Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisation is responsible for collecting air pollution data generated by monitoring in and around Heathrow airport.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Air quality monitoring data collected in and around Heathrow Airport is presented on the Heathrow AirWatch website which is funded via a joint working partnership consisting of Heathrow Airport Ltd, London Boroughs of Hillingdon and Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne Borough Councils and British Airways. It is managed by the consultant Ricardo Energy and Environment.

    Two local monitoring sites are included in the Government’s national monitoring network (the Automatic Urban and Rural Network). All national air quality monitoring data is available on the Government’s UK-Air website.

    The two monitoring sites are London Hillingdon which is located in a suburban residential area approximately 30 metres from the M4 motorway and London Harlington which is located close to a minor road to the east of Harlington village.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the UK’s commitment is to NATO’s Standing Naval Forces for 2016-17.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    We have increased our commitment to NATO’s Standing Naval Forces this year.

    HMS IRON DUKE (a Type 23 frigate) is deployed on a six month assignment with the Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1, the Task Group focussed towards the North Atlantic and Baltic. A Type 45 destroyer will join this Group for a further two months later in the year. Since March, we have also provided a Royal Fleet Auxiliary unit to SNMG2 to support the NATO monitoring and surveillance task in the Aegean.

    The Royal Navy (RN) will maintain a continuous presence in the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group (SNMCMG) 1, the mine clearance vessels which operate in the North Atlantic and Baltic, with a minehunter assigned throughout. This deployment is conducted by three minehunters in rotation for four months each: currently, HMS PEMBROKE is on task.

    In addition, this year the RN is providing the Commander UK Maritime Forces as the NATO Response Force 2 star Maritime Component Commander, with his flagship HMS OCEAN. The RN also contributes personnel to the multinational staffs of the Standing Naval Forces on a rotational basis.

    In 2017 the RN will assume command of two of the Standing Groups; providing the Commander and flagship for both SNMG2 and SNMCMG2 prioritised to the Mediterranean. The Command rotation will commence in July 2017 and run until June 2018. Additionally, the RN plans to provide a minehunter to SNMCMG1 throughout 2017, thereby providing UK presence in three of the four NATO Task Groups at some point during the year.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of staff at the Army Foundation College Harrogate who have direct contact with children have yet to be cleared by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

    Mark Lancaster

    There are currently 393 permanent members of staff that have direct contact with Junior Soldiers (U18s) at the Army Foundation College Harrogate. All 393 staff have been cleared by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the implications of Circle Holding plc being awarded the contract to provide musculoskeletal services in Greenwich for other services provided by Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The procurement of local health services by means of competitive tendering is a matter for the local National Health Service.

    However, we are advised that NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group does not envisage that the recent award to Circle Health of the contract to provide musculoskeletal services will have any implications for other services provided by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any of the contractors undertaking construction or management of the building works on High Speed 2 will be subject to public Freedom of Information requests.

    Andrew Jones

    Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (2000) if a contractor or another party holds information on behalf of the public authority then it is considered to be held by the public authority and therefore subject to the FOIA.

    HS2 Ltd have a clause in all of their contracts which states that information that contractors hold as part of the HS2 contract is subject to the FOIA.

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Question 19268, what financial penalties and other mechanisms are available to ensure that all private rented sector landlords improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E from April 2018.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The requirement on private rented sector landlords to improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E from April 2018, subject to certain exemptions, will be enforced by individual local authorities. The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 empower local authorities to enforce the provisions, including the power to impose compliance and penalty notices. Authorities will be able fine landlords up to £5,000 per property if they fail to comply with a compliance notice relating to a breach.

    Landlords who qualify for an exemption to meeting the minimum standard will be required to provide details to a centrally held register. Exemptions will be valid for a period of five years, after which time the landlord will once again need to try to improve the energy efficiency rating of the property. The register will be accessible to Local Authorities (and the general public) and will be audited by Local Authorities or DECC.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Bahraini authorities on the planned execution of Mohammad Ramadan and Hussain Moosa.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Bahrain has had a de facto moratorium in place on the use of the death penalty since 2010, although we are concerned a number of individuals have received the death penalty sentence since then. The UK opposes the death penalty around the world because we believe it undermines human dignity, there is no evidence that it works as a deterrent and any error made in its application is irreversible. We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised human rights with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa at their last meeting on 4 February.

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to ensure that there is equality of educational achievement between girls and boys in schools.

    Nick Gibb

    Evidence shows that girls outperform boys on average at the end of primary and secondary school. The attainment of boys has been improving in primary school: in 2015, 77% of boys achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2, compared to 71% in 2012. Nonetheless, more remains to be done to raise levels of achievement amongst boys at all key stages.

    While girls have higher attainment, they are still less likely than boys to pursue further study beyond the end of secondary school in subjects such as mathematics and physics – although the number of girls entered for A levels in these particular subjects has risen by 13 percent and 16 percent respectively since 2010.

    In addressing these issues, we have placed high expectations at the heart of our school system through our new curriculum and reformed exams – and our new accountability system will reward those schools that encourage every child, boys and girls alike, to achieve their best. We are committed to delivering educational excellence everywhere so that every child, regardless of gender or background, can reach their potential.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the number of jobs supported by the Scotch whisky industry.

    George Eustice

    The Scotch whisky industry estimates that 10,800 people are directly employed in the industry in Scotland and the sector supports more than 40,000 jobs in total across the UK.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.12 of her Department’s White Paper, Educational excellence everywhere, published in March 2016; how she plans to reform the National College of Teaching and Leadership so that it can ensure the national and regional supply of teachers.

    Nick Gibb

    All executive agencies are required to undertake a review every three years. The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) Triennial Review is being led by Roger Pope, Chair of NCTL.

    We expect to confirm the results of that review later this year.