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Tag: 2015

  • Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Minister for Finance in the Republic of Ireland; and what subjects were raised at those discussions.

    Mr David Gauke

    Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As has been the practice adopted by previous administrations it is not Government policy to normally release details of such meetings.

  • Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department differentiates between private sector landlords and housing associations in the manner in which it makes direct payments to landlords on behalf of tenants who receive universal credit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    No. DWP does not differentiate between social and private landlords in the manner in which it makes direct payments of rent to landlords on behalf of tenants who receive universal credit.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will review the Army’s rules of engagement in response to the court martial of Sergeant Blackman.

    Penny Mordaunt

    There are no plans to review the Army’s Rules of Engagement in response to the court martial of Sergeant Blackman. Rules of Engagement (ROE) are Operation not Service specific and set out the legal and policy constraints within which all UK forces must work. UK forces receive mandatory training in order to ensure that they understand the responsibilities and obligations placed on them by ROE profiles and UK and international law.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what capabilities he requires of Protector aircraft.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the written statement released by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) on 12 October 2015,titledFuture Unmanned Air Systems Capability.

    The Government has taken an early decision in the Strategic Defence and Security Review to commit to the Protector programme. The programme is currently in its assessment phase, so detailed work is continuing to confirm a contract for the airframe and associated details, including date for the capability’s entry into service and acquisition and life support cost profile, following which the Ministry of Defence will be better placed to understand the implications for the UK workforce and supply chain.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the announced reductions in feed-in tariff support will apply to existing contracts or new ones; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Any changes which we make to the feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme as a result of the FIT review, which is currently open for consultation until 23rd October, will only apply to new applicants entering the scheme after the necessary legislation to effect the changes has passed through Parliament.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to encourage a return to representative, democratic governance in Zimbabwe once Mr Mugabe ceases to hold the office of President.

    Grant Shapps

    The Government supports progress towards a peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe, where the rule of law and human rights are upheld, laying the foundations for long-term sustainable development. We frequently urge the Zimbabwean government to implement the new constitution agreed in 2013, which provides a foundation for improved governance and human rights, and to make necessary reforms to the electoral system to resolve the shortcomings identified by Southern African Development Community and the African Union observer mission during the 2013 elections. The UK also continues to support democracy by working with civil society organisations, human rights defenders and other stakeholders.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress was made during the recent visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel on negotiations on the UK’s relationship with the EU.

    Mr David Lidington

    We are not able to give a running commentary on the discussions. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) is focussed on success. He believes he can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. I welcome Chancellor Merkel’s statement to the Bundestag on 15 October that “it goes without saying that we will work constructively with the British government” on this question, and that she was “convinced that we will be able to find an acceptable compromise”.

  • 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 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the implementation of waiting time standards for eating disorder services in April 2016.

    Alistair Burt

    On 3 August 2015, NHS England and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health published a commissioning guide for clinical commissioning groups that will set out how to prepare for the access and waiting time standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder ready for implementation of the standard. The standard is that children and young people with eating disorders should be seen within four weeks or one week in urgent cases.

    From January 2016, compliance with this standard will be monitored via the Health and Social Care Information Centre website based on the data collected through the Mental Health Services Data Set. This will provide a baseline for planning and implementation from 2017-2018, when the standard will come into force. From 2016, the data will be used to measure progress with a view to 95% of young people meeting the standard by 2020.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what strategy his Department has for ensuring that as many people as possible who wish to die at home are able to do so.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department commissioned a Review of Choice in End of life Care in 2014 which considered the choices most important to people approaching the end of life, including on where to receive care and die. The Review published its report earlier this year setting out a vision for enabling greater choice. The Department is working with NHS England on how best to achieve this vision and will be setting out its response to the Review later this year.

  • Mark Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Field on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to mark Anti-Slavery Day 2015; what steps she is taking to increase awareness of the growth of modern day slavery; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    Increasing awareness of modern slavery is vital. As part of a wider programme of events being run by Non-Governmental Organisations, the Home Secretary attended the Human Trafficking Foundation’s Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards on 15 October, where she presented awards to recognise awareness-raising work by the media and voluntary sector. The Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation on the same day attended an awareness-raising event at a London school.

    This month we will commence Modern Slavery Act provisions to strengthen protections and support for victims. This includes a presumption about age provision to ensure that potential child victims receive specialist support without delay; updated guidance on identifying and supporting victims; and protections for Overseas Domestic Workers who are identified as victims of modern slavery. Subject to Parliamentary approval of the relevant regulations, we also intend to implement the new transparency in supply chains duty for major businesses to disclose what steps they have taken to ensure that their business and supply chains are slavery-free and to publish guidance to help business comply. On 1 November we will bring into effect a statutory duty for specified public bodies to notify the Home Office of any victims of modern slavery that they encounter, which will help to shine a light on this hidden crime. The Government will also publish its annual report on the scale and nature of modern slavery and the UK’s response to it, and the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s first ever strategic plan will be laid before Parliament.