The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.
David Mundell
The Scotland Office has no in-house catering services and does not separately record the purchase of dairy products.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the outcomes were of Chief Constable David Shaw’s review of the publication of taser data and other use of force by police officers; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the findings and recommendations of that review.
Mike Penning
Data is not recorded centrally on the number of times the police have deployed Taser devices on psychiatric wards. A Taser record is completed by police officers each time a Taser is used. However, this record does not currently show the detailed geographical or type of location.
Police Use of Taser statistics are published by the Home Office and most recently on 28 April 2016. These provide a snapshot of Taser use.
We have been very clear that the public need greater transparency and that is why the Home Secretary asked Chief Constable David Shaw to lead an in-depth review of the publication of Taser data and other use of force by police officers.
The review recommended that the police record and publish the ethnicity, age, location and outcome of all serious use of force by police officers, including physical restraint and Taser. Pathfinder forces started to collect this data from April this year, and it is anticipated that the collection will form part of the 2017-18 Home Office Annual Data Return.
A copy of Chief Constable David Shaw’s review will be placed in the House library. The review contained no data on the number of times the police have used Taser in mental health settings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to negotiate extending reciprocal social security arrangements to overseas countries so as to facilitate an annual increase in the state pension for British citizens who retire to those countries.
Lord Freud
The Government has a clear position, which has remained consistent for around 70 years: UK State Pensions are payable worldwide and uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so – for example in countries where a reciprocal agreement is in place that allows for uprating. There are no plans to change this or to assess the impact of British citizens’ choosing to retire abroad.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) structure and (b) membership of the cross-departmental air quality unit is.
Mr John Hayes
The Joint Air Quality Unit has been established to lead delivery of the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, published in December last year.
The unit is headed by a senior civil servant. The team consists of civil servants from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Transport (DfT), and is primarily based within Defra.
It reports to two Senior Responsible Officers: the Director for the Energy, Technology, and Innovation directorate in DfT, and the Director of the Environmental Quality directorate in Defra. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the Cabinet representative for air quality policy. Decisions relating to delivery of the national air plan for nitrogen dioxide are agreed jointly by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities at Defra, and the Minister of State at the Department for Transport.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on Hamas’ rearmament in Gaza; and if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on the Middle East Peace Process of that rearmament.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of reports of Hamas’ rearmament in Gaza. We remain deeply concerned by Hamas’ attempts to rearm and its efforts to rebuild infrastructure, including the tunnel network in Gaza. We are clear that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza must permanently end rocket fire and other attacks against Israel. Any Hamas rearmament undermines efforts to improve the situation in Gaza and harms prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many trusted partner pilots he plans to appoint for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements.
Priti Patel
The intention is to deliver 26 Trusted Partner pilot sites. In total we received just over 200 valid applications; 16 landlords have already commenced the pilot and work is in train to confirm the final 10.
We plan to let key stakeholders know once all landlords have been confirmed.
Tenants in accommodation such as supported or sheltered housing are not subject to the Alternative Payment Arrangement process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps are being taken to encourage youth engagement in (a) national and (b) local elections.
John Penrose
The Government is committed to maximising electoral registration to help ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote in polls is able to do so. The introduction of online voter registration has made it easier, simpler and faster to register to vote. Since its launch in June 2014, 3.6 million people aged 16-24 have applied to register to vote, with 2.6 million applications online.
The Government has worked with youth organisations such NUS and UK Youth to deliver activities to engage people in the democratic process.
In addition, The Government has previously funded the British Youth Council to deliver Youth Voice activities including the UK Youth Parliament and the associated ‘Make Your Mark’ ballot.
The ballot led to nearly a million young people, aged 11 to 18, voting in this UK wide ballot; a record turnout. This decided the issues debated at UK Youth Parliament, including mental health, a living wage and tackling religious discrimination.
The Government has committed to support the Youth Parliament and associated activities for the remainder of the Parliament until 2020.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevenson of Balmacara on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the not-for-profit company that sets and co-ordinates the 11 plus exam in Buckinghamshire is subject to the public sector equality duty.
Lord Nash
The Department for Education holds no responsibility for the 11 plus exams. These are commercial products which local authorities and independent schools implement at their discretion.
The 11 plus exam, or newly-named ‘Transfer Test’, in Buckinghamshire is developed by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at the University of Durham, which is an independent educational supplier. Private and voluntary organisations are subject to the public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010 when they carry out public functions. The duty may therefore apply to CEM’s public functions only, but the Department cannot advise on this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many UK seafarer (a) officers and (b) ratings employed in the offshore supply vessel sector have been made redundant in each month since June 2015.
Mr Robert Goodwill
We do not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what research and development her Department is funding into the potential role of agroforestry in improving soil health and condition and prevention of erosion.
Mr Nick Hurd
The Department for International Development supports a number of research programmes that assess the use of agroforestry to promote soil health and prevent as well as reduce erosion. This includes, for example, work with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the global Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security research programme (CCAFS).
My Department also supports a wide range of development programmes with agro-ecological components, from agroforestry, soil and water conservation, land use management to climate resilience and conservation agriculture. These include, for example, The Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), and Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED). The full range of our programmes can be found on our Development Tracker website.