Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the National Referral Mechanism applies the definition of forced labour when the victim is a child.

    Lord Bates

    Data on the number of child cases of forced labour or domestic servitude recorded through the National Referral Mechanism is already publically available on the National Crime Agency website and can be found here: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

    The National Referral Mechanism is designed to gather evidence in order to determine whether someone is considered to be a victim of ‘slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour’ or ‘human trafficking’ in line with the offences set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Whether an individual is considered to be a victim of either of these offences in the form of domestic servitude or forced labour will be determined on the indicators present and the facts of each case. Additional consideration is given to the particular vulnerabilities of children and their inability to consent.

    Information on how many cases of domestic servitude have been prosecuted where the victim was a child or how many cases of domestic servitude have been recorded which involved more than one person from the same family is not recorded centrally.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to secure the long-term sustainable future of the Air Cadet Organisation and to encourage active participation in air cadet organisations.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The RAF remains fully committed to the Air Cadet Organisation and have pledged funding in the region of £300 million over the next 10 years. This demonstrates the RAF’s full and continued support to this world class youth organisation.

    All Air Cadet gliding was suspended in 2014 as a result of serious concerns over safety in the fleet. Following this extended pause, the Air Training Corps is restructuring Air Cadet Gliding, refocusing the resource on investing for the future Volunteer Gliding Squadrons and Air Experience Flights as well as building a much improved infrastructure. Where cadets have to travel longer distances, investment is being increased to include good quality residential accommodation for both cadets and staff allowing weekends and camps to take place. Glider experience will also be complemented by increased simulator opportunities on part task trainers.

    Air Cadet gliding will emerge more resilient in the long run thanks to this reorganisation, and we will get back to a position where all cadets across the country have flying and gliding opportunities every year. Furthermore, the Air Training Corps is engaged in the Cadet Expansion Programme which seeks to increase the number of cadet units in schools by March 2020.

  • 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 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for the driving theory test is in each region of England.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a target that 95% of candidates should be offered a booking for a driving theory test within two weeks of their preferred date. DVSA uses that target to measure the length of time candidates have to wait for a theory test.

    At the time of writing, the national position, broken down by region, was as follows:

    London and South East

    97.12%

    Midlands

    99.46%

    Northern

    98.30%

    Wales and Western

    98.71% (figure includes England only)

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will update the Business Tax Road Map in light of his recent proposals on the change to corporation tax.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Business Tax Road Map sets out the Government’s clear plans for business taxes to 2020 and beyond. It outlines the Government’s objectives for a competitive business tax system that is nonetheless fair and protected against multinational tax avoidance

    The Chancellor’s ambitions to cut the corporation tax rate further are entirely consistent with these principles.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that the funds allocated for new housing are used promptly; what steps they are taking to ensure that the housing revenue account borrowing programme is fully used by local authorities and housing associations; and what assessment they have made of whether greater flexibility between allocations is now necessary.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    There are a number of government programmes that support the delivery of new homes including the biggest affordable housing programme since the 1970s.

    Government affordable housing programmes are bid-based. The Homes and Communities Agency manages programmes outside London, and the Greater London Authority in London. A programme is normally launched through a bid round with a publication of prospectus which sets out information required for bids, eligibility and assessment criteria and grant conditions. Providers can submit bids to the grant-giving body who assess bids based on the criteria set out in the prospectus, focusing on value for money and deliverability. This allows for flexibility between allocations because value for money can be assessed across products, tenures, geographies and the types of providers. The Homes and Communities Agency carries out quarterly contract reviews with each provider to ensure delivery is on track. Through this route we have delivered 193,000 affordable homes between 2011 and 2015, exceeding the target by 23,000.

