Tag: 2016

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they and the EU will place targeted human rights sanctions on individuals suspected of crimes against humanity in North Korea.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain deeply concerned by the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Without security and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the denuclearisation of the DPRK we are unlikely to see genuine improvements in the human rights situation within that country. This is why the British Government’s priorities of an improved human rights situation and denuclearised DPRK are pursued in parallel. Following the nuclear test of 6 January, we are working closely with other members of the UN Security Council on a robust, and united, international response to the DPRK’s latest violation of existing UN Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. These negotiations are on-going and we expect any new resolution to contain further measures that send a clear signal that DPRK’s actions will no longer be tolerated. We will continue to consider a range of available options, whenever we discuss DPRK with international partners.

    We will continue to deliver the same strong messages on human rights directly to the regime through our Embassy in Pyongyang and in the UK where, most recently, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), told the DPRK Ambassador on 7 January, that DPRK resources would be better directed toward improving the lives of its citizens rather than recklessly pursuing its development of nuclear weapons. We also work multilaterally on human rights, through the EU and the UN, where we support the annual UN Third Committee resolution on DPRK Human Rights.

  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made in giving access to download speeds of at least 2mbps to residents of (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) the South East.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Nearly 90% of homes and businesses in the UK currently have access to superfast broadband – and we are on target for this to reach 95% by the end of 2017. All premises which cannot currently get 2Mbps will be able take advantage of a subsidised satellite broadband service which can deliver speeds of 10Mbps or more.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the walk to school programme on (a) children’s health and (b) reducing traffic congestion.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Walk to School programme funded by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund achieved significant modal shift: in primary schools the number of pupils walking all or part of the way to school increased by 23% and the number being driven all the way decreased by 30%. In secondary schools the number of pupils walking increased by 12%. These new walking journeys, many of which were converted from car, resulted in considerable transport and health benefits.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what the annual catering bill is for the House of Commons.

    Tom Brake

    Income from sales by catering services for the financial year 2014/15 was £9.4 million against costs of £11.8 million, which represents a net total cost for the annual catering bill for the House of Commons of £2.4 million. Figures for 2015/16 will be published in July 2016.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question 24317, when HM Revenue and Customs plans to publish its Business Plan for 2016-17.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs published its Single Departmental Plan 2015 to 2020 on 19th February 2016, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-single-departmental-plan-2015-to-2020

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has provided to projects operating in the Dadaab refugee camp since 1 January 2010.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Between Jan 2010 and March 2016, the UK has contributed £56,525,096 to support refugees in in Dadaab.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many murders have been committed by people in receipt of psychiatric treatment or deemed by a court at the time of trial to require psychiatric treatment for a clinical illness in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The available information for England and Wales from the Home Office Homicide Index is shown in the attached table and shows the numbers of homicide offences where the court decides that, acting on medical evidence, the suspect should be the subject of a hospital order.

    The data does not specifically identify those suspects requiring psychiatric treatment for a clinical illness.

    Data is based on the number of offenders whose court proceedings have been completed. Due to the time it can take for cases to pass through the criminal justice system, there is likely to be an increase in the number of people convicted of homicide and given a hospital order for recent years when updated figures are published in 2017.

    In addition, the National Confidential Inquiry, based at Manchester University, publishes an annual report on suicide and homicide of people with mental illness, using information from the Homicide Index and Hospital Trust records. The most recent report is available at:

    http://research.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/cmhs/research/centreforsuicideprevention/nci/reports/

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether powers not specifically reserved under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 will automatically revert to the competence of the Scottish Parliament after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Jones

    The implications of the Repeal Bill for devolved statute will require consultation and discussion with all the Devolved Administrations. The Prime Minister made the the offer today of a new official forum, to be chaired by Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, to the leaders of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments to allow them to help shape the UK’s EU exit strategy.

  • Lord Glenarthur – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Glenarthur – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Glenarthur on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made with the Scottish Government of the level of performance of the Serco Group franchised Caledonian Sleeper; and what plans they and the Scottish Government have to ensure that the current aged rolling stock operated by the Caledonian Sleeper remains viable, safe and with adequate provision for passenger amenities.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Responsibility for the Caledonian Sleeper service is devolved to the Scottish Government.

    At Autumn Statement 2011 the government committed to invest £50m in the Caledonian Sleeper service, conditional on co-funding from the Scottish Government, to support this valuable cross-border service. This funding was transferred as part of the 2012 Supplementary Estimates round.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role the child protection task force has in preventing harm to children.

    Edward Timpson

    At the heart of the government’s agenda for all children is how to safeguard and protect children from harm. An important part of this is the work of the cross-government Ministerial taskforce on Child Protection.

    The Child Protection Implementation Taskforce is taking a comprehensive approach to child protection through looking at the children social care system as a whole. Every stage of the child’s journey in the care system is important to safeguard and protect children. The Taskforce has looked at how we get the best people to deliver the right outcomes for allchildren– in particular through social work reform and improving leadership; through improving systems and practice – building a better performing, more innovative social care sector; and through accountability and governance, looking at how arrangements locally and nationally help to drive a strong and improving system. It is monitoring implementation and driving forward improvements and reform.

    The Department for Education published a paper in January 2016 – ‘Children’s social care reform: a vision for change’ – which outlines the areas of reform the Taskforce has been looking at. This can be found on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-social-care-reform-a-vision-for-change

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