Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered upgrading the M20 or the A2/M2 as an alternative to the establishment of a permanent lorry area near Junction 11 of the M20.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Highways England carried out an assessment of alternative options for a solution to Operation Stack and this considered increasing the overall capacity and resilience of Kent’s motorway network. The alternatives were included in a public consultation held between December 2015 and January 2016.

    Overall, a lorry area was the best performing option and this was stated in the report on the consultation which can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/management-of-freight-vehicles-through-kent and is attached for ease of reference.

    “

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 December 2015 (HL4002), whether they will instruct the Social Housing Regulator to require a report from Circle Housing Group on the performance of Old Ford Housing Association’s gas safety and repairs and maintenance contractor since the governance rating downgrade in February 2015.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Social Housing Regulator is statutorily independent. The Department for Communities and Local Government cannot therefore direct the Regulator on this matter.

    The Social Housing Regulator has a clear regulatory framework which it applied in this case. As is normal practice the Social Housing Regulator is working closely with Circle as it recovers the urgent and emergency repairs service provided to Old Ford’s tenants and improves its governance. The Regulator currently has sufficient assurance of Circle’s plans to address the issues and its progress in doing so, such that the Regulator considers it does not need to use its enforcement powers at this point. The Regulator will of course continue to examine new information that comes to light.

  • Lord Rowlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Rowlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rowlands on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on how many European Arrest Warrants were sought by individual member states in 2015, and how many were executed.

    Lord Bates

    Figures for 2015 calendar year are not yet available. They will be released by the National Crime Agency when they have been verified later in the year. Figures for previous years are publically available at the National Crime Agency’s website at: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/european-arrest-warrant-statistics

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 2 March (HL6343), why Canada was excluded from the list of countries in Annex A, and what figure for the number of people in Canada in receipt of a frozen UK state pension should have been included.

    Baroness Altmann

    The information requested can be found at page 2 of Annex A, at line 5 of the table provided in the answer I gave on 3 March to (HL 6343). I attach that here at Annex A for convenience.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when a British frigate or destroyer was last assigned to protect the Falkland Islands; whether there has been any change in his Department’s policy on the provision of such protection: and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Atlantic Patrol Tasking (South) duty provides a tangible presence in the South Atlantic, maintaining a commitment to provide support and reassurance to British Overseas Territories in the region, including the Falkland Islands.

    The last frigate or destroyer in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands was the Type 23 frigate HMS LANCASTER; she completed this task in early December 2015.

    There has been no change to our policy. We continually review our security posture in the Falkland Islands, which remain defended by a range of military assets including the patrol vessel HMS CLYDE, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship and around 1,200 UK personnel operating Royal Air Force Typhoon jets, ground defences and supporting infrastructure. In addition, other Royal Navy ships would be retasked to the Falkland Islands if required.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how community resolution agreements are recorded in crime statistics.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Home Office publishes the number of Community Resolutions issued and recorded by police forces as part of its Crime Outcomes in England and Wales statistical releases. These show Community Resolutions that have been delivered in accordance with the College of Policing guidance on the Use of Community Resolution Incorporating Restorative Justice.

    The latest figures show that in year ending December 2015 there were 120,002 Community Resolutions recorded by police forces in England and Wales.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will instruct Student Finance England to respond to student number 03530036915 at the University of the West of England on the submission of that student’s 2015-16 declaration form.

    Joseph Johnson

    Student Finance England has confirmed that it has recently been in contact with the relevant student, and that their 2015-16 declaration form has been processed.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to tighten cyber security, in the light of the breach at Yahoo.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    Cyber security is recognised by the Government as a Tier One national security threat alongside deterring state-based threats and terrorism. In response to that threat and recognising the United Kingdom’s position as one of the most digitally advanced economies in the world, the Government is publishing its new five year National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) later this year.

    The National Cyber Security Strategy defines the government’s vision and ambition for the future: a UK that is secure and resilient to cyber threats and sets out a comprehensive plan to better protect the UK from those threats. The new strategy includes delivering a new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to take the lead in our ambitious plans to improve UK cyber security and involves creating a programme of active cyber defence which will have the ability to counter-attack in cyber space.

    To fund the strategy, the Government announced that it has set aside £1.9bn of investment in cyber including a new National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP).

    The Government has also put in place a wide range of cyber security guidance and support for businesses. This includes:

    • free advice and online training on the gov.uk website;
    • the ‘Cyber Essentials’ scheme, which shows all businesses how to protect against common Internet threats;
    • the ‘10 Steps to Cyber Security guidance’, which shows large organisations how to manage cyber risk strategically;
    • a cross-government National Cyber Security Programme funded campaign aimed at significantly improving the online safety, behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses;
    • specialist advice and support for critical national infrastructure.

    Industry must also act by ensuring staff have the right training, skills and tools to operate safely online.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the legal opinion recently commissioned by Amnesty International and Saferworld, which claims that they are breaking the law by supplying arms to Saudi

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of this legal opinion provided on instructions from certain non-governmental organisations. We are also aware of our legal obligations as regards the licensing of arms for export to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.

    The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent arms export control regimes in the world. All arms export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking intoaccountall relevant information, to ensure compliance with our legal obligations, including under international law. A licence will not be issued, for any country, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria. This includes the export of arms to Saudi Arabia. The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

  • Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries attended any meetings in which ministers from HM Treasury discussed the future of Channel 4 between May 2015 and January 2016 inclusive.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Treasury Ministers and officials have both regular discussions with colleagues and meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not government practice to release details of routine officials’ discussions as to do so would be impracticable and potentially prejudice the effective conduct of public policy development. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.