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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Warner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Warner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have received from the UN or other independent sources about the number of (1) deaths of, and (2) injuries to, (a) Palestinians, and (b) Israelis, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as a result of attacks for each of the last three years; what information they have on the number of perpetrators brought to justice for such attacks in the last 12 months; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel in the past 12 months on those issues.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs website, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in 2013 there were 38 Palestinians fatalities and 3,800 injured; in 2014 there were 2,310 Palestinian fatalities and 16,626 injured; and so far from 1 January 2015 to 16 November 2015 there have been 106 Palestinian fatalities and 10,626 injured. According to the same website, there were 77 Israeli fatalities in 2014 in the OPTs; and so far from 1 January to 16 November 2015 there have been 14 Israeli fatalities in the OPTs.

    We regularly discuss these issues with the Israeli government, both our condemnation of the attacks and the need to ensure justice for victims, and for the need for the perpetrators to be arrested and brought to justice. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently discussed these issues with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 3 November 2015.

  • 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, how many and what proportion of housing benefit claims in respect of which a request for backdating was approved resulted in the payment of arrears for a period of (a) less than one month, (b) one month only, (b) between one and three months and (d) between three and six months in the most recent period for which figures are avilable.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information on the number of Housing Benefit claims that were backdated is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the taxation of travel expenses for councillors in Northern Ireland.

    Mr David Gauke

    A new exemption from tax and National Insurance Contributions for councillors’ travel expenses will take effect from 6 April 2016. This was legislated for in the Summer Finance Bill. It will apply to travel expenses paid to councillors across the UK, including those in Northern Ireland.

  • 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, in the light of the response by Lord Nash of 23 November to the 10th Report of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee on the Education and Adoption Bill, whether it is possible to amend the definition of a coasting school in primary legislation using the powers in clause 15 of that bill.

    Lord Nash

    It is not possible to amend the definition of a coasting school in primary legislation using the powers in clause 15 of the Education and Adoption Bill. Clause 15 can only be used to make transitional or savings provisions about the coming into force of the Bill, or to make provision consequential to any provision of the Bill. Neither of these grounds would apply to an amendment to the definition of a coasting school. It would not have to be done as a consequence of the Bill, as the Bill already gives a means and procedure for defining coasting.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gavin Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a pension was provided to (a) full and (b) part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment who latterly served in the Home Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.

    Mark Lancaster

    Full time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) had an automatic entitlement to become members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. Part-time members of the UDR were engaged under different terms to the full time regular members of the Regiment. These terms were similar to those of the Territorial Army and reflected that part-time engagements were often on an irregular, intermittent and short-term basis.Part-time membersof the UDR were not members of an Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

    There are no plans to review the pension entitlement for former members of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

  • Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the conditions for children visiting a parent in prison, in the light of Barnardo’s recent report Locked Out: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.

    All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.

  • Sheryll Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sheryll Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheryll Murray on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proposed measures are being introduced for the fishing of sea bass by commercial fishermen in the period from 1 July to 31 December 2016.

    George Eustice

    The European Commission has issued proposals[1] on fishing opportunities to be agreed for 2016, which includes EU bass management measures for the commercial fishing and recreational sea angling sectors consisting of a moratorium on fishing for bass in the first six months, and reduced catch limits for the latter half of the year. The UK response to these proposals is being considered in advance of negotiations at the December Fisheries Council.

    The latest available assessment of the bass stock, from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, was published in June this year before the full set of EU bass management measures for 2015 was finalised in September. Its next assessment is due in June 2016.

    [1] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:f4d9701d-87b1-11e5-b8b7-01aa75ed71a1.0011.02/DOC_1&format=PDF

    “

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

    Lord Moonie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evaluation they have carried out of the potential cost savings from centralised procurement of common generic drugs in the light of evidence from other countries using high volume contracts.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    On behalf of National Health Service secondary care establishments (hospitals) in England the Department’s Commercial Medicines Unit undertakes a long established centralised tender programme for framework agreements for generic medicines. This is in compliance with European Union procurement regulations.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many complaints about day centres for adults with learning disabilities his Department has received since the establishment of the Care Quality Commission.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department does not collect information about the number of complaints received or the number of adults with learning disabilities using day centres. Day centres are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

  • Viscount Ridley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Viscount Ridley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Ridley on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will continue to honour the commitment of the Coalition Government to publish an Annual Energy Statement, including estimated impacts of energy and climate policies on energy prices and bills, last published in November 2014.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    In November, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out her priorities for energy and climate change policy for the coming Parliament. On the same day DECC Ministers published an update which set out recent progress made across the main responsibilities of the Department. The update is available on the DECC website.