The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals her Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.
Sir Desmond Swayne
No negotiations on legislative or other legal proposals are being led by my Department for the Government in the Council of the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of violence against Dalits and minorities in India, and what discussions they have had with the government of India about that issue.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
India has a strong democratic framework, robust and independent institutions and its constitution guarantees fundamental human rights. However, it also faces numerous challenges relating to its size and social and economic development. We welcome Prime Minister Modi’s comments on 6 August when he spoke against “cow vigilantes” attacking minority groups and urged state governments in India to investigate such attacks.
The UK discusses a wide range of matters with India, including religious tolerance and minority rights, both bilaterally and through the EU. The former Prime Minister (The Right Hon. David Cameron) discussed human rights with Prime Minister Modi in November 2015. Mr Modi reaffirmed his commitment and respect for India’s core values of tolerance and freedoms; points which he also stressed in his speech in Parliament on 12 November 2015.
The British High Commission in India discusses the treatment of minorities with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with state governments across India. They are in regular contact with civil society organisations working on the protection of minority rights across India, including key issues for minorities such as freedom of religious belief.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-10-20.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the erroneous data source used by Concentrix to determine that a working tax credit claimant had an undeclared partner was provided by HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs provided cases to Concentrix where there was an indication that there may be something wrong with the tax credits claimed. Concentrix then applied their own data profiling techniques as well as data matching to identify claims that involved an increased likelihood of error or fraud. The detailed process for selecting claims for Concentrix compliance interventions is set out in sections A9 and A10 of the “specifications of requirement” annex of the Concentrix contract which can be found at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85d1b730-5e4e-4be8-ae4c-3ac1f359afc7
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of what the primary sources of finance for Daesh are; and what steps the Government is taking to disrupt those sources.
Mr Philip Hammond
Daesh has two main sources of funding. About 40% comes from extorting communities living in territory it controls; and around 40% from selling oil. It also gets a small amount of funding from selling looted antiquities and donations from individuals in the region and around the world.
Tackling Daesh financing is a key element of our comprehensive strategy. This involves military action, enforcement of sanctions and engagement with international partners.
The RAF carried out 15% of the airstrikes in the Global Coalition’s recent offensive targeting Daesh oil facilities. Since this offensive began, the Coalition has destroyed 25% of the Daesh daily oil production capability, which equates to approximately 10% of their total income.
The UK has led efforts to create and enforce an international legal regime to cut off support for Daesh, including UN and EU sanctions against Daesh. This regime is underpinned by UN Security Council Resolutions 2178, 2199, 1267 and 2253. We are expanding existing work with regional partners to ensure implementation of these sanctions and hamper Daesh’s ability to trade outside the formal financial system, and to stop smuggling.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how many occasions government departments have paid bills to small and medium-sized businesses more than 60 days after the date the invoice was received since 2010-11.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 5 February 2016 to UIN: 25347.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government has contributed to the World Health Organisation in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Jane Ellison
The Department contributes financially, on a calendar year basis, to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the form of the United Kingdom’s assessed contribution, and voluntary contributions to support areas of work such as dementia, tobacco control and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including a contribution in 2015 to support the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR. The Department’s contributions for the last three years are set out in the table below.
|
year |
Assessed contribution (£) |
Voluntary contribution (£) |
|
2013 |
19,482,012.20 |
153,957.75 |
|
2014 |
15,343,925.23 |
719,233.11 |
|
2015 |
15,129,522.23 |
3,778,937.56 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individuals completed either Art and Design GCE AS/A level or Craft, Creative Arts and Design level 3 vocational qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined in each year since 2011.
Lord Nash
As there is no formal definition of what constitutes “Craft, Creative Arts and Design”, it has not been possible to provide the information that is requested.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.
Guto Bebb
The Wales Office does not procure any dairy products.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what EU directives related to his Department’s responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.
Dominic Raab
There are currently no EU directives for which MoJ has responsibility awaiting transposition into UK law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what purpose is served by the National Citizen Service; who benefits from its provision; and what diversity data is available relating to that service.
Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
NCS was created to help build a more responsible, more cohesive, more engaged society. The government is committed to providing a place on NCS for every young person who wants one.
Social mix is at the core of National Citizen Service and all young people, regardless of background, are supported to take part in the programme.
In 2014, 17% of NCS participants were eligible for free school meals, compared with around 8% of young people of the same age in the general population.
The national picture of NCS shows that young people from disadvantaged and minority ethnic backgrounds are well represented. The latest evaluation showed that 30% of NCS participants were from Black, Mixed or Asian backgrounds compared with 19% of the general population.
The 2014 evaluation demonstrates that NCS graduates are more confident leaders and decision-makers. 7 in 10 NCS graduates felt more confident about getting a job, and more than 9 in 10 graduates felt NCS helped them develop useful skills for the future. Data from the summer 2014 programme showed that participants who were eligible for free school meals generally showed larger increases in personal resilience than others.