Tag: 2016

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of protocols on touching disability benefit assessment centre attendees on the accessibility of these sites to those who struggle to stand unaided.

    Penny Mordaunt

    If a physical assessment of the musculoskeletal system is required, it is largely non-touch and based on observing ‘active movements’ – i.e. movements carried out under the direction of, but without the physical intervention of, the Healthcare Professional.

    The impact on a claimant undergoing this type of assessment should therefore be negligible.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is considering (a) radial gap electrical propulsion motors and (b) permanent magnet motors for the propulsion systems for the successor-class SSBNs.

    Harriett Baldwin

    I am withholding information on the type of motors for the propulsion systems being considered for the Successor submarine programme for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect on UK businesses of the Berry Amendment to US legislation on contract policy.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government has not carried out any specific assessment of the effect of this amendment on UK businesses to date.

    The Berry Amendment is a US Domestic Source Restriction established in the US Code that requires the Federal Government to procure textiles for any defence purpose from US suppliers, unless there is no domestic supplier available. It is possible, occasionally, for UK companies to benefit from partial exemptions to the Berry Amendment.

    The trade team within the British Defence Staff in Washington DC can advise UK companies, on a case by case basis, on which opportunities may be considered as an exemption.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23487, of the eight breaches there identified, how many concerned documents within each of the following categories applicable prior to April 2014, namely (a) top secret, (b) secret, (c) confidential, (d) restricted, (e) protected and (f) unclassified; and how many breaches concerned documents within each of the following categories applicable from April 2014, namely (i) top secret, (ii) secret and (iii) official-sensitive or official.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Of the eight breaches reported pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23487 none of them concerned documents prior to April 2014

    Since April 2014;

    • 6 cases concerned OFFICIAL or OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE documents
    • 2 cases did not involve documents
  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK (a) military and (b) civilian personnel are deployed on UN peacekeeping operations in each operational theatre.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The tables below show the numbers of military and civilian personnel the UK has deployed to UN mandated peacekeeping and special political missions in the last six years, as at 26 February 2016:

    Military Personnel

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    2016

    UNFICYP (Cyprus)

    271

    273

    270

    274

    274

    274

    MINUSMA (Mali)

    1

    2

    2

    2

    UNMISS (South Sudan)

    3

    2

    4

    3

    3

    MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of Congo)

    5

    4

    5

    5

    5

    5

    UNSOM (Somalia)

    2

    2

    UNSMIL (Libya/Tunisia)

    1

    1

    TOTAL

    276

    280

    278

    285

    287

    287

    Civilian Personnel

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    2016

    MONUSCO

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    UNMISS

    4

    4

    2

    UNSMIL

    1

    1

    MINUSTAH (Haiti)

    3

    3

    3

    UNMIL (Liberia)

    1

    1

    TOTAL

    1

    1

    1

    8

    10

    7

    The civilian figures represent deployments from the Stabilisation Unit; other Government Departments also deploy civilians on UN Peacekeeping missions.

    The figures do not include deployments to UN Agencies.

  • Wayne David – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Wayne David – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that every property has an Energy Performance Certificate by 2020.

    James Wharton

    An Energy Performance Certificate must be made available whenever a building is sold, rented out or constructed. There are currently no plans to introduce a requirement for every property to have an Energy Performance Certificate, since this would introduce an unnecessary additional burden on building owners and landlords.

  • 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 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work his Department is carrying out to follow up the International Maritime Organisation summit on shipping emissions in April 2016; and whether the UK will play an active role in the working group established at that summit.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are working closely with other Government departments, as well as the European Commission and European Union and IMO Member States, to reach an agreement on the development of a work plan and timetable to define shipping’s fair share of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    The UK is committed to ensuring that the international maritime sector plays its part in achieving a global solution to limit average temperature increases as set out in the Paris Agreement, reached at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and will play an active role in the working group on this issue as set up at the 69th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee in April 2016.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on non-payroll staff in his Department in 2015-16.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The final figure will be published in the Department’s 2015/16 Annual Report and Accounts in due course.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the introduction of personal independence payments on future rates of claims for attendance allowance.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Individuals in receipt of PIP before the age of 65 will continue to receive PIP as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria. This mirrors Disability Living Allowance, the benefit that preceded PIP. Anyone that becomes disabled after the age of 65 will be able to claim Attendance Allowance.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide additional resources to local authorities or schools for sex and relationships education.

    Edward Timpson

    We want schools to provide all young people with a curriculum that equips them for success in adult life. High-quality sex and relationship education (SRE) and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education have a vital role to play in this.

    SRE is compulsory in maintained secondary schools. Academies and free schools do not have to teach SRE, but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

    When teaching SRE, all schools, including academies through their funding agreement, must have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education guidance. The existing SRE guidance was last updated in 2000. We have received requests about updating the guidance which we will consider carefully.

    Schools and teachers have the freedom to design lessons that meet their pupils’ needs, taking account of pupil and parent views. Teachers are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals. Many of these specialist organisations have produced resources that can be used and adapted by schools.

    We hold regular meetings with Ofsted about a range of matters. As the Secretary of State said at the Education Select Committee hearing in September 2016, we need to look again at how schools deliver high-quality PSHE, including SRE. We are considering all the options, including the need for any statutory powers, and will come to a view soon.