Tag: 2016

  • Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to support the Clean for the Queen campaign.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government is delighted to support and endorse the Clean for the Queen initiative. Litter and fly-tipping blight communities and pose a risk to human health, which is why tackling them is a priority for the Government. I gave my backing to the campaign when it was launched and we will continue to promote it, to help reach as many people as possible.

    Together with the Minister for Local Government, Marcus Jones MP, I shall be writing to every Member of Parliament with an English constituency and every English unitary and district Local Authority, to encourage their participation and leadership in this worthwhile campaign.

    Our experience from the first Community Clear-Up Day in March last year demonstrated the enthusiasm and willingness of people across England to give some of their time to improve their local environment. The Clean for the Queen campaign provides a great opportunity for people to come together and clean up our local streets and parks.

    We hope the campaign will help lead to a lasting legacy of a cleaner, tidier Britain.

  • Nigel Huddleston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nigel Huddleston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Huddleston on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on individual cold weather payment notifications in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013, (d) 2014 and (e) 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what methodology the Pubs Code Adjudicator appointment panel employed in order to ensure the appointed Pubs Code Adjudicator had no conflicts of interest.

    Anna Soubry

    Mr Newby was appointed in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ (OCPA) Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies. As is standard practice, Mr Newby was asked during this appointments process to declare any potential conflicts of interest. The appointment panel discussed conflicts of interest with him at interview. The Panel was satisfied there were no conflicts of interest, and put this advice to ministers.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many representations she has received from headteachers on academisation in each of the last 12 months.

    Edward Timpson

    The Secretary of State, Ministers and officials at the Department regularly receive many representations from head teachers about schools converting to academies. All of the Department’s responses make clear that the conversion of schools to academies is part of the Government’s commitment to achieve educational excellence everywhere.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to EDM 211, 2016 Report by UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, tabled on 14 June 2016.

    James Duddridge

    Following the publication of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, we remain concerned about human rights issues in the country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s latest Human Rights Report includes Eritrea in its list of 30 priority countries for the UK government and sets out the changes needed. We continue to press the government of Eritrea, including at ministerial level, to take concrete steps to improve its respect for human rights.

    We welcome the recent increased engagement between Eritrea and the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Eritrea’s agreement to work with the United Nations Development Programme to implement the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review on human rights. We urge further such cooperation to help bring about human rights reform in Eritrea.

    We will give a full statement when the UN Human Rights Council discusses the COI’s report on 21 June.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the examination boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland collect data on the number of private candidates who sit GCSE and A-Level examinations.

    Nick Gibb

    These questions are a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write directly to the Hon. Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House libraries.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many families have been assisted by the Troubled Families programme in Southampton.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    In Southampton, the local authority achieved significant outcomes with 685 families under the first Troubled Families Programme (2012 – 2015).

    In the new Troubled Families Programme (2015 – 2020), they have so far engaged 1,065 families. This means that each of these families has a named key worker or lead worker, a full assessment of the problems they face and an agreed plan with stretching goals to tackle all of these problems.

  • Lord Chadlington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Chadlington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chadlington on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to publish an updated policy on fixed odds betting terminals.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    On 21 January the Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations introduced in April 2015, which is attached.

    The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of brownfield sites in the West Sussex County Council area have been re-designated as community land trusts in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not hold information centrally on the amount or type of land held by Community Land Trusts.

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the age range and gender of the unaccompanied children currently resident in the refugee camps in northern France who are expressing a desire to come to the UK.

    Lord Bates

    The Government does not hold that information. However, Home Office migration statistics show that for all unaccompanied asylum seeker children applications in 2015, 62% were aged 16 or 17 at time of application, 26% were 14 or 15, and 8% were under 14. In this country the obligations under the Children Act mean that anyone aged under 18 will be taken into local authority care as a result of those duties.

    Both Her Majesty’s Government and the French Government are clear that anyone who wants to claim asylum and has close family connections in the UK should first lodge a claim in France so they can be considered for reunification under the Dublin regulations. This is the best way to ensure these vulnerable children receive the protection and support they need and the quickest way to reunite them with any close family members in the UK where appropriate.