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Tag: 2015

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2015 to Question 14380, what (a) number or (b) proportion of referrals under the UNHCR VPR scheme translate into arrivals.

    Richard Harrington

    We do not have reliable statistics on this at this stage. We are quickly working our way through the referrals received from UNHCR. It is too early to say how many will become arrivals into the UK. However, we have collaborated closely with UNHCR to ensure that those referrals made in the early months of the expanded scheme are likely to be people that can be matched quickly with Local Authority places. More difficult cases might take longer to place.

    In some instances, refugees choose to withdraw from the scheme, for example, following the death of a family member, marriage or childbirth. Furthermore the Home Office also retains the right to reject individuals on security, war crimes or other grounds.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made the effectiveness and reliability of small arms equipment issued as standard across the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The effectiveness of small arms is regularly reviewed, with current performance routinely compared to other equipment used by military peers and developed by industry. The requirement for small arms to achieve defined levels of reliability is set prior to procurement and tested prior to purchase. Equipment already in service is continually reviewed, with any emerging issues investigated to resolution.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) wildlife crime investigations and (b) wildlife crime prosecutions the National Wildlife Crime Unit has been directly involved with since it was formed.

    Rory Stewart

    This information is not held centrally. The Government does however recognise the important work the National Wildlife Crime Unit does to help tackle wildlife crime, including through its work in gathering and developing wildlife crime intelligence and in providing direct specialist support for police forces throughout the UK.

  • 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 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) presentation and (b) other documentary contribution her Department has made to the World Climate Summit held in Paris alongside the UN COP21.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The important COP21 negotiations and related events did not allow time for representatives from the Department to attend the World Climate Summit event.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many of his Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments; and if he will make a statement.

    David Mundell

    The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. It is an integral part of the policy making process and is applied in the development of all new policy.

    DWP published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and my Department follows that guidance. While the guidance states that departments should consider publishing assessments carried out under the Test, there is no requirement to do so.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance the UK has provided to the government of Nigeria for (a) development of the education system in that country and (b) promotion of education aimed at countering extremist ideologies; and what support the UK provides to the government of Nigeria in monitoring what is taught in madrassas in that country.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Over the last 5 years DFID’s education programmes have supported federal, state and local government education systems as well as schools, communities and teachers to enable over 600,000 children to access better quality basic education. This support has included teacher training, activities to improve access for the most marginalised children including girls, and working with the government to improve education management and financing.

    In Nigeria, where access to education is low, ensuring that children have learning opportunities to acquire basic skills is a critical element in reducing their vulnerability to extremist ideologies. Our teacher training and school improvement approaches promote inclusion and positive values. DFID is working with Quranic schools in northern Nigeria to integrate basic education into their curriculum, including a social studies syllabus with lessons on religious diversity. DFID programmes have provided assistance to the government of Nigeria to design and implement a training programme for Imams and Islamic scholars in communication to counter radical messages. We also support state government institutions to monitor Quranic schools.

  • Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, on what grounds the decision was taken to refuse Crown consent for provisions within the Environment Bill currently passing through the Welsh Assembly.

    Stephen Crabb

    The Welsh Government has sought the consent of the Secretary of State to impose the biodiversity duty in the Environment (Wales) Bill on Ministers of the Crown. This request is the subject of ongoing discussions between the UK Government and the Welsh Government.

  • 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 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to collect information centrally on the proportion of people who received consultant-led mental health treatment within 18 weeks of referral.

    Alistair Burt

    We are implementing the first access and waiting times standards for mental health to ensure that 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme will be treated within six weeks of referral, and 95% will be treated within 18 weeks of referral and that 50% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis will be treated with a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved care package within two weeks of referral.

    NHS England already collects data on waiting times for people referred to IAPT services.

    We are working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre and NHS England to make changes to the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Dataset to start collecting data for the first time to measure, in a consistent way, access and waiting times for people referred to other mental health services. We will start collecting data first on access and waiting times for people referred for treatment following a first episode of psychosis in early 2016 and intend expanding this to other areas of mental health later.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people flowed off IB/SDA with a work capability assessment decision of fit for work since December 2011; and how many such people’s death was at the same time defined in Mortality Statistics: Employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit or severe disability allowance, published in August 2015.

    Priti Patel

    The information as requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will implement the recommendations made in the Independent Cancer Taskforce’s new Cancer Strategy.

    Jane Ellison

    The Independent Cancer Taskforce published its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes, in July this year. It identified improving support for people living with and beyond cancer, and improving long-term quality of life as high priorities.

    NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations of the Taskforce report. A cross-system Cancer Transformation Board, chaired by the new National Cancer Director, Cally Palmer, will be established to oversee implementation of the strategy, and will have its first meeting in early 2016. The Transformation Board will formulate more detailed plans for implementation of the report’s recommendations based on the final outcome of the spending review. More details will be available in early 2016.