The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2016-03-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average length of sentence of offenders sentenced after having been returned to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant.
Lord Faulks
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on the operation of the European Arrest Warrant. These can be found on their website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-04-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on its review of the treatment of VAT in airside retail shops.
Mr David Gauke
On 31 December 2015, the Chancellor announced a review of the tax treatment of airside retail sales, with a view to identifying options for passengers to receive more of the direct benefits. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has completed its initial fact finding.
The Government is keen to identify options that provide overall best value for travellers. This means fully understanding the potential impacts of possible changes on travellers, retailers and airports, and I have asked HMRC to explore these thoroughly. Once this work has been completed, decisions on the best way forward will be made in the autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise the murder of the Korean-Chinese pastor Han Choong Yeol on 30 April 2016 in China with his Chinese counterpart; and if he will request that his Chinese counterpart investigate whether the North Korean security services were involved in that murder.
Mr Hugo Swire
I have no plans to raise this case with the Chinese Government. We have a regular dialogue with the Chinese about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which covers the effective implementation of UN sanctions to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons, and encouraging China to confront human rights violations by the North Korean regime, most notably the important principle of non-refoulement. I raised both points with Chinese Vice Minister Chen Fengxiang in December.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has carried out of the effect of the closure of the emergency department at Chase Farm Hospital in 2013 on other hospital emergency departments in (a) Enfield and (b) North London.
Ben Gummer
This is a matter for the local National Health Service.
The closure of the emergency department at Chase Farm Hospital was informed by the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey (BEH) Clinical Strategy, which took full account of the likely effects and implications of that closure.
The BEH Clinical Strategy has been through a rigorous due process, including a thorough planning and development phase, a public consultation and a number of gateway reviews and checkpoints.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 42107, on Islamic State, what factors would need to change for a referral to the International Criminal Court to be considered practical; what discussions the Government has had with (a) Russia, (b) China and (c) other permanent members of the UN Security Council on securing their vote for a referral; and what the Government’s latest assessment is of (i) Russia’s and (ii) China’s policy on that issue.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We expect that any Security Council resolution at this time seeking to refer the situations in Iraq or Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) would be blocked, as it was when efforts were made to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC in 2014. We continue to work with our international partners, including other permanent members of the UN Security Council, to look at every available option to assist the victims of Daesh and bring those responsible for crimes to justice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her oral contribution of 18 October 2016, Official Report, 301WH, which directives are no longer fit for purpose; and if she will make a statement.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
The Government is currently considering future arrangements for existing EU legislation in preparation for the repeal of the European Communities Act 1972. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will effectively convert current EU law into our domestic law. We look forward to working with the industry, rural communities and the wider public to shape our plans for a future outside the EU when we can assess the benefits of moving to an outcomes-focussed regulatory framework.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish a progress report on the 10-year PET-CT NHS England contract awarded to Alliance Medical in January 2015.
Lord Prior of Brampton
NHS England has put in place robust governance arrangements to support the national positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET CT) contract, including regular reviews of the national contract, to ensure that services are commenced as planned, securing significant benefits for patients. As the contract was not fully mobilised until December 2015, NHS England plans to review the progress made over the first year in April 2016 and would be happy to make this report available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-02-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what metrics his Department plans to use to measure the effects of tax-free childcare on attainment in early years’ education.
Damian Hinds
Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are developing plans to measure the success of Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) once it is in ‘steady state’ following the full rollout of the scheme.
We will measure how well TFC performs against its policy objective to help working families with their childcare costs. We will continue to engage with stakeholders as we start to put in place these plans.
The key programmes for early education are the 15 hours of free childcare offered to all 3 and 4-year olds, and eligible 2-year olds. These provisions are measured under Assessment and Reporting Arrangements set out by the Standards and Testing Agency to ensure attainment against the Early Years Framework.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons were admitted to the UK in 2015 for exceptional or compassionate reasons, outside the normal Immigration Rules.
Lord Bates
The information requested is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to prohibit the use of nominee directors for companies registered in British Overseas Territories.
James Duddridge
The Overseas Territories are separate jurisdictions with their own democratically elected governments under which they are responsible for company law.