Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Falkner of Margravine – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Falkner of Margravine – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Falkner of Margravine on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the editorial independence of the BBC Chinese Service of its potential relocation to Hong Kong.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have made no assessment regarding the operational decision to move some Chinese Language Service posts to Hong Kong. The BBC has advised that BBC Chinese Language staff are already able to report from Hong Kong independently and without interference from authorities. The BBC believes this will continue in Hong Kong which hosts regional headquarters and offices for more than a hundred leading international media organisations.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 13 June (HL424), whether another country’s failure to recognise dual citizenship impedes the UK from offering consular assistance to an individual whose fundamental rights are being violated.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Dual citizenship is allowed in the UK and we respect the rights of Britons who choose to have dual nationality in the UK or overseas. However we acknowledge that many countries do not accept dual nationality, or allow it in the same way as the UK.

    The consular assistance we offer to dual British nationals overseas depends on where they are and their circumstances.

    We do not normally offer support to dual nationals who are in the country of their other nationality, however we consider each case on the circumstances and we may make exceptions if there are special humanitarian reasons to do so.

    In countries where dual nationality is not recognised we offer assistance and lobby for consular access, but the other country has the right to refuse to grant such access.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate the Government has made of the (a) amount and (b) proportion that net revenue expenditure by local authorities will increase in England in (i) 2017-18, (ii) 2018-19 and (iii) 2019-20.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Government does not estimate local authority net revenue expenditure. Local authorities estimate how they intend to spend their money for the next financial year and submit this information in Revenue Account (RA) budget returns. The returns from all 443 local authorities in England are compiled by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Revenue Outturn statistics published by DCLG at the end of the financial year show how local authorities actually allocate their expenditure. The latest information on the amount of net revenue expenditure estimated by local authorities in England is for 2016/17. It is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/532932/RA_Budget_2016-17_Statistical_Release.pdf

    Local authority core spending power provides an estimate of the amount of funding available to local authorities. Local authority core spending power figures setting out indicative figures for the potential income from core components for 2016/17-2019/20 are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2016-to-2017

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to introduce national prescribing guidelines on medical nutrition.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Prescribing guidance is already available to clinicians on individual medical foods, known as foods for special medical purpose (FSMP). Guidance on prescribing is published within Part XV of the Drug Tariff by clinical indication and product name.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has received on the Scottish Government’s proposals to absorb the British Transport Police into Police Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The cross-party Smith Commission agreed that the functions of the British Transport Police in Scotland would be devolved. The Government has received representations about the transfer of these functions in Scotland, including correspondence from MPs. The Department for Transport and Scottish Government officials are in regular contact about the delivery of the transfer of functions.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) children under 16 and (b) people aged 16 to 25 have been victims of reported revenge porn in each year since it became a criminal offence.

    Karen Bradley

    The requested information is not available centrally. Offences of disclosure of private sexual photographs and films with the intent to cause distress or anxiety have been included in the harassment offence category since April 2015 in the statistics published by the Office for National Statistics. However, it is not possible to separately identify the age of the victims or the exact offence (from within harassment).

    The most recent statistics can be found in Table A4 available at this link: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/crime-in-england-and-wales—year-ending-september-2015/index.html

    Convictions data are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice has informed the Home Office that proceedings data for 2015 (including statistics for disclosure of private sexual photographs and films with the intent to cause distress or anxiety) are planned for publication in spring 2016.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on mindfulness in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2010.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education does not hold information about the amount of money spent on mindfulness in primary or secondary schools.

    Schools are free to provide the support they feel is most appropriate for their pupils, based on their pupils’ needs.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of disabled people living in social housing who will be affected by the cap to local housing allowance.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not available. As such it is not possible to accurately estimate the number of disabled people living in social housing that will be affected by this policy in 2018.

  • Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Cox on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that humanitarian charities such as Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières are able to give assistance to people in Eastern Sudan, following their expulsion by the government of Sudan in June 2012.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK continues to fund international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and UN agencies to deliver programmes which target the most vulnerable Sudanese citizens, and ensure that those in need of humanitarian assistance are not left unsupported as a result of expulsion decisions. We meet regularly with the Sudan INGO Steering Committee to discuss issues including humanitarian access, and support them in advocating for access when requested to do so. In addition, DFID is funding £30m of programmes over 3 years in Eastern Sudan to help improve vulnerable communities’ food security and nutrition, provide sustainable water supplies and improve sanitation. DFID also provides core funding to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which supports host and refugee communities across Sudan to improve livelihoods.

  • Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the criteria approved by Ministers for use by the Parole Board when considering whether to authorise the release of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences.

    Lord Faulks

    Ministers do not set criteria for use by the independent Parole Board when considering the release of indeterminate sentence prisoners. They must serve the minimum term, or tariff, set by the sentencing court after which they may be considered for release by the Parole Board. The Board is required to apply the statutory test for release contained in section 28 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997. The Board must assess the level of risk to the public – using reports and assessments from prison, probation and other professionals involved in the management of the offender – and will only direct release if they conclude that the prisoner could safely be managed on licence in the community.