Tag: 2016

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much UK development aid to Bangladesh has been spent on education in each year since 2000; and what information her Department holds on the proportion the total Bangladesh education budget that UK development aid represents in each of those years.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The table below shows the amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) spent on education in Bangladesh by the United Kingdom through the government, NGOs and civil society.

    UK Calendar year

    2000

    2001

    2002

    2003

    2004

    2005

    2006

    2007

    UK Spend (£millions)

    0

    0

    7.8

    7.7

    17.3

    28.9

    19.6

    8.9

    UK Calendar year

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    UK Spend (£millions)

    22.2

    34.6

    33.5

    50.2

    26.5

    34.6

    33.1

    2015 figures will be published later this year.

    Details of the total Government of Bangladesh education budget can be found here: http://www.mof.gov.bd/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=1/.

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  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the British steel industry to future transport infrastructure projects in the UK.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department has been working closely with BIS, Cabinet Office and industry to consider how Government can help the UK steel industry meet the challenges it has been facing.

    The bulk of infrastructure projects within the Department are being delivered by the Department’s Arm’s Length Bodies (ALB), in particular, Network Rail, Highways England and HS2. Cabinet Office guidance on the approach to steel procurement has been circulated to the Accounting Officers of each ALB and procurement and commercial teams within these organisations are aware of the need to:

    • Signal the future pipeline of requirements on steel sourcing and best practice in pre-procurement market engagement;
    • Ensure there is clear visibility of opportunities at sub-contractor level where the source of steel has not been defined by a Tier 1 contractor;
    • Assess the health and sustainability of potential suppliers in the supply chain at selection stage, including compliance with relevant health and safety and employment legislation;
    • Ensure that the price or cost calculations are based on an assessment of the whole-life cost and not lowest purchase price;
    • Take account of appropriate social and environmental impacts at the award stage where they are linked to the subject of the contract.

    As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain for the majority of our infrastructure projects. The Department and its ALBs are complying with the Cabinet Office guidance and ensuring that, for instance, where appropriate, assessment of social and environmental impacts are considered as part of the evaluation criteria. The Department and its ALBs also positively encourage bids from British companies and are holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to win contracts.

    Activity currently underway is as follows:

    Network Rail

    • Network Rail buys approximately 120,000 tonnes of steel for rails per annum directly from British Steel in Scunthorpe, which is around 96% of Network Rail’s total aggregated demand by value.

    Highways England

    • Highways England does not procure steel materials directly, however over the last five years Highways England has used a category management framework as the main method of procuring steel gantries for the Strategic Road Network.
    • To date circa 95% of this steel has been drawn from British Steel in the UK, which equates to approximately 11,000 tonnes of steel. The approximate framework spend is £30 million, of which about 35% will be steel procurement i.e. raw materials, and will equate to around £10.5 million.

    Crossrail

    • The 57km of steel required for the rails of Crossrail’s brand new central tunnel section is being sourced entirely from British Steel in Scunthorpe. This equates to 7,000 tonnes of steel.
    • Crossrail Ltd does not directly procure steel as this is undertaken by their tier 1 contractors and their supply chains. However, Crossrail keeps an oversight of its critical contracts and estimates that 85% of its supply chain providing steel to the project is UK based.

    HS2

    • It is estimated that HS2 will need approximately 2 million tonnes of steel over the next 10 years. The procurement for the main civil engineering works between Euston and Birmingham is now underway with procurements for the stations and rail systems expected to commence later this year and for rolling stock in early 2017. Subject to Royal Assent, the project will start construction in 2017.
    • As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain. HS2 positively encourages bids from British companies and is already holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to complete for contracts for the steel that will be needed for track, concrete reinforcements, overhead wires and other structures.
  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the UN Security Council on the persecution of Christians and other minorities living in Syria in the last three months.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government has consistently supported the need for accountability for atrocities that have been committed in Syria, in the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council (HRC).

    On 19 September, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), alongside the Foreign Ministers of Iraq and Belgium, launched a global campaign to bring Daesh to justice for its crimes at the UN General Assembly – this initiative includes crimes committed against religious minorities.

    The UK plays a leading role in the tri-annual Syria resolutions at the UN HRC, the latest of which took place in September. The HRC resolutions draw attention to the ongoing violations and abuses of human rights in Syria, the vast majority of which are the responsibility of the Asad regime, and refer to the need to protect ethnic, religious and confessional communities. We will continue to use our leadership role in the HRC to shine a spotlight on the dire human rights situation, and make clear our strong condemnation of the Asad regime.

