Tag: 2016

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the UK leaving the EU for quarantine measures for pests and diseases of plant material.

    George Eustice

    We recognise that the UK’s exit from the EU may have implications for the way in which current UK plant health services operate, including phytosanitary certification on imports, quarantine measures to mitigate the highest risk pests and diseases, and plant passporting.

    We are considering the implications and possible options as part of our planning for, and negotiations on, the UK’s exit.

    Continuing to deliver a risk-based, proportionate plant health regime that effectively protects the UK from plant pests and diseases, whilst maximising the free movement of goods, remains of the highest priority.

  • Lord Collins of Highbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Collins of Highbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Collins of Highbury on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo over the continued detention of the two Filimbi activists who were arrested in March 2015 and are now awaiting trial for allegedly forming a criminal gang and attempting to overthrow the regime of President Kabila.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Our Chargé d’Affaires’ in Kinshasa called on the Justice Minister, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, with other EU Heads of Mission, in March and April 2015 to voice our concern at the arrest and detention without charge of the activists Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala. Officials from our Embassy in Kinshasa have also joined other international observers in monitoring court hearings in the case, and those of a number of other activists detained in early 2015.

    We continue to urge the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to act on the recommendations of its Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the arrests. The Commission found that there is no evidence that participants in the workshop were involved in activities of a terrorist nature, and recommended that a political solution be found in order to enable the release of activists Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala. We also continue to stress to the DRC government that civil society organisations must be allowed to hold workshops on democratic processes without fear of arrest or reprisal.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 24570, if she will make it her policy that creative subjects must be included in the new EBacc.

    Nick Gibb

    I refer the Honourable Member to my response to PQ 24570, submitted to Parliament on Thursday 4 February 2016, in which I explained that EBacc subjects are part of a broad and balanced curriculum and that there is space in the wider school curriculum to teach other subjects alongside the EBacc subjects.

    On 3 November 2015 the Secretary of State for Education launched a public consultation seeking views on the government’s proposals for the implementation of the English Baccalaureate. The consultation closed on 29 January 2016 and the government response will be published in the spring.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to discuss with the UNHCR the number of refugees now in detention in Thailand in unhealthy conditions and what can be done to speed up their release; and whether they plan to make representations to the government of Thailand on the detention of women and children, including pregnant women, and early release of all sick detainees.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Thailand on a wide range of refugee issues. From our conversations with them we understand that the time taken to assess asylum applications in Thailand depends on the circumstances of each case. It can vary from a few months to a couple of years.

    We are concerned about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand. Although Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, we have pressed the Thai authorities to apply international humanitarian norms and standards when handling these vulnerable groups. We are also working with the Thai authorities to improve conditions of detention.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of parents who will not be eligible for tax-free childcare as a result of the decision to (a) lower the upper income limit per parent from £150,000 to £100,000 and (b) increase the minimum income level per parent from the equivalent of eight hours to 16 hours at the national living wage.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government will publicise the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme in good time ahead of its introduction through a range of digital and print channels. HMRC will also work with the childcare industry and representative groups who interact regularly with parents to raise awareness of the scheme.

    HM Revenue and Customs is developing an online childcare calculator to help parents understand their eligibility for government childcare support. From early 2017, parents of the youngest children will be able to enter the scheme first, with all eligible parents brought in by the end of 2017. Parents will not be able to open childcare accounts prior to the launch of the scheme.

    TFC will be straightforward and quick to apply online for the vast majority of parents. We estimate that up to 9% of the families eligible for the scheme of that population may have issues with either accessing or using the internet. HM Revenue and Customs will ensure that assistance is provided, usually by telephone, so these families do not miss out on the support available.

    Tax-Free Childcare is part of the wider government childcare offer which will be worth over £6Bn per annum and together provide generous support to families on all levels of income.

  • Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naz Shah on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people made contact with the Forced Marriage Unit in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015.

    James Duddridge

    The Forced Marriage Unit is a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office Unit which was set up in January 2005 to lead on the Government’s forced marriage policy, outreach and casework. Statistics on the number of enquiries and cases dealt with by the Forced Marriage Unit via its public helpline and email inbox in 2013, 2014 and 2015 are published online here:

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage#statistics-on-forced-marriage-collected-by-fmu

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of parliamentary scrutiny of the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines on levels of alcohol intake which recommend significant changes to those levels.

    Jane Ellison

    Before the publication of the new Chief Medical Officer’s alcohol guidelines, the guidelines had not been revised for over 20 years; the up to date evidence used to update the low risk guidelines does not support a gender difference.

  • 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 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many deaths by suicide have been recorded in England among children aged under 18 within one month of being released from youth custody in each year since 2010.

    Nicola Blackwood

    This information is not held centrally.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet his counterparts in the Qatari government to discuss the human rights situation and working conditions of foreign workers assisting that country in building stadia for the 2022 World Cup.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), last spoke to Qatar’s foreign minister on 7 September about preparations for the World Cup. He offered continued UK support in partnering with Qatar to deliver a successful event in 2022. We continue to raise the issue of workers’ rights with the Government of Qatar; most recently on 15 September to offer UK expertise in addition to support we already give. I am meeting my Qatari counterpart in Doha later this year and will raise this issue again then.

    We support the steps that the Qatari Government has taken to respond to concerns about the treatment of migrant workers and we welcome the Government of Qatar’s commitment to the ongoing, systematic reform of Qatar’s labour laws.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the welfare of children in prisons in Israel run by G4S.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities concerning the welfare of children in specific prisons in Israel run by G4S, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention with the Israeli Chief Military Prosecutor on 23 November 2015.

    We continue to push for further measures to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of Palestinian children detained.