Tag: 2016

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help give the views of young people greater prominence in policy decisions in their community.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The Cabinet Office supports the Government’s commitment of giving young people the power and opportunity to play a real part in their community. We promote engagement, advocacy and consultation at both national and local level

    We support the British Youth Council (BYC) to deliver its ‘youth voice’ programme, including key activities such as the national annual Make Your Mark ballot, UK Youth Parliament, and the Youth Select Committee.

    Cabinet Office has committed to continuing its support for these activities for the remainder of the current Parliament.

  • Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on charities operating in Gaza of the freezing of financial transfers to them owing to the orders of the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian banks.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK remains supportive of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) efforts to strengthen its revenue generation. A transparent and effective tax system is an important part of this. It is also important that the tax system is implemented in a way that does not negatively impact the vital role which NGO’s play in responding to the needs of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is an importtant part of this.

    DFID officials have raised concerns with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) about this, particularly the need for clarity on the implications of the tax system for NGOs, and how this could affect issues such as operations in Gaza and banking signatory authorities. The UK, along with other donors, UN OCHA and the NGO community, will continue to be in close contact with PA to clarify their approach.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals his Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department for Work and Pensions is leading on one set of negotiations on the following EU proposal:

    • Directive 2004/37/EC – Proposal to amend the Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many applications under the unduly lenient sentence scheme have been rejected due to falling outside the remit of that scheme in each of the last five years.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Government has committed to extending the scope of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme and is carefully considering its approach.

    The number of offenders who have had their sentence increased under the unduly lenient sentence scheme in each of the last five years is set out below.

    Year

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Offenders who have had their sentence increased by the Court of Appeal

    95

    62

    61

    106

    102

    Some cases attract multiple referrals from various sources and we do not record how many referrals each case has received. The total number of cases where requests were received by the Attorney General’s Office for sentences to be reviewed in each of the last five years is set out below.

    Year

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Total number of referrals received by the Attorney General’s Office for sentences to be reviewed under the scheme

    377

    435

    498

    674

    713

    The number of sentences referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme that were (a) increased and (b) kept the same in each of the last five years is set out below.

    Year

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Total number of sentences referred to the Court of Appeal

    117

    82

    70

    122

    136

    Total number of sentences that were increased

    95

    62

    61

    106

    102

    Total number of sentences that remained unchanged

    22

    20

    9

    16

    34

    The number of referrals under the unduly lenient sentence scheme that have been rejected due to falling outside the remit of the scheme in each of the last five years is set out below.

    Year

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Number of referrals that have been rejected due to the offence falling outside the remit of the scheme

    62

    75

    131

    194

    228

    Number of referrals received out of time

    3

    12

    9

    10

    16

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 44, on Down’s syndrome, don’t screen us out campaign, tabled on 19 May 2016.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UKNSC) has recommended that Non Invasive Prenatal Testing for Down’s, Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes should be introduced as an additional test into the NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme as part of an evaluation. Ministers are currently considering this recommendation from the UK NSC.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on eradication of polio.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are both committed to global polio eradication. The Secretary of State and officials from her Department have had a number of meetings with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss polio. Officials also have regular policy discussions through both organisations’ participation on the Global Polio Oversight Board and its Finance and Accountability Committee.

    The UK is a top three donor to polio eradication, with a £300 million commitment from 2013 to 2018. UK support has been critical in bringing us one step closer to the finish line of a world free from polio, something people across the country can be immensely proud of.

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

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has for implementing a meningitis vaccination programme for older adults.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has no plans to introduce a meningitis vaccination programme for older adults.

    National immunisation programmes are introduced following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the government on all immunisation matters. JCVI reviewed all available evidence and advised that immunisation against meningococcal group B should be routinely offered to infants from two months of age and immunisation against meningococcal A, C, W and Y should be routinely offered to teenagers aged around 14 years.

  • George Kerevan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    George Kerevan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Kerevan on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received on the applicability of the 1951 Refugee Convention to the migrants who arrived in the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus in 1998.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The 1951 Refugee Convention places no obligation on the UK to consider asylum claims made outside its immediate territory. The Sovereign Base Area is an overseas territory and separate by legal jurisdiction to the UK. The Convention has not been extended to the Sovereign Base Areas. Representations challenging the applicability of the 1951 Refugee Convention are currently being made to the High Court on behalf of a group of refugees who have been resident in the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus since 1998.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Office for Budget Responsibility on the potential implications of the UK withdrawing from the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Office for Budget Responsibility have set out their approach to assessing the implications of a UK withdrawal from the EU in their March 2016 Economic and fiscal outlook (see Box 3.4).

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of recent trends in life expectancy.

    Jane Ellison

    We welcome the overall trend to longer life expectancy. Annual fluctuations in life expectancy do occur, but the overall trend remains positive. We are committed to helping people live longer, healthier lives. Tackling health inequalities amongst people of ages is embedded in policy right across the Department.