Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their objectives for the Commission on the Status of Women meeting in March.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government will use the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment remain at the top of the global political agenda. We will negotiate with other UN Member States to agree a set of ambitious, action-oriented and forward-looking recommendations for governments around the world to accelerate progress on gender equality and ensure accountability.

    At the first session after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, we will press for a meaningful follow-up process that places gender equality at the heart of the new agenda while ensuring that the CSW remains the prime global forum on gender equality and the laboratory of ideas that it is today.

    Furthermore, we will enhance the UK’s reputation as a world leader in this area by promoting relevant national policies but also by exchanging ideas with other UN Member States. In line with the session’s themes this year, we will be focusing on women’s empowerment and on violence against women and girls in high level discussions, events and bilateral meetings.

    In addition, the Government will host and support a number of events to raise the profile of certain issues which still prevent us from achieving equality, such as inequality in the workplace, discrimination in all its forms and violence against women and girls.

    Lastly, but very importantly, we are working with civil society to ensure their participation remains an integral part of the CSW programme and their concerns are heard at the national and global levels.

    Sixty years after the first session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the UK Government will send a strong signal that gender equality must be at the heart of economic and social development of all countries. We will have a ministerial team of four, led by the Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, and including the Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for International Development. Parliamentary Under Secretary for Women, Equalities and Family Justice Caroline Dinenage MP and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, Baroness Verma, in her capacity as Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas, will also attend.

    The UK Government currently has two confirmed side events at this year’s Commission on the Status of Women. The first one will focus on getting more women and girls into science and technology and the second one will be on the gender pay gap.

    We will also be taking part in other events where major issues such as women’s economic empowerment and violence against women are discussed.

  • John Stevenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    John Stevenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Attorney General, whether his Department plans to move any government legal services to the north of England.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Government Legal Department (GLD) provides legal services to Ministry of Justice, as well as to the majority of other government departments. GLD provides these services to Government principally from London, but also from a number of other locations including Manchester, Leeds, Warrington and Bristol. GLD is currently reviewing its location strategy, including whether it should provide further legal services from locations outside London, but has made no decision to that effect.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to promote Bristol as a location for small businesses with an eco-agenda.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Supporting our cities to grow is a key part of the Government’s long-term economic plan. As such Government departments are working together to support UK businesses by creating an effective business environment that allows them to flourish.

    An example of this work can be seen in the Bristol City Deal. As part of this deal the Government agreed to provide over £2m towards creating Invest in Bristol and Bath, a dedicated service established to attract investment to the region. In its first year of operation, Invest in Bristol and Bath helped 30 new companies locate or expand in the West of England area. This has the potential to deliver more than 530 new jobs by 2017.

    Building on the Bristol City Deal, the recently announced West of England Devolution Agreement sets out further ways in which Government will work with the planned West of England Combined Authority to support business growth across the city-region.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many coastguard rescue (a) employees and (b) volunteers cover Scotland.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The number of Coastguard rescue (a) employees and (b) volunteers that cover Scotland are as follows:

    (A) Employees

    HM Coastguards National Network enables the National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) and 9 Coastguard Operations Centres (CGOC) to coordinate any incident anywhere around the UK coast. Workload is therefore managed on a national basis enabling national capability and resource to be available to any incident. There are 314 full time equivalent Coastguard posts within the national network of which 69 are based at CGOCs located in Scotland (Aberdeen, Shetland and Stornoway).

    There are 37 full time equivalent Coastguard posts that are responsible for the management, training and oversight of the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams that cover Scotland.

    (B) Volunteers

    There is an establishment of 1,226 volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers that cover Scotland.

  • Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much his Department has spent to date on legal advice from (a) the Government Legal Department and (b) external legal firms; and how much he plans to spend on such advice in the next 12 months.

    Mr David Jones

    The department is currently assessing the overall requirement for legal advice and the associated funding requirement over the next 12 months . To date the department has incurred an estimated total of £256,000 in fixed fee legal advice with the Government Legal Department and a further £12,711 in relation to additional billed fees and disbursements. No spend has been incurred in relation to external legal firms.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Healthier Together programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No assessment has been made. These are matters for the local National Health Service.

    We are advised by NHS England that effectiveness of the Healthier Together programme will be continually monitored throughout the implementation phase. The aim of the programme is to improve standards and quality of care for all patients across Greater Manchester. To support this, a “Healthier Together Dashboard” has been developed and is now operational. The Dashboard allows real time tracking of compliance with the Healthier Together standards.

    This began with the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit standards for emergency general surgery. These are being monitored and improved within and across sectors, to demonstrate how compliance with standards will be improved. The next stage will add National Cardiac Arrest Audit information.

  • Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Executive on ensuring reductions in operators’ production costs do not adversely affect the safety of offshore workers in the oil and gas industry.

    Justin Tomlinson

    I have had discussions with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) officials on the range of factors affecting offshore safety. HSE has confirmed that it is placing increasing emphasis upon maintenance standards as part of its interventions at offshore installations. I support this approach.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how much the average student spends per year on prescriptions.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are unable to provide the cost of giving free prescriptions to students in full-time education.

    The estimated cost of giving free prescriptions to those young people aged 16, 17 and 18 in full-time education for the period April 2014 to March 2015 is £68,088,373. This is based on information captured when processing National Health Service FP10 prescription forms which were dispensed in the community during the period April 2014 to March 2015.

    We do not hold the information on how much the average student spends per year on prescriptions.

  • Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address investigations by Which? and 5 Live that found that secondary ticket sites are carrying ticket listings that are in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Trading Standards Services are responsible for enforcing the secondary ticketing provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and other relevant consumer protection legislation. Suspected or actual breaches of such legislation should first be reported via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, following which Citizens Advice may refer cases to Trading Standards Services for appropriate action.

    Since the ticketing provisions contained in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force on 27 May 2015, an independent Review has been established (as required by the Act) to consider consumer protection measures in relation to online ticket re-sales. The Review is looking at the available evidence and will report by 26 May 2016.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease in (a) England and (b) Wales applied for employment and support allowance in each of the last five years.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available.