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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations he has (a) received and (b) made on the introduction or piloting of a system of automatic electoral registration.
John Penrose
I have considered a range of proposals from local authorities and civil society organisations that could change how registration is currently delivered. The Government is committed to further modernising and improving electoral registration, building on the successful transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER). We are keen to explore further possibilities in this area but are concerned there may be tension between some forms of automatic registration and the principles underpinning IER, namely individual responsibility and ownership over registering to vote.