    The Government also regularly monitors the additional borrowing that local authority have been allocated under the Housing Revenue Account borrowing programme to ensure delivery of the provision of new affordable homes. We also consider applications from local authorities seeking flexibility in the profiling of their borrowing allocations across years. However, flexibility is not needed between authorities’ allocations as the programme, which was time limited, is now closed, and authorities are making good progress in using their allocations to deliver affordable homes.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on the 20 January (HL4935), (1) what is the timeline for the development of the written policy for future capability requirements, development, integration and use of unmanned systems, (2) what form of consultation is proposed, and (3) whether the written policy proposed will include a position statement on the use of drones by the Her Majesty’s Government (a) in domestic airspace, and (b) for collective and individual self-defence abroad.

    Earl Howe

    Defence policy on use of remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) is currently being drafted. This work is still in an early stage and is currently scoping the policy with the aim of producing a substantive document towards the end of the year. It is our intention to consult widely during its production, both across Government and with our international allies.

    This work will be supported and underpinned by the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre’s (DCDC) revision and update of Joint Doctrine Note 2/11 "The UK Approach to Unmanned Aircraft Systems" and through its work on the Future Air and Space Operating Concept; both of which are currently being written and will be available before the end of 2016. The DCDC will then commence work on the next edition of Joint Doctrine Publication 0-30 "UK Air and Space Doctrine" which it expects to publish in first quarter 2017.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to require private landlords to fit carbon monoxide alarms in any property that contains a fuel-burning appliance.

    Brandon Lewis

    Since 1 October 2015, landlords have been required to install carbon monoxide alarms in any room used as living accommodation which contains a solid-fuel burning appliance.

    We regulated for rooms with these appliances as they are responsible for a disproportionate number of carbon monoxide deaths and injuries compared to other combustion appliances.

    The Government therefore has no current plans to regulate further. These regulations are still very new and need time to bed in. A full review will be conducted in October 2017.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether President Anastasiades’ approach to President el-Sisi on the basis of strategic military co-operation, to President Putin on similar issues, and to Israel on oil exploration, while claiming commitment to bilateral negotiations with Turkish Cypriots are a contravention of that procedure.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    It is for the Republic of Cyprus to decide on its external relations. Given the threats facing the Eastern Mediterranean, the need for improved co-operation across the whole region remains crucial. A Cyprus settlement would provide an important boost for regional stability. The UK commends President Anastasides and Mr Akinci for their positive leadership in the Cyprus settlement talks. As the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear during his visits to Cyprus last year, the UK will continue to do whatever we can to support the efforts of both communities, and their leaders, to seize the historic opportunity that exists to reunite Cyprus.

  • Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were excluded from academy schools in Halton in each year since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    The number of permanent and fixed period exclusions in secondary academies in Halton local authority in each year since 2010/11 is provided in the table below. Note that the figures relate to secondary academies only as there were no special academies in Halton in the period the figures relate to and there were no permanent or fixed period exclusions reported by the primary academies in the area.

    Number of secondary academies

    Number of permanent exclusions[1]

    Number of fixed period exclusions

    2010/11

    1

    x

    39

    2011/12

    2

    6

    144

    2012/13

    3

    x

    158

    2013/14

    4

    x

    228

    The number of permanent and fixed period exclusions in each of the years for all other secondary schools (i.e. those that are not academies) in Halton local authority is provided in the table below.

    Number of schools

    Number of permanent exclusions

    Number of fixed period exclusions

    2010/11

    6

    9

    639

    2011/12

    5

    5

    565

    2012/13

    5

    13

    461

    2013/14

    4

    9

    388

    [1] Figures marked “x” are suppressed as they are less than 5

  • 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 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on maritime exports from UK ports to the EU of the UK voting to leave the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

    If the outcome of the EU Referendum is a vote to leave, the effect on maritime exports from UK ports to the EU would depend on the relationship agreed between the EU and the UK. This would have to be negotiated using the detailed processes set out in the EU Treaty.

    The Government has published several information documents, setting out the Government’s views on UK membership of the EU, the process for withdrawing from the EU and alternatives to EU membership. The documents can be viewed at www.eureferendum.gov.uk.

    “