Tag: 2016

Stephen Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Twigg on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of the de-listing of the Saudi-led coalition in the UN Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict, published in April 2016, on civilian protection and the wider humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Sir Desmond Swayne

We are aware of the UN Secretary General’s annual report on Children in Armed Conflict, which includes a section outlining the impact of the conflict in Yemen on children. It is important that all sides to the conflict conduct investigations into incidents of concern. To that end, we welcome the announcement by the UN Secretary General on 6 June that the United Nations and the Saudi-led Coalition will review jointly the cases and numbers cited in the text. In parallel, we continue to urge all parties to the conflict to take all reasonable steps to ensure civilians, particularly women and children, are protected in Yemen, and to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.

January 1, 2023
Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders in each offence category were released on post-conviction bail by Crown Courts in each of the last three years; and (a) how many and (b) in what proportion of such cases the offender received a custodial sentence.

Mr Sam Gyimah

Robust and reliable information on post-conviction remand status of offenders convicted at the Crown Court is not centrally held, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

January 1, 2023
Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on how many people attended the Hospitality Guild’s centres of excellence in Asian cookery in each of the last three years; and how many such people successfully completed that training.

Nick Boles

The ‘Centres of Excellence in Asian Cookery’ pilots were organised by People 1^st, which was operating on behalf of the Hospitality Guild, which received funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) through their grant with BIS. People 1^streported that during the period of the pilot (October 2011 to September 2013), 79 people started training at the Centres of Excellence for Asian and Oriental cuisine, out of which 46 completed the pre-employment course, 22 completed work experience and 7 moved onto an apprenticeship.

£205,961 was provided to fund the Asian Cookery campaign. In total, UKCES allocated £1,745,785 to create the Hospitality Guild and to promote skills training, apprenticeships and innovation in the hospitality industry through a range of measures. These included apprenticeships as chefs, baristas, bar staff and hotel management, training provider accreditation, work placements and launching the Hospitality Guild Portal where careers tools, an employer guide and a vacancy matching service can be accessed.

January 1, 2023
Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral contribution of 3 February 2016, Official Report, column 939, what the source is of the statistics he quoted.

Mr David Cameron

The figures were taken from analysis carried out by DWP and HMRC on benefit and Tax Credit claims by recently arrived EEA migrants.

January 1, 2023
David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has consulted teachers’ unions on implementation of the new assessments at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Nick Gibb

Throughout the introduction of our important reforms to primary assessment, we have worked closely with teachers, head teachers and their union representatives.

In addition to regular discussion between teacher unions and officials, we launched two public consultations ahead of the changes: one on primary assessment and accountability from July to October 2013 and another on teacher assessment arrangements from October to December 2014. We received a large volume of diverse feedback, including from teachers unions, and this was given proper consideration in developing the new arrangements.

We continue to listen to the concerns of the profession as the details of the new arrangements are finalised. On 9 February, I met Russell Hobby, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, to discuss teacher assessment arrangements. I subsequently wrote to Mr Hobby to summarise our discussion and address some of his concerns; that letter was published on 19 February and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-assessments-letter-from-nick-gibb-to-the-naht. I am also due to meet representatives from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the National Union of Teachers in the coming weeks.

“

January 1, 2023
Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on delivering reforms agreed at the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014.

Mr Julian Brazier

Good progress is being made towards delivery of the commitments made at the Wales Summit. The UK is taking a leading role in the implementation of the Readiness Action Plan with delivery of a capable and effective UK-led Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Land) Brigade in 2017 well on track. The Defence Investment Pledge to spend 2% of GDP on Defence, and 20% of that on equipment, has been met by the UK and some others. Enhanced partnership cooperation across many of NATO’s partnership frameworks and the Defence Capacity Building Initiative is steadily progressing. These commitments will be reviewed at the NATO summit in Warsaw in July, as part of NATO’s move to being "adaptable by design".

January 1, 2023
Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 32812, whether the figures provided for sums to be spent annually and in total are additional to each other; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel

The 2015 Spending Review agreed funding rising to £130m per year for the Work and Health Programme, focussing support for people with a disability or health condition and the long term unemployed (over 24 months). This figure is separate and in addition to the Prime Minister’s announced plans to provide further support and funding for people with mental health issues to retain or regain employment.

January 1, 2023
Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated for Network Rail to produce a feasibility study on the Brighton Mainline Upgrade; and whether he plans for that funding to continue up to 2020.

Claire Perry

Network Rail has authorised £8m from its current financial settlement to develop proposals for the upgrade of the Brighton Main Line. The Government will subsequently consider what, if any, additional funding is required, based on its emerging priorities for improvements to the national network.

This feasibility study is additional to the improvements that will already be delivered in the years up to 2020 by the massive Thameslink programme which will provide substantial additional capacity and improved frequencies together with 1,140 new carriages serving destinations including Brighton.

January 1, 2023
Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve access to public transport for disabled people.

Andrew Jones

The Government recognises how important improving access to public transport is for disabled people and is committed to making transport more inclusive.

Since its launch in 2006, the £390m Access for All rail programme (which was further extended with £160m in 2014) has delivered accessible routes at over 150 stations. There are also 68 further projects at various stages of construction or development.

We also recognise that positive interactions with bus drivers can make a big difference to disabled people’s experience of taking the bus. We are working with the bus industry and disabled people to design best practice guidance in delivering disability awareness training which, we hope, will help to give bus drivers the skills and knowledge to assist every disabled passenger.

In addition, the Bus Services Bill will specifically allow enhanced partnership schemes to require all buses within a local area to provide audible and visual next stop information. Authorities using the new franchising powers will be able to place similar requirements on affected operators. The Government has also agreed to consider amendments on this issue which were tabled during the Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords.

The Government intends to publish an Accessibility Action Plan by the end of the year which will present its ambition for further progress on this important agenda.

January 1, 2023
Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-01-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of HM Revenue and Customs staff in Scotland are deemed to be within reasonable daily travel distance of the two proposed regional centres; and on what assumptions those estimates were based.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Location Programme is the result of an extended period of consultation and deliberation. The Department has taken account of a number of criteria in reaching its decisions, including the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, the cost of buildings and asset value, and the need to retain the staff and skills it needs to continue its transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.

HMRC’s modelling estimates that the majority of staff in Scotland live within Reasonable Daily Travel of Glasgow or Edinburgh. Reasonable Daily Travel is calculated in line with established HR policies and procedures. Every worker at HMRC will have a one-to-one meeting with their manager to discuss their individual circumstances.

HMRC conducted high level People Impact and Equality Assessments to inform its planning. The Department plans to update these once discussions have been held with its staff.

Activities of trade union representatives are governed by long-standing agreements with departments.

January 1, 2023