UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2015

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that potential breaches of international humanitarian law by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen are investigated.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have raised concerns with the Saudi Government on alleged breaches of international humanitarian law and have received repeated assurances of compliance. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) discussed this with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister during his visit to Riyadh on 28 October, and most recently in Vienna on 14 November.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions work programme providers referred participants for a sanction between (a) June 2011 and November 2015 and (b) August 2015 and November 2015.

    Priti Patel

    The specific information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • 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 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in Essex 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.

  • Baroness Worthington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Worthington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Worthington on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 4 November during the Report stage of the Energy Bill [HL] (HL Deb, col 1641), what progress has been made towards establishing a Parliamentary Advisory Group on carbon capture and storage.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    We remain committed to establishing a Parliamentary Advisory Group on carbon capture and storage and met with Lord Oxburgh recently to discuss the group.

  • Stephen McPartland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Stephen McPartland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many pupils are known to be (a) victims, (b) perpetrators of domestic assaults; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of large-scale indoor dairies in the UK.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    I recognise that the issue of large-scale dairy farming has sparked considerable debate because of its perceived impact on the environment, the welfare of cows and the potential impact on small dairy farms.

    The UK’s animal welfare and environmental standards are among the highest in the world. All operational livestock farms must comply with relevant UK law, including comprehensive animal health and welfare, and environmental legislation. These apply equally to all livestock farms, regardless of scale. So long as these standards are met, the Government recognises that the UK market has a place for different production methods that will collectively enable the industry to be competitive on UK, EU and global markets.

    Increasing the size of herds does not mean reducing animal welfare. More important factors are the design and construction of the units; and the level of management and skill of the stockmen.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent animal crime in relation to the import and export of horses before the implementation of the Equine Identification Regulations.

    George Eustice

    Defra is taking a number of steps to simplify and strengthen existing rules for horses. These include implementation of new tighter EU legislation for equine identification, introduction of a new UK equine database recording horse identification information, and continuing to take an intelligence-led and risk based approach to enforcing the regulatory framework which relates to the domestic and international trade in horses.

  • Lord Norton of Louth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Norton of Louth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Norton of Louth on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which minister is the lead minister in ensuring that departments comply with section 3(6) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Section 3(6) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act is a requirement of the Civil Service Code. It is for individual Ministers and their Permanent Secretaries to account for civil servants’ compliance with the Code.

  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ratify the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

    Karen Bradley

    The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention in June 2012 and this Government remains committed to its ratification.

    The UK already complies with the vast majority of the articles through our comprehensive work to protect women and girls from violence, including criminalising forced marriage as required by the Convention. However, primary legislation will be required to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before ratification. The Government is liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including any further legislative steps necessary.

    The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and will only commit to such ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles. We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, end Female Genital Mutilation and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad.

  • Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradley on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Clinical Commissioning Groups in England have achieved real terms increases in spending on mental health services in 2015–16.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    As part of the mental health parity of esteem requirement for 2015-16, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were asked to plan for an increase in spend on mental health services at least in line with the increase in their overall funding allocation for the year, which set a higher bar than achieving a real terms increase in spending, though not all CCGs were able to achieve this target. 192 of the 209 CCGs achieved a real terms growth in mental health planned spend measured against the 1.4% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflator for 2015-16.

    The list attached shows which CCGs have achieved real terms increases in spending on mental health in 2015-16.

    The final data for CCGs’ spending on mental health in 2015-16 will be submitted to NHS England by commissioners in May 2016, and it is anticipated NHS England may be in a position to provide final spend information by around the end of the first quarter of 2016-17.

    NHS England has not yet published CCG planning guidance for 2016-17. Consideration will be given to holding commissioners to account for spending on mental health.

    CCG and NHS England mental health spending information is now routinely collected as party of NHS England’s monthly financial reporting regime. Monthly financial reports by CCGs are scrutinised and quality assessed by NHS England’s regional teams. The monthly reports also form part of the CCG assurance process. NHS England is also in the process of setting up the financial plan assurance process for 2016-17, which will incorporate the review of planned spending on mental health services for future years.