Tag: 2016

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions UK Government officials have prepared briefings or provided information to representatives of British overseas territories and Crown dependencies to assist in their dealings with the European Commission in the most recent period for which information is available.

    James Duddridge

    The UK is responsible for the international relations of the Overseas Territories, which have a specific status within the European Union Treaties. The Overseas Association Decision is the instrument which sets out the relationship between the European Union and the Overseas Territories of the Member States. In 2015 I attended the annual Forum bringing together Territory leaders, senior representatives from the European Commission and the Member States. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials meet approximately six times a year with the Territories and the Commission to take forward cooperation under the Overseas Association Decision. Other government departments provide officials when required if the subject matter falls within their area of competence.

    The United Kingdom is also responsible for the international relations of the Crown Dependencies which have a special relationship with the European Union under Protocol 3 to the United Kingdom’s Treaty of Accession to the European Community.

    United Kingdom Government officials meet regularly with Crown Dependency and Overseas Territory representatives to discuss forthcoming business; information sharing is a matter of routine. The Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories make their own preparations for meetings with the European Commission but Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials assist when asked to do so. Support is also available from other government departments and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union should it be required.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-06-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s future position in the league table of broadband targets in the EU and OECD countries if a target of 10 megabits per second were achieved by 2020.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    It is too early to assess what the impact of the proposed 10 megabit Universal Service Obligation (USO) will have on the UK’s future position in EU and OECD broadband league tables. The contracts we have put in place with Openreach mean that the more homes and businesses that sign up for superfast broadband, the more money Openreach has to return to local authorities to extend the roll out of superfast broadband further. So far, Openreach has confirmed more than £200 million of savings that can be reinvested, over and above the £1.7bn of public funding already allocated. We expect more funding to be confirmed in due course. We will be reinvesting that funding in order to extend superfast broadband to as many additional homes and businesses as possible.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-07-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 27 June (HL Deb, col 1352), what assessment they have made of whether, when referring to cases such as the Rotherham sexual abuse case, it is more accurate and appropriate to refer to the perpetrators as Muslim” or “Islamist”

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Tackling cases of child sexual exploitation, including those that have occurred in Rotherham, is a top priority for this Government. People who abuse children must be stopped – their race, age or gender is irrelevant.

    Child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion.

    The previous Home Secretary launched the report ‘Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ in March 2015. This report sets out a national response to the failures we have seen in Rotherham and elsewhere, where children were let down by the very people who were responsible for protecting them.

  • 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 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in a case where an applicant has been refused employment and support allowance (ESA), the disallowance has been confirmed following mandatory reconsideration and an appeal against the refusal has been submitted, in what circumstances ESA is payable pending the outcome of the appeal.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Employment and Support Allowance can be paid at the assessment phase rate pending the appeal hearing as long as the conditions of entitlement are satisfied. Employment and Support Allowance is not payable pending an appeal where a claimant has previously been found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment and makes a repeat claim for benefit and is found to be fit for work again.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to commence the provisions on the imposition of financial penalties on respondent employers who fail to pay an employment tribunal award in section 150 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

    Nick Boles

    We expect to commence the financial penalty provision in section 150 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 from April 2016.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Maritime Apprenticeships Trailblazer Working Group (TWG); when he expects Maritime TWG apprenticeships to be available to employees and employers in the shipping industry; and what estimate he has made of the number of new seafarer ratings that will be trained through apprenticeships developed through the Maritime TWG.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Maritime skills and apprenticeships, including the maritime trailblazer, were discussed at the first meeting of the new Ministerial Working Group for Maritime Growth on 30th November 2015. The group comprises Ministers and senior officials from across Whitehall including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and industry representative including from the Maritime Apprenticeships Trailblazer Working Group.

    The Maritime Apprenticeships Trailblazer Working Group is an employer led group. The able seafarer (deck) standard is now approved and ready for delivery and others are in development. Once a standard is ready for delivery it is open to any employer or training provider for delivery.

    It is too early to make an assessment on the number of new seafarer ratings that will be trained through apprenticeships, but the Department is currently reviewing seafarer projections across the industry.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the end-dates are of his Department’s contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise; which such contracts he plans to extend, for what reasons and to what dates; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has four contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Application Development and Application Maintenance & Support – these two contracts expired on 29/02/2016 and an extension has been agreed to 28/02/2018. Hosting – this contract runs till 23/02/2018. Desktop – this contract runs till 08/01/2017. DWP future contracting plans are commercially sensitive. The Department is progressing its strategy to deliver its technology requirements, and this includes both in-house services, and externally provided services sourced through procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks.

  • Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2016-03-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is a legal obligation for goods offered for sale in shops in the UK to carry contents and usage instructions in English.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Labelling and information requirements vary by product.

    If information on a UK product label is a mandatory requirement, this information must be provided in English.

    For non-food consumer products, the UK General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which implements the European General Product Safety Directive, require that a product is safe when placed on the market. In this context, it is considered safe to have the instructions and safety information in the language of the Member State where the product is being sold.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (b) the Royal College of Midwives, (c) the Royal College of Nursing and (d) Independent Midwives UK on changes to midwifery regulation.

    Ben Gummer

    The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and Independent Midwives UK (IMUK) have all been involved in discussions concerning the proposed changes to midwifery regulation.

    On 22 January 2016 the Department, on behalf of the four United Kingdom Chief Nursing Officers and their external partners, published plans for a new non-statutory system of midwifery supervision that will meet the need for clinical supervision of midwives in clinical practice, and peer review for those not in clinical practice. The NMC, RCM and IMUK were consulted on and contributed to the published proposals.

    The Royal College of Nursing has not been involved in the above discussions, as midwifery regulations do not affect nurses.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many of his Department’s staff based at St Paul’s Place, Sheffield, have a length of tenure of (a) under one year, (b) between one and five years, (c) between five and 10 years and (d) over 10 years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The length of service, within the Civil Service, of employees of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) based at St Paul’s Place Sheffield, is shown in the table below.

    Employees

    Less than 1 year

    6

    1-5 years

    16

    5-10 years

    30

    Over 10 Years

    187

    This data is based on all people based in Sheffield as at 31 May 2016 and includes BIS employees and those currently on loan to BIS from other government departments.