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Tag: 2016

  • Lord Knight of Weymouth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Knight of Weymouth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Knight of Weymouth on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 1 February (HL5090 and HL5091), whether they will now provide the direct link to that information, and why they did not provide that link in those answers.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England is currently finalising the service specification for a forthcoming procurement for genomic laboratory services. The issues around sharing outcome data are under broader consideration as part of the wider genomics programme.

  • Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether HMRC’s current pilot of the Codentify system is consistent with their obligations under the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) takes the restrictions in the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) very seriously. These require that the development, implementation and enforcement of tobacco policies as part of public health policies should be protected from the influence of the tobacco industry.

    Codentify is a system, developed and introduced by the major tobacco manufacturers on their own initiative through the Digital Coding and Tracking Association (DCTA). HMRC played no part in the development or introduction of the system nor did HMRC require that it be introduced. Codentify codes already feature on packs and are there regardless of any HMRC use of them. The trial HMRC is undertaking is to see whether these existing codes could help officers in the field to authenticate products and help tackle illicit tobacco. No other companies currently provide such codes.

    The use of Codentify by HMRC is not part of an exercise to evaluate the wider use of potential tools available on the market. Any such exercise would be undertaken in the context of the implementation of the EU Tobacco Products Directive track and trace security feature requirements, which will be implemented by May 2019 for cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.

    The European Commission is still considering, with Member States, proposals for new pan European security features and track and trace systems, and has yet to determine any technical specifications. HMRC are not evaluating Codentify as a track and trace tool or potential security feature; the aspects of the system being used are entirely separate from the requirements of the Directive.

    The use of Codentify is not a formal pilot and there will not be reports or results to publish. Instead the trial will identify the strengths, weaknesses and usefulness of using Codentify to HMRC as an authentication tool in the field. HMRC will review this later in 2016. Some resource has been spent providing access to the system and training officers in the use of the tool. However, this has been minimal and has not been separately identified. The Department of Health leads on public health policy and has been consulted on this initiative. HMRC sees no conflict between its current use of the Codentify system and FCTC requirements.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff are employed in the Financial Investigation Unit of the Child Maintenance Group.

    Priti Patel

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion on 29 February 2016 to Question UIN 27465.

    “

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lansley on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of leaving the EU on businesses that export within the EU single market and on individual sectors.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with my noble Friend.

  • Heidi Allen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Heidi Allen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Allen on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will be represented at ministerial level at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Slovenia in October 2016.

    George Eustice

    The UK Government raises its opposition to Japan’s continued whaling at every appropriate opportunity, including at meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Most recently, I raised the issue with the Japanese Fisheries Minister during an official visit to Japan.

    We will continue to work closely with countries opposing Japan’s programme of whaling in the build-up to the next IWC meeting in October this year, and will ensure that the UK’s strong opposition is reiterated. Parliamentary business permitting, the UK will again be represented at the Ministerial level, as has been the case at previous IWC meetings.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what humanitarian aid they are providing to injured and displaced persons in North Korea following the recent flooding in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK supports organisations such as the UN through core contributions. UN agencies are delivering humanitarian assistance to people affected.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20287, when she plans to give a substantive answer to that question.

    James Brokenshire

    I refer the Honourable Member to the response I gave on 17 March 2016.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on farmers and rural businesses of poor broadband provision in rural areas.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    This Government recognises that all businesses need access to reliable, fast broadband to compete, innovate, increase productivity and have access to Government digital services. Superfast broadband now covers almost 90% of UK premises and this will increase to 95% by the end of next year as a result of the Government’s Superfast Broadband Programme and further commercial delivery. Premises everywhere including rural areas which do not have speeds of at least 2 Megabits per second are able to access a subsidised broadband service, usually delivered through a satellite connection, which can deliver speeds of 10Mbps or more.

    The Prime Minister has also announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition to set this at 10Mbps. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection, at a minimum speed, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live.

  • Lord Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6266), what improvements Govia Thameslink Railway have implemented since the commencement of their franchise.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have implemented numerous improvements since the commencement of their franchise. These include, but are not limited to:

    • Extension of smart ticketing functionality meaning that ‘the Key’ smartcard is now available at an additional 80 stations, taking the total number of stations to 220;
    • Oyster PAYG and CPAY has been extended to Gatwick Airport station;
    • An increase in overnight services serving Luton Airport Parkway station;
    • An increased number of Rail Enforcement Officers, with an additional 19 officers;
    • An increase in customer information screens;
    • A single source of customer information across website, app and stations;
    • Access to radio microphones for all platform staff to improve information provision at stations;
    • First to last staffing at an additional 25 Great Northern and Thameslink stations;
    • Ordered new trains comprising 150 vehicles for the Great Northern Moorgate route to replace rolling stock from the 1970s;
    • Services on the Moorgate branch in the evenings and at weekends;
    • iPads for customer facing staff to improve information provision;
    • 24 hour Twitter team;

    In addition, the following key improvements are on course to be delivered by Govia Thameslink Railway in the coming months:

    • Introduction of a new fleet of trains for the Gatwick Express – the first of which went into passenger service on 29 Feb;
    • New state of the art Class 700 trains will start to be introduced across the GTR network from the spring;
    • WiFi at 104 stations.

    More details on the committed obligations and improvements GTR are contracted to deliver can be found in the Franchise Agreement which is available at the government website.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the freedom to receive information inside North Korea, and (2) the number of South Korean and US radio broadcasters that tailor and transmit programming to North Korean citizens.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea found that North Korean citizens are denied the right to access information from independent sources and all media is heavily censored. There are a number of US and South Korean broadcasters that are currently transmitting programming into North Korea, or have recently, including Voice of America and Korean Broadcasting System Korea Global Radio.