Tag: 2015

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the oral evidence given by Michael Spurr to the Justice Committee on 13 October 2015, HC 416, how many officials of his Department have travelled to Saudi Arabia in relation to their work with Just Solutions International; and what the cost to the public purse was of that travel.

    Andrew Selous

    I refer the hon member to the Secretary of State’s statement of 13 October 2015. One official travelled to Saudi Arabia twice, both times in 2014, at a total cost of £3,425.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times his Department received complaints that an Oyster machine is not working properly on a London bus in each of the last four years.

    Claire Perry

    I am not aware of the Department for Transport having received any such complaints.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (b) Liverpool have appealed against sanctions; what the average length of sanctions in those areas was in the last 12 months; and how many such appeals were successful.

    Priti Patel

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 11863 asked on 14 October 2015

  • David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to encourage the Premier League adequately to contribute to the financing of grassroots football.

    Tracey Crouch

    I will be continuing the discussions with the Premier League about how best to support the game. Government believesthat given the size of the League’s new TV deal, football’s grassroots should receive greater investment than ever before, and we will work in partnership to ensure that this happens.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many teachers currently work in young offender institutions; and how many of those teachers lack teaching qualifications.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested is not held centrally.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made in negotiations with the EU on addressing the level of duties imposed on cane sugar imported into Europe; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    During negotiations of the reforms the UK Government argued for a fair and balanced outcome for all parts of the sugar industry. Disappointingly, there was insufficient support from other Member States to secure the necessary changes on imports to allow the cane sector to compete on a level playing field with the beet sector. However, we remain committed to working with the European Commission to address this issue through forthcoming EU trade agreements and other measures as required.

    As part of this strategy, Defra Ministers pressed the EU Agriculture Commissioner to prioritise sugar imports as part of the recent EU negotiations with South Africa. Those negotiations have now completed and include enhanced market access for sugar imports which we expect to be available when the trade deal is signed and ratified next year. The UK also supports duty free and quota free (DFQF) imports of sugar from Least Developed Countries (LDC) through the EU’s Everything But Arms scheme and from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries which have signed Economic Partnership Agreements. Continued access to DFQF sugar from Fiji was secured last year through application of their trade deal with the EU. The UK will continue to support ACP and LDC countries to maintain their preferences into the EU market until the sector is fully liberalised.

  • Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will include in the next NHS England mandate a commitment that all foundation year doctors must undertake a rotation in psychiatry.

    Ben Gummer

    Delivering high quality, effective, compassionate care: Developing the right people with the right skills and the right values – a mandate from the Government to Health Education England: April 2015 to March 2016, asks Health Education England (HEE) to continue to work to increase the numbers of doctors in foundation training undertaking placements in psychiatry. The content of the next mandate from the Government to HEE will be determined following the Government’s Spending Review which is due to complete on 25 November 2015.

    Separately, we are due to consult on how we set the mandate to NHS England for 2016-17 prior to publication of the mandate itself. The mandate will be published following the Government’s Spending Review which is due to complete on 25 November 2015.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support refugee camps near the Syrian border in order to tackle the root causes of migration to Europe.

    Justine Greening

    DFID works to give Syrians hope and opportunities, so they will not have to risk their lives fleeing the region. The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. To date, we have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis. Beyond addressing immediate needs, the UK is working with host countries to support their long-term resilience and expand opportunities for refugees, for example through funding to Lebanese and Jordanian municipalities for the running of essential public services.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Wilson Doctrine has been consistently applied to the communications of the hon. Member for Walsall South; and whether that hon. Member has been subject to surveillance.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Government’s position on the Wilson Doctrine was set out by the Prime Minister in a written ministerial statement made on 4 November 2015.

    As the Prime Minister made clear, the Wilson Doctrine has never been an absolute bar to the targeted interception of the communications of Members of Parliament or an exemption from the legal regime governing interception. The Doctrine recognised that there could be instances where interception might be necessary.

    The Prime Minister announced that as matter of policy the PM will be consulted should there ever be a proposal to target any UK Parliamentarian’s communications under a warrant issued by a Secretary of State. This applies to Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and UK members of the European Parliament. It applies to all activity authorised by a warrant issued by a Secretary of State: any instance of targeted interception and, electronic surveillance and equipment interference, when undertaken by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is in addition to the rigorous safeguards already in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Code of Practice issued under it which set out a series of robust safeguards for any instance of interception.

    It is long standing policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny any specific activity by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence for anyone to identify an individual interception warrant or an individual interception that takes place.

  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposal to reduce the employment and support allowance work-related activity group rate on patients recovering from cancer.

    Priti Patel

    The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html