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Tag: 2015

  • Baroness Uddin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Uddin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to Transport for London about ensuring that its staff are trained to deal with racial abuse, harassment and Islamophobia.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Government Ministers have regular meetings with the Mayor and Transport for London to discuss a variety of topics, with transport decision making in London being the primary responsibility of the Mayor, including making provision for ensuring the safety of passengers and staff.

    The Government has also recently assured that all police forces will be specifically recording anti-Muslim hatred as a specific hate crime and this will be adopted into all thinking.

    Our new Counter Extremism Strategy is also focused on dealing with all forms of hate crime and bigotry.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how long the process of undertaking a post-16 area-based review will take in each area for which they are planned or already underway.

    Nick Boles

    Yes. The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit supporting the area reviews will advise Hon. Membersas a matter of course when reviews are due to be undertaken in any part of their constituency.

    Area reviews should take place as quickly as possible, the typical timescale being 3-4 months but this could vary depending on the number of colleges and complexity of the local issues involved.

    The reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Their purpose is not to secure savings to Government. However, early evidence from the pilot reviews indicates that there is potential for the reviews to secure efficiency savings.

    All applications to open a free school, academy, school sixth form or university technical college will be assessed on a case by case basis against the published criteria and taking account of local needs and circumstances.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on consumers of the practice of insurers in not giving details of no claims bonuses to customers in their renewal notice; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government.

    The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to make any further changes to the definition of defence expenditure in calculating the proportion of GDP spent on defence in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

    Michael Fallon

    The NATO definition of defence expenditure is outlined in NATO guidance. NATO determines when changes to that guidance are required.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the report by the (a) Nuclear Propulsion Integrated Project Team and (b) Frazer Nash on plans to extend the time limit of restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies to nuclear powered submarines from 20 minutes up to a maximum of three hours.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews nuclear related processes and procedures with industry partners and with regulators, which includes independent safety scrutiny. Safety remains our priority.

    I cannot comment on specific timescales for the restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies to nuclear powered submarines nor reports produced in connection with this, as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many former members of each branch of the armed forces are in receipt of (a) child and (b) working tax credits.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandatory regulation to stimulate volumes of installations of heat pumps.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC keeps under review all policies which might be needed to meet future carbon budgets in line with the requirements of the Climate Change Act, in its consideration of the advice from the Committee on Climate Change.

    Reducing carbon emissions will require improved energy efficiency measures and changes to heating systems in buildings. The Government is committed to considering both together through a stable long-term framework which explores the potential role of regulation.

  • Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of developments in the human rights situation in China since March 2015.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China and report on it regularly through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. The latest update was published on 15 July and outlines a range of developments from January to June this year.

    Whilst we recognise the improvements China has made to social and economic rights, we continue to have concerns about a range of restrictions to civil and political rights. The operating space for civil society groups is shrinking, and over 200 lawyers have been detained or questioned since July. We regularly raise our concerns with China, both through the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue and through bilateral meetings, and will continue to do so. We also work through international fora, such as the UN Human Rights Council, to highlight our concerns.

  • Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Grant on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries in the Middle East and North Africa her Department has assessed as able to provide safe refuge and access to essential services to refugees from Syria; and what estimate she has made of how many such refugees each of those countries could accommodate.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The countries in the Middle East assessed as able to provide safety and access to essential services are those where we currently support the host Governments to provide refuge: Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. The UK is also monitoring the treatment of Syrian refugees who have arrived in small numbers in Egypt and other part of North Africa.

    The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. Of this, we have allocated £559 million to support refugees in the region, including £304 million in Lebanon, £193 million in Jordan and the remainder across the region.

  • Gerald Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gerald Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Howarth on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans for his Department’s Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund to be used to support efforts to reduce still births and neonatal deaths in multiple pregnancies.

    Ben Gummer

    There are no specific plans for the Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development (IESD) fund to support efforts to reduce still births and neonatal deaths in multiple pregnancies. The IESD fund provides for funding for voluntary sector projects that are able to demonstrate a clear focus on supporting and driving forward new ideas, excellence or the undertaking of strategic developments in voluntary sector capacity and capability in health and care.

    The fund does not have a particular focus on reducing still births and neonatal deaths in multiple pregnancies, but aims to support projects with the potential to have national significance in any area of health and care, particularly where statutory services can be complemented and high quality health and care outcomes achieved.