The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish his Department’s negotiating priorities for a free trade deal with the EU.
Mr Robin Walker
We are about to begin these negotiations and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions in advance. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the income that Arts Council of England will receive from National Lottery funding in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.
Mr Edward Vaizey
As Good Cause income is dependent on sales, we can not provide precise figures for future forecasts; figures are a guide to likely overall income if sales remain at levels at the time of the review. However, Arts Council England’s annual share of income to the National Lottery Distribution Fund is estimated to be £255 million for each year from 2016/17 to 2019/20.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he expects all final decisions on his Department’s estate relating to the implementation of the BIS 2020 strategy to be concluded.
Joseph Johnson
The intention to close the BIS Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place is based on our strategy to simplify our delivery and focus expertise in specific areas over five years to 2020. Therefore, our policy function needs to be in one place, close to Ministers, and the Department made a decision to locate all our policy functions in the HQ in London. Other decisions around our estates will be taken in due course and will, of course, be subject to consultation. We therefore cannot give an estimate of when all decisions on the Department’s estate will be concluded.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-03-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding will be available to firms which are too small to pay the Apprenticeship Levy when it is introduced in 2017 to enable them to continue to offer, or begin to offer, apprenticeships, and how much those firms will have to contribute themselves.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Employers with a pay bill of less than £3 million will not have to pay the levy. This is more than 98% of all employers. These employers will continue to have access to government funding to support apprenticeships. We will provide further details on the support available later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests have been made by police forces for mutual aid in each year since 2010.
Mike Penning
The deployment of officers by police forces in England and Wales under mutual aid arrangements is an operational matter for those forces.
The Home Office does not routinely collect the requested information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made, bilaterally and multilaterally, to the government of Ethiopia about the case of Bekel Gerba, deputy chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress, and 21 others, recently charged under the counter-terrorism law.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We remain deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors. We have repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian government, including Prime Minister Desalegn, over the situation in that region. We also have concerns about those detained under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, including members of the opposition groups, journalists, peaceful protesters, and others seeking to express their rights to freedom of assembly or expression. We are developing a coordinated response in concert with international partners to consider how best to raise our concerns with the Government of Ethiopia on the continued detention of opposition leaders like Bekele Gerba.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-07-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent violence in Juba on the security situation in South Sudan; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are deeply concerned by the deterioration in the security situation in South Sudan. We condemn the fighting in Juba between government and opposition forces. These actions are entirely unacceptable. It is now vitally important that President Kiir and First Vice President Machar ensure their troops respect the recent ceasefire statements and avoid any further acts of violence. The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) made statements on 9, 11 and 14 July calling for an immediate end to all violence and protection for all South Sudanese civilians.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when he next plans to meet his US counterpart to discuss Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership proposals.
Greg Hands
The UK continues to support an ambitious Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement between the EU and US. As such, Department for International Trade ministers and officials meet with US counterparts on an on-going basis to discuss matters relating to TTIP.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) permanent staff, (b) temporary staff and (c) contractors are employed at the Atomic Weapons Establishment; and how many such staff he expects to be employed at that Establishment in each of the next three years.
Michael Fallon
There are 4,920 permanent staff and 890 contractors employed at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). These figures represent full time equivalent staff, rounded to the nearest ten.
Contractors working at AWE but employed by sub-contractor companies are not included as this information is not held centrally.
Over the next three years, staffing levels will depend on programme demand.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons he has decided to withdraw funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Boles
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills’ (UKCES) work over the last parliament has helped in setting the skills agenda for the future; and their activities have created the conditions to move to the next phase of more devolution, greater employer ownership and the apprenticeship levy. We have, however, concluded that we need new structures to move onto that next phase and have announced the establishment in England of a new Institute for Apprenticeships.
In light of this, a decision was taken as part of the spending review by Whitehall Departments to withdraw funding from UKCES during 2016-17 in the context of the need to make savings in non-participation budgets to allow the core adult skills participation budgets to be protected in cash terms.