Tag: 2016

  • Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people of each gender work in her Department.

    George Eustice

    Defra will publish the latest annual workforce monitoring report in January 2016. The report examines the diversity of Defra’s workforce and provides evidence of how we achieve our aim of offering real equality of opportunity to all our employees.

    The data from this report has been used to create the table below to highlight gender breakdown by headcount. Table 1 shows staff in post as at 31 March 2015 in Defra and its Executive Agencies. Employees on maternity leave and secondment are included in this analysis if they are on the core or agency payroll.

    Table 1

    Headcount

    Workforce monitoring report

    Gender (male)

    Gender (female)

    Defra

    2,086

    1,064

    1,022

    APHA

    2,359

    991

    1,368

    Cefas

    545

    311

    234

    RPA

    2,134

    982

    1,152

    VMD

    158

    65

    93

    Defra and its Agencies

    7,282

    3,413

    3,869

    The report referred to can be found on the Gov.UK website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs/about/equality-and-diversity

    “

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which operating costs were included by her Department for full operation of a hydropower scheme for the purposes of modelling its feed-in tariff scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The operating costs included for hydropower schemes aim to capture those costs faced by a developer that are strictly related to the operation of a hydropower plant; this is consistent with the approach taken across other support mechanisms, including the renewables obligation (RO).

    The detailed consideration of operating costs is set out in the impact assessment accompanying the response to the feed-in tariffs review.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486084/IA_-_FITs_consultation_response_with_Annexes_-_FINAL_SIGNED.pdf.

    “

  • 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 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Indonesian counterpart on freedom of access by journalists to West Papua.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We welcome the Indonesian government’s commitment to improving the situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. President Joko Widodo has visited 3 times since his election, most recently spending New Year in Papua. During his visit in May 2015, he granted clemency to a number of prisoners and announced the lifting of travel restrictions for foreign journalists and international organizations. Since then, a number of foreign journalists have successfully visited and reported from Papua and West Papua. Our Ambassador in Jakarta last visited Papua in January. As well as raising these issues, he also discussed ways to ensure the sustainable and equitable development of the provinces with members of the police, and religious and community leaders.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made in preventing members of the Islamic State/Daesh from travelling across the border between Syria and Turkey.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK and Turkey work in close partnership to stop foreign terrorist fighters and extremist travellers from crossing the border between Syria and Turkey, including through practical cooperation between our police and security forces.

    The Turkish authorities are taking significant measures to prevent illegal crossings from Turkey to the conflict zone, including the deployment of additional personnel. Physical security at border crossings between Syria and Turkey is improving, although sections of the border remain porous.

    Between January and December 2015, 913 foreign nationals who are members of Daesh were arrested in Turkey, 435 of whom were caught passing to Syria.

  • Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Prime Minister last visited Africa to promote trade, investment and economic development; which countries he visited; and when he next intends to make such a visit.

    Lord Price

    Details of ministerial visits overseas are published on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the gov.uk website. For security reasons, the Prime Minister’s engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 6 June 2016 to Questions 37441 and 38348, why North Middlesex Hospital is not being supported by the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team via the Emergency Care Improvement Programme.

    Ben Gummer

    We are advised by NHS Improvement that North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust was not supported by the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team (ECIST) during 2015/16 as it did not fall within the criteria at the time of selection for enrolment in the Emergency Care Improvement Programme.

    However, following concerns regarding the Emergency Department waiting time performance at the Trust, we are aware that NHS Improvement and NHS England jointly arranged a review of the system’s emergency care pathway by the North West Utilisation Management Unit.

    We understand that in response to the findings the system has developed a ‘safer, faster, better’ programme to address issues across the pathway.

    We are informed that the Trust requested support from ECIST at the end of April 2016. A tailored support programme is currently being developed. This will include visits from clinicians and improvement managers from ECIST.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many officials of his Department are (a) on secondment from external companies and (b) engaged as external contractors or consultants; and what the cost is of engaging such people.

    Greg Hands

    Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.

    Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes the Secretary of State as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.

    Since the department was formed in July there have been no secondees appointed from the private sector. Secondees previously in post with syndicate organisations have moved across to DIT on legacy terms.

    Contractors in post with syndicate organisations have also moved across to DIT on legacy terms. Since the department was formed in July the number of contractors remains 217 with incumbent costs, as tabled below.

    DIT Secondees

    Monthly Costs

    DIT Contractors

    Costs for financial year 2015/16

    Trade Policy & Ministerial (BEIS)

    1

    £0.00

    1

    £14,982

    International Trade & Investment (UKTI)

    *12

    £14,299.27

    196 – as of 01/09/16

    £24 million

    UK Export Finance

    0

    –

    20 – as of 01/09/16

    £2.54 million

    Total

    13

    £14,299.27

    217

    £26.5 million

    Table Notes:

    The majority of secondees are funded by seconding companies. Costs are based on collective monthly salaries of DIT funded secondees.

    Actual numbers of contractors fluctuate throughout the year as do costs. Contractor costs reflect the level of senior specialist, technical and commercial knowledge required by the former UKTI department to support British businesses in international markets, and with overseas investors looking to invest in the UK.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to increase the number of household waste recycling centres that accept liquid paint.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government has been engaging constructively with the British Coatings Federation on making better use of leftover paint, including identifying potential regulatory barriers to its recycling and remanufacture and how these might be overcome.

    The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) encourages consumers to recycle and re-use household paint by providing information through the Recycle Now website. This includes a postcode locator which helps pinpoint local Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) that accept leftover paint. The Government’s Innovation in Waste Prevention Fund has also supported a pilot paint re-use project in Cheshire involving local charities, working with HWRCs and housing associations to increase paint donation and minimise disposal. WRAP will publish a summary of the project, lessons learned and a video case study later in the year.

    In terms of public procurement, it is for each Government department to consider sustainability and put this into practice in its own procurement activity. Government Buying Standards do not currently include remanufactured paint. WRAP has recently published a guide on ‘How to Include Re-use in Local Authority HWRC Procurement’.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure aid is delivered to the Syrian town of Madaya.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. The UK co-sponsored and lobbied hard for the passage of UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258 which call on the parties to allow rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to besieged and hard to reach places. An estimated £275 million (49%) of humanitarian assistance funded by the UK for inside Syria has been allocated for cross-border operations.

    We have provided support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria, including Madaya.

    On 11 January 2016, the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent confirmed that aid convoys of humanitarian assistance had arrived in the hard to reach the town of Madaya, and the besieged areas of Foah and Kefraya. Further convoys are anticipated over the next couple of days. The convoy is expected to meet survival needs of the 40,000 persons inside Madaya, and 20,000 people inside Foah and Kefraya.

    DFID funding to UN agencies is directly supporting the current convoy with food parcels, nutritional supplements, essential drugs and non-food items including winterisation kits.

    The UK worked with partners in the UN Security Council to put humanitarian access in Madaya, and across Syria, on the Security Council’s agenda on Monday 11 January.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role the Garter King of Arms and the College of Arms have in the formulation of policy and practice on the rules and regulations governing the use, style and designation accorded to UK nationals and UK dual nationals of the Queen’s Commonwealth realms.

    James Duddridge

    The recognition of foreign honours is a matter for the Royal Prerogative.