Tag: 2015

  • Jake Berry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jake Berry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for Contact Orders submitted by people to see their grandchildren were granted in each of the last three years.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Under the Children Act 1989 the court may make a child arrangements order to determine with whom a child is to live or spend time. Prior to 22nd April 2014 such orders were called contact and residence orders. The Department collates figures on the numbers of applications made by grandparents for child arrangements orders and the figures for such applications since 2010 are shown below.

    Number of child arrangement (contact) order applications made by grandparents in England and Wales

    Year

    Applications by grandparents

    2011

    2403

    2012

    2574

    2013

    2755

    2014

    1624

    2015 – 3 quarters only

    1335

    Unlike parents, grandparents and other family members can only make an application for a child arrangements orders with the permission of the court. The requirement to apply for the court’s permission is not designed to be an obstacle to grandparents, or other close relatives, but to act as a filter to sift out those applications that are clearly not in the child’s best interests. Experience suggests that grandparents (or other interested relatives) would not usually experience difficulty in obtaining permission where their application is motivated by a genuine concern for the child.

    The Department does not collate figures on applications for a child arrangements order where the court’s permission has been sought. This information could only be obtained by manually checking each case file at disproportionate cost. Similarly, the Department does not collate figures centrally on family members named in a child arrangements order. Details of the numbers of child arrangements orders issued specifically for grandparents to see their grandchildren could only be obtained by checking each file at disproportionate cost.

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

    Lord Oates – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure equality of treatment for mental and physical illness.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have put into legislation through the Health and Social Care Act 2012 that mental health should have equal priority to physical health. We have also committed NHS England through the NHS Mandate to achieve parity of esteem between mental and physical health.

    We are implementing the first waiting times targets for mental health services to ensure more people have timely access to care in the same way they do for treatment for physical health. We have also increased access to talking therapies through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 19589, what the budget for the BIS Automotive sector team has been in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The administrative budget associated with the BIS Automotive sector team for the last five financial years is illustrated below.

    Financial Year

    Administrative Cost

    11/12

    £1,393,614*^

    12/13

    £1,187,636^

    13/14

    £1,207,986^

    14/15

    £1,256,570^

    15/16

    £1,219,550^

    *Includes funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Showcasing team who came under the same administrative budget for these years.

    ^ Includes one FTE on loan to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the governments of British Overseas Territories with financial centres on central registers of beneficial ownership.

    James Duddridge

    I discussed central registers of beneficial ownership with the Premiers of the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda on 23 November and will have a further opportunity to do so when they are in London next week for the Joint Ministerial Council.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many women affected by state pension age equalisation live in Northern Ireland.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The issue raised is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to improve the environment as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

    James Wharton

    The Northern Powerhouse is about bringing together northern cities and regions to maximise the potential of the North and help drive UK economic growth.

    We will do this by investing in science and technology, transport, digital and innovation, culture and tourism across the region, alongside devolving power to give the North a powerful new voice, investment and decision-making powers to meet these ambitions. Improving the environment could be a consideration in how we take forward these investments and activities.

  • Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish in their list of academies the trust identification number for each academy and that trust’s Companies House registration number.

    Lord Nash

    Information on current open academies and their trust name is published on Edubase online. The trust name can be used to search for the trust’s Companies House registration number on the Companies House website.

    The Department has no plan to publish in its list of open academies the trust identification number for each academy and the trust’s Companies House registration number. The Department regularly publishes a variety of information.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on declassifying and transferring historical files relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote to the National Archive under the 30-year rule.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) policy for the capture, management and final disposal, including transfer to The National Archives, of the MOD’s records is detailed in Joint Service Publication 441-Defence Records Management Policy and Procedures. A copy of JSP 441 has been placed in the Library of the House. JSP 441 can also be found on the Gov.uk website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-441-defence-records-management-policy-and-procedures–2

    All files relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote are assessed by the MOD and The National Archives officials for sensitivity and historic value. Those files deemed worthy of permanent preservation will be selected for transfer to The National Archives.

  • 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 testing for bovine tuberculosis has been conducted on badgers that were killed as part of the cull to eradicate bovine tuberculosis.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Badgers culled under licence in Somerset and Gloucestershire in 2013 – 2015 and Dorset this year were not routinely tested for tuberculosis (TB), since this research had already been carried out under the Randomised Badger Cull Trial (RBCT).

    However, testing of badgers between 1998 and 2005 via the RBCT and Road Traffic Accident surveys provided evidence of the typical prevalence of TB in badgers in areas of high incidence of TB in cattle. TB was found in around one third of all badgers in these areas.

  • 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, how many horses were exported for slaughter in each of the last 10 financial years.

    George Eustice

    Horses or ponies exported to another EU member state must be accompanied by a health certificate which specifies whether they are intended for breeding and production or slaughter.

    Records for exports from Great Britain are only available from 2013. The Animal and Plant Health Agency have no record of any export health certificates where the intended purpose has been declared to be for slaughter.

    There is no information available for the intended use of horses exported to countries outside of the EU.