Leadsom

    In October 2015, EDF signed a Strategic Investment Agreement and Heads of Terms with China General Nuclear (CGN). This is not an agreement with the Government, so isn’t within the remit of Article 103 of the Euratom Treaty.

  • Lord Blunkett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Blunkett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blunkett on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the 50 mile per hour limit on the M1 between junctions 19 and 15 will be lifted, in the light of the fact that work there has been suspended.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Highways England reports that Junction 15 to 16: traffic management was lifted in September 2015 and Junction 16 to 19: traffic management will be lifted in stages. It will be completely removed by the end of November 2015.

  • Rebecca Pow – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Rebecca Pow – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Pow on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the contribution that fully implementing the Somerset Flood Action Plan will have on (a) road and rail transport resilience and (b) the resilience of the Hinckley Point C nuclear construction project.

    Rory Stewart

    Recent computer modelling has been carried out to assess the benefits of some of the works carried out under the Somerset Flood Action Plan. This indicates that, in a repeat of the weather seen in Winter 2013/14, closure of the A361 would be reduced to about three weeks instead of the nine to ten weeks in 2013/14, and the impact on the rail line from Bristol to Taunton across Northmoor would be reduced.

    In terms of Hinkley C site development, licensed nuclear site operators are responsible for undertaking flood risk assessments and providing and maintaining control measures to ensure their sites remain safe from faults and damage arising from flooding. In addition Local Authorities must ensure that their off-site plan for a nuclear emergency is resilient to a range of weather conditions (e.g. those leading to, or involving, flooding or heavy snow).

  • Lord Stone of Blackheath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Stone of Blackheath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stone of Blackheath on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many statutory instruments were made in the first five months of (1) the 2010–15 Parliament, and (2) this Parliament.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    For the period 18 May 2010 to 18 October 2010, 290 statutory instruments were made or laid in draft. For the period 18 May 2015 to 18 October 2015, 268 statutory instruments were made or laid in draft.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of academic health science networks on uptake of medical technology.

    George Freeman

    Speeding up the adoption of innovation into practice to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience has been one of the four core contractual objectives for Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) since their establishment in 2013.

    AHSNs have taken a range of approaches in delivering their objectives which have been selected in response to the priorities of their local populations and health economies. AHSNs are supporting over 150 active programmes and projects across a range of clinical and cross-cutting themes, many of which support the spread and adoption of innovations in their localities. In addition, AHSNs also host the Small Business Research Initiative and are facilitating the creation of Test Beds – both of which involve supporting the development and spread of healthcare technologies.

    As part of NHS England’s assurance process, AHSNs are expected to publish annual reports to update their stakeholders on their achievements against their business plans. Annual reports can be found on individual AHSN websites.

    Case studies and exemplars of how AHSNs are supporting the speed up adoption of innovation into practice can be found in the resources section of the AHSNs Network website: www.ahsnnetwork.com

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