Tag: 2016

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has provided to UNOCHA for work in Libya to date.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    As part of DFID’s humanitarian programme in Libya, we are funding a secondment position within the UN’s Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) until August 2016. This OCHA position will support a more coordinated international response, and the establishment of an information management system to strengthen understanding of the humanitarian situation.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve provision of IVF as a result of the meeting held by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with Monitor and NHS England on 14 December 2015.

    Jane Ellison

    Following a meeting with Fertility Fairness in December 2015, officials from the Department and NHS England are considering options for addressing variation in the prices that clinical commissioning groups are currently paying for in vitro fertilisation treatment.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle low pay in Northern Ireland.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    This Government is committed to delivering a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society.

    That is why we have introduced the new National Living Wage of £7.20 which will benefit 100,000 people in Northern Ireland and increase annual wages by up to £900.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the level of consumer protection against misuse of consumer data in algorithm-driven applications; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that consumers are able to see how their data is used by such applications.

    Matt Hancock

    The Government Office for Science published an evaluation report on Distributed Ledger Technology: beyond block chain on 19 January 2016, which provides an assessment. In addition, the report recommends 8 actions for