    We consistently use our interventions at the UN Security Council – most recently at an emergency session on Aleppo on 25 September – to highlight the suffering of the Syrian people, of all ethnic and religious backgrounds.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many completed repeat work capability assessments there have been of people with (a) cystic fibrosis, (b) rheumatoid arthritis, (c) motor neurone disease, (d) multiple sclerosis and (e) Parkinson’s disease in each year since the introduction of employment and support allowance in 2008.

    Priti Patel

    The information available is shown in the table below. Repeat assessments are conducted to ensure that individuals receive the right level of support.

    Calendar years:

    Cystic Fibrosis

    Spinal Muscular Atrophy

    Parkinson’s Disease

    Multiple Sclerosis

    Other Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Oct-08 to Dec-08

    –

    –

    –

    –

    –

    Jan-09 to Dec-09

    –

    –

    –

    –

    –

    Jan-10 to Dec-10

    –

    –

    100

    700

    600

    Jan-11 to Dec-11

    100

    100

    300

    1,500

    1,500

    Jan-12 to Dec-12

    200

    100

    500

    2,900

    2,500

    Jan-13 to Dec-13

    100

    100

    400

    2,400

    2,500

    Jan-14 to Dec-14

    100

    –

    300

    1,900

    2,100

    Jan-15 to June-15

    –

    –

    –

    300

    300

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many insurance claims have been lodged as a result of accidents occurring during participation in the National Citizen Service since the establishment of that scheme.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The National Citizen Service Trust works with the Cabinet Office to deliver (NCS) in England. There have been no accidents that the NCS Trust is aware of where insurance claims have been lodged.

    The NCS delivery partner within Northern Ireland, Co-operation Ireland, has also confirmed that it has not received any correspondence from insurance companies in regards to claims relating to NCS accidents.

    The Cabinet Office coordinated a pilot programme in Wales in 2014 and is not aware of any resulting insurance claims by participants.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 22 September 2015 to Question 10382, what guidance the Valuation Office Agency provides to help organisations in the events industry better understand when liability for business rates will arise.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Valuation Office Agency has held meetings with the Events Industry Forum and others representing the events industry. Additional written guidance, beyond the Rating Manual, on the factors that determine rateability has been provided through these channels. The Agency encourages direct contact if ratepayers wish to discuss any aspect of a rating assessment.

  • Edward Argar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Edward Argar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Argar on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on economic development in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Government’s long-term economic plan is delivering for Northern Ireland. The economy there is growing.

    There are 51,000 more people in work today than there were in 2010. The claimant count is down by 40% since its peak in February 2013.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the potential annual cost to tobacco (a) retailers and (b) wholesalers of the introduction of a licensing regime.

    Anna Soubry

    My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not made an assessment of the impacts of introducing a tobacco licensing regime or an estimate of annual cost. Under the Government’s Better Regulation framework, where regulatory measures that impact on business are being considered, it is the responsibility of the Secretary of State of the Department introducing the measure to ensure that an assessment is undertaken. This allows decisions to be taken with a clear understanding of the likely impacts of any measure. As announced in the 2015 Autumn Statement, HM Revenue and Customs are currently consulting on whether to introduce a tobacco licensing regime and responses to this consultation should inform any assessment, including the potential effect on small retailers and convenience stores.

  • Amanda Solloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Amanda Solloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to provide additional support to people with special educational needs so that they may better access apprenticeships.

    Nick Boles

    Supported internships offer young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities a clear pathway into employment, including apprenticeships, by equipping them with the skills they need for work. Since September 2013, all qualified post-16 education providers in England can deliver supported internships.

    To encourage employers to hire apprentices, the Government funds apprenticeship training for all 16-18 year olds. This level of funding is extended for apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) aged 19-24. Apprentices aged 19 to 24 without an EHC Plan, who have a learning difficulty and/or disability, can benefit from additional funding through Learning Support.

    A Taskforce, led by my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys (Paul Maynard), has been looking at issues around apprenticeships for people with learning difficulties or disabilities. Ministers are currently considering its recommendations.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the availability of police dogs nationally; and what estimate she has made of the number of police forces that have introduced the recommended ratio of dogs to officers.

    Brandon Lewis

    Operational decisions on the availability and deployment of dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for chief constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.