Tag: 2016

Stuart Blair Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart Blair Donaldson on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many colleges and universities have had (a) sponsorship licences revoked and (b) faced other restrictions related to allegations of English Language Test fraud; and what steps she plans to take to reconsider those revocations and restrictions.

Mike Penning

This data is published on the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-february-2016

As this is linked to ongoing litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

01/01/2023
Marie Rimmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marie Rimmer on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to compensate local authorities for the potential loss of business rate revenue arising from measures announced in Budget 2016 following full devolution of business rates and abolition of the revenue support grant.

Mr Marcus Jones

Our business rates tax cuts provide significant support to local businesses.

The Small Business Rate Relief measure announced at the Budget which starts in 2017-18 will mean 600,000 of the smallest businesses will not have to pay business rates. We will compensate local authorities, in full, for the loss of income as a result of this measure, in the same way as we have done for every other reduction to business rates we have made since the introduction of the business rates retention scheme.

We will move to 100% business rates retention by the end of the Parliament and will establish the scheme based on the amount of business rates available to authorities at the time, which will naturally take account of increases and reductions in business rates yields, including those resulting from measures announced at Budget 2016.

01/01/2023
Stephen Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Twigg on 2016-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that its support for education in its target countries reaches (a) girls and (b) other marginalised groups.

Mr Nick Hurd

Providing a good quality education for all children, especially girls and those who are most disadvantaged is a priority for the Department. The UK supported 11 million children in school between 2010 and 2015. We have again committed to support 11 million children in the poorest countries gain a decent education by 2020. The UK has specifically committed to support 6.5 million girls in school by 2020. Our flagship Girls Education Challenge is ensuring that up to 1 million marginalised girls, progress through school with improved learning outcomes. In July DFID will be hosting a Girls’ Education Forum to drive the implementation of Global Goal 4 for girls and agree actions for making faster progress on girls’ education.

01/01/2023
Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they made of the risks to national security and to service personnel before publishing the names of soldiers and potential recruits online.

Earl Howe

The Armed Forces have a long history of publishing a nominal roll of serving officers, in the form of the ‘The Navy List’, ‘The Army List’ and the ‘The Air Force List’, generically known as the Armed Forces Lists.

The Armed Forces Lists’ information was first published online in 2014, following requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and as part of our overall commitment to transparency. This information was judged to be releasable, having previously been published annually for over 200 years.

In September 2015, the policy on the publication of the Armed Forces Lists was reviewed and a decision was made to significantly reduce the information published, limiting this to information on officers at one star rank (Brigadier and equivalents) and above, except in respect of the Royal Navy. Details of those officers commanding a warship would continue to be published through release of a suitable version of the ‘Fleet Bridge Card’, which provides information on the number of RN Senior officers in command of the Fleet, the Flotillas and the warships. This decision was informed by advice on security risks. The previous Service Lists published on the Gov.uk website have now been removed.

Names of soldiers at Warrant Officer rank and below and potential recruits have never been published online in the Armed Forces Lists.

01/01/2023
Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2016 to Question 48875, how many refugees her Department has helped to remain in, or stay as close as possible to, their countries of origin.

Rory Stewart

The UK is supporting hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the Syria crisis in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. We also provide support, assistance and protection for over 5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and the region. In Africa, our programmes support over a million refugees, with a focus on Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. The Secretary of State recently visited Kenya and saw how UK support for refugees is creating trading opportunities and sustainable livelihoods closer to home. The UK has announced a further £20 million to help voluntary, humane and safe returns for Somali refugees in Kenya, and £15 million towards a UN Appeal to support an expected one million displaced people in Afghanistan, including returning refugees.

01/01/2023
Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20474, whether any businesses in receipt of funding from the apprenticeship programme for the creation of apprenticeships in the retail and commercial enterprise sector subject area have participated in the Government’s work experience programme for those on jobseeker’s allowance.

Nick Boles

We do not hold this information.

01/01/2023
Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Camberwell and Peckham of 16 November 2015, whether British consular officials in Nigeria have made a further visit to Nnamdi Kanu.

James Duddridge

Consular officials in Nigeria have visited Mr Kanu a number of times since his arrest, most recently on 3 February.

01/01/2023

Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration advisers were registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) in each year since 2009-10; how many complaints the OISC received about immigration advisers registered with them in each of those years; in how many of those complaints the OISC found wrongdoing on the part of the adviser; in how many such cases the OISC (i) took action against the adviser and (ii) referred the complaint; and how many immigration advisers were (A) prohibited and (B) suspended as a result of such action.

James Brokenshire

The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner regulates organisations, which have differing numbers of advisers operating within them. The number of regulated organisations and corresponding number of advisers are set out below.

	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
Regulated organisations	1753	1851	1930	1971	1939	1670
No. of advisers	4150	3346	3971	3966	3989	3667

The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner operates a complaints scheme in respect of regulated advisers. If a complaint is substantiated then the information obtained can be used to form the basis of a decision to refuse an application for registration or a decision to lay formal disciplinary charges. Information obtained as a result of a substantiated complaint can be used as part of less formal action including providing advice to the adviser or giving a notice to improve. There are no separate figures available for suspension or prohibition as these terms overlap with others within the OISC regulatory scheme. Details of complaints and their outcomes are set out below.

	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
No. of Complaints	379	291	296	290	268	195
No. Substantiated	78	88	111	155	112	130
Referral for possible prosecution	4	1	2	10	10	22
No. of decisions to refuse/lay charges	49	79	70	101	82	87

01/01/2023

Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the outcomes have been of her Department’s programme of post-conflict development in Northern Uganda.

Mr Nick Hurd

The Post-Conflict Development Programme for Northern Uganda aims to improve service delivery in health, support the most vulnerable and help young people find employment, amongst other activities. This is in line with the new UK Aid Strategy which includes tackling the root causes of instability and conflict. Some of the main achievements include:
- Training 15,000 youth in vocational skills.
- Training 14,000 youth in entrepreneurialism.
- Construction of 1,738 homes for health workers and teachers to allow them to provide vital services in an under-served region, and reduce drivers of instability.
- Testing 60,992 children under five with high fevers for Malaria and providing treatment for those who were shown to be infected.
- Providing 10,000 food transfers in return for work to families at risk of malnutrition and unable to access employment opportunities due to the post conflict environment.
01/01/2023
Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance there is for briefing relatives following Boards of Inquiry which take place when there has been an in-service death; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt

Boards of Inquiry were replaced in 2008 by Service Inquiries. The policy on Service Inquiries, which includes support to families, is laid out in Ministry of Defence Joint Service Publication (JSP) 832, Guide to Service Inquiries.

Further, JSP 751, Joint Casualty and Compassionate Policy and Procedures, provides the framework and direction on casualty management, from which the single Services develop and deliver their support for bereaved families. No distinction is made between operational and non-operational deaths.

Although JSPs 832 and 751 lay out the overarching policy and processes, the single Services may involve different organisations in supporting bereaved families according to individual need and local circumstances.

In the case of a Defence Safety Authority Service Inquiry, next of kin are offered a personal brief from the Inquiry President on the findings before they are published.

01/01/2023