UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2016

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hon. Members of each party she has met as a result of a request for such a meeting since her appointment.

    Nick Gibb

    My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Education frequently meets Hon Members from across the political spectrum in the performance of her duties.

    Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to improve the ability of Border Force to gather and exploit information to improve its performance in enforcing general maritime security; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    Border Force works very closely with law enforcement partners to harness the collective knowledge of risks associated with maritime and aviation security. This includes intelligence flows to Border Force and partner agencies from overseas partners, the maritime and aviation industries, voluntary organisations and the public. Border Force also works with the NCA through a series of Joint Border Intelligence units to share and develop intelligence across all modes including maritime and aviation.

    The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC), for which Border Force provides the executive lead, acts as the focal point for all agencies maritime information and provides the UK with unified maritime situational awareness to assist in countering potential threats to UK Maritime Security.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have transferred to universal credit since its implementation; and how many of those people have challenged the payment accredited to them.

    Damian Hinds

    No existing legacy benefit claimant has yet been moved onto Universal Credit. The managed migration of existing legacy benefit claimants will commence in July 2019 and be completed in March 2022.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received any reports that Concentrix has used postcode areas to target tax credit claimants with allegations that they have provided incorrect claim information.

    Jane Ellison

    Concentrix’s workload is delegated by HM Revenue and Customs. Using postcode areas for selection criteria is outside the scope of Concentrix. Information about the use of profiling techniques can be found in section A10.1 of the Concentrix contract at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85d1b730-5e4e-4be8-ae4c-3ac1f359afc7“

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to secure the agreement of all parties to permit access for food and other vital supplies to the residents of Madaya and other settlements in Syria in which a civilian population is being besieged by combatant forces.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK condemns the use of siege tactics against civilian populations, and continues to call upon all sides to the conflict to respect International Law and ensure free, unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies.

    In the past year, only 10% of all requests submitted by the UN to the regime to access besieged and hard-to-reach areas have been approved and delivered. That is why the UK played a critical role in co-sponsoring and lobbying for UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258 which enable the UN to deliver aid into Syria without the consent of the regime.

    The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the Syria crisis. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. Of this total, we have allocated £561 million to support vulnerable people inside Syria.

    The desperate situation in besieged and hard to reach areas shows why we need the international community to come together at the London Conference for Syria and the region on 4 February to support immediate needs and identify longer-term solutions to address the needs of those affected by the crisis, especially regarding jobs and education. We also hope the Conference will put pressure on the parties to the conflict by shining a spotlight on violations of International Law and impediments to humanitarian access in Syria.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which prisons the eight apparent homicides referred to in the Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in prison custody to December 2015; Assaults and Self-harm to September 2015, published on 28 January 2016, took place.

    Dominic Raab

    The eight apparent homicides occurred at the following prisons: HMP Dartmoor, HMP Doncaster, HMP Long Lartin, HMP Nottingham, HMP Peterborough, HMP Ranby, HMP Swaleside, HMP Wandsworth.

    The classification of these deaths remains provisional until confirmed at inquest.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which arts organisations have been allocated capital grants of more than £5 million in the last three years.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Arts Council publishes data on the organisations that have received regular funding and capital funding on their website: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-funding/apply-for-funding/capital-investment-2015-18/large-capital-grants/"

    “

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) training, (b) financial and (c) materiel support his Department is providing to the Somali National Army.

    Penny Mordaunt

    UK support to the Somalia National Army (SNA) totalled £17million in 2015-16, funded through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). This is intended to increase to £20million in 2016-17. This includes Defence mentoring support to the development of the SNA in Mogadishu, delivered both bilaterally and through UK personnel embedded in the EU training mission, and Defence oversight of a non-lethal equipment programme (including tents, computers, generators, vehicles). It also includes the provision of stipends; infrastructure support; and a £3million HMG donation to the SNA Trust Fund operated by the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). HMG is looking to deliver an enhanced programme in 2016-17.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assistance the Government has provided to the Nigerian government in the search for the Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April 2014.

    James Duddridge

    In response to the abduction of the Chibok girls the UK, together with the US and France, provided a range of military and intelligence support to help the Nigerian government in their search for the missing girls, and to address the long-term challenges of terrorism.

    Since 2014 the UK has significantly increased our military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria. This includes training and advice for Nigerian units deploying against Boko Haram. Last year almost 1000 Nigerian military personnel benefited from UK training to prepare them for counter-insurgency operations in the north east. We have also provided £5million to support the Multinational Joint Task Force set up by Nigeria and its neighbours to tackle the insurgents. Through our development assistance, the UK supports the Government of Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative which has helped over 90,000 displaced children to return to school and we have increased our humanitarian support to help deliver food, water and emergency healthcare to those affected by the conflict.

    We remain fully committed to supporting Nigeria in its fight against Boko Haram and to help find all those who are missing, including the Chibok girls.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38441, what estimate he has made of the date by which all prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection whose tariffs have expired will be released.

    Andrew Selous

    The sentence of IPP was introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 for offences committed after April 2005. They were abolished in 2012 by the Coalition Government.

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not disaggregate spending on IPP prisoners from spending on all prisoners.

    It is a priority for us to help remaining IPP prisoners progress towards release, when it is safe to do so, including by giving them opportunities to complete relevant interventions and work to reduce their risk of harm and risk of reoffending.

    The ongoing work to improve progression opportunities is continuing to achieve results, with 512 IPP releases approved by the Parole Board in 2015, the highest number of annual releases since the sentence became available in 2005.

    The release dates of prisoners serving IPP sentences, once they have completed their tariff, is entirely a matter for the independent Parole Board. The Board will direct release only if prisoners’ risks have been reduced to a level that may be safely managed in the community.