The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Grant on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how many occasions in each of the last five years officials of his Department have contacted representatives of a foreign government to ask for an account of private meetings or discussions held between representatives of that government and Scottish Government ministers.
Matthew Hancock
Details of discussions with foreign governments are not usually disclosed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which contracts awarded by the Department of Health have conditions within them relating to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and in each case, whether legal advice was taken before the issuing of that tender.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government takes its obligations as a Party to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) very seriously, including the obligation to protect public health policy from the vested interests of the tobacco industry.
The Department considers the detail of Invitation to Tender (ITT) and contract documentation, including the legal aspects, on a case by case basis. The standard documentation includes a requirement to declare actual or potential conflicts of interest and some ITTs make specific reference to FCTC obligations.
This issue is considered as part of the evaluation process and through the contract monitoring process as appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-27.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of in-work households in receipt of tax credits with an underlying entitlement to Working Tax Credit in each of the last five tax years did not have a claim with an underlying entitlement to Working Tax Credit in the following tax year.
Damian Hinds
The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve schools in rural areas.
Nick Gibb
The Government is committed to achieving educational excellence everywhere so that children in all areas of the country benefit from a high-quality education. We made substantial progress in the last Parliament, and a million more pupils are in good or outstanding schools compared to 2010. But there are still too many areas where educational standards are not high enough.
Pupils in rural areas are more likely to achieve 5 or more GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A*-C. Considering local area deprivation, however, pupils living in rural areas are less likely to achieve the same standards as pupils living in similarly deprived urban areas of the country.
We have already designated over 690 teaching schools and 1,050 national leaders of education (NLEs) in our drive to ensure that educational excellence is a reality in all areas of the country, particularly those that need most support. The new National Teaching Service (NTS) will place 1,500 outstanding teachers and middle leaders in underperforming schools by 2020, particularly in rural and other areas of the country that find it hardest to attract, retain and recruit good teachers.
Regional Schools Commissioners are ensuring the availability of strong academy sponsors for schools in all areas of the country including rural areas. The Department recently announced that five sponsors will receive funding from the Northern Fund to set up seven new hubs across three RSC regions.
We will introduce National Funding Formulas (NFF) for schools, high needs and early years so that funding is transparently and fairly matched to need rather than purely historic calculations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the amount of its own capital which BT has invested in the rural broadband rollout programme to date.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Major Projects Authority concluded in Autumn 2014 that BDUK’s open book accounting process which supports BDUK’s monitoring and control of BT’s costsisan exemplar of best practice.Most Phase 1 broadband projects are using this process. BT have incurred £230 million spend to date for these projects.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Avebury on 2015-11-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recommendation by Human Rights Watch in its report on the treatment of detainees in Bahrain, The Blood of People Who Don’t Cooperate, that the UK should suspend funding, support and training for security service reform until Bahrain enacts listed reforms and issues a standing invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs. We are aware of ongoing allegations against Ministry of Interior personnel, and we have expressed our concerns to the authorities. The Government of Bahrain has previously committed to consider ratifying the Optional Protocol of the Convention Against Torture. The UK strongly supports this and we have been working with the authorities to share best practice on torture prevention measures. We also continue to ask the Government of Bahrain to allow a visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
We welcome the progress made by Bahrain on their reform programme particularly in the areas of youth justice, the establishment and increasing effectiveness of the Ombudsman’s office, the Prisoner and Detainees’ Rights Commission and the reformed National Institute of Human Rights. We continue to work with the Government of Bahrain to ensure momentum and progress on its reforms, for the benefit of all Bahrainis.
The Government of Bahrain has asked the international community for their assistance in implementing the reforms necessary to improve the human rights situation, including in the security services. We strongly support them in their efforts and that is why we will continue to offer bilateral assistance for Bahrain’s reform programmes. In August, following a meeting with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), reiterated the UK’s support for ongoing political reform in Bahrain but encouraged His Majesty to continue to demonstrate substantive progress in all areas. Our package of technical assistance is focused on strengthening human rights and the rule of law, in line with the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and the Universal Periodic Review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fines for their child’s non-attendance at school have been levied on parents in England in each year since 2005.
Nick Gibb
The number of penalty notices issued to parents for offences relating to Section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996 in each academic year since 2004/05 is set out online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parental-responsibility-measures-academic-year-2012-to-2013.
The most recent data published by the Department for Education is for the academic year 2012/13. The department does not collect data regarding fines issued by the courts on this matter.
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on criminal justice system outcomes by offence in England and Wales. This information can be viewed at the following link under the offence category “112A Education Acts”:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Answer by Baroness Altmann on 19 November (HL Deb, col 265) promising to look at the gender pay gap for older women, whether they will also look into the gender pay gap between men and women under 35 years of age.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
We are pleased with the progress made towards eliminating the gender pay gap women working full time under the age of 40, but we are not complacent. To encourage young women to consider a wide range of career options, we have revised statutory guidance for schools on careers to raise aspirations; established a new Careers and Enterprise Company to encourage greater collaboration between employers and schools to inspire young people; supported the ‘Your Life’ campaign to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM); and published the ‘Your Daughter’s Future’ guidance for parents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on the foraging of food in natural habitats.
Rory Stewart
Species targeted for wild food foraging are generally common and widespread. These species that are deemed at risk are protected by the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Guidelines on the picking of edible fungi can be accessed at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Eng_NF_FungiCode.pdf/$file/Eng_NF_FungiCode.pdf
Any proposals for wild food foraging on sites of special scientific interest in England would require consent from Natural England.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps he has taken to prevent the loss of UK manufacturing sector jobs.
Anna Soubry
The best way the Government can support manufacturing jobs is to continue to secure a strong, growing economy. The Government continues to invest in our world leading aerospace, automotive, defence, energy and transport sectors that will secure high quality manufacturing jobs.
Around a third of the 2,000 new inward Foreign Direct Investment projects in 2014/15 were in the areas of advanced manufacturing and life sciences and I was pleased to see that UK manufacturing PMI hit its highest level in over a year in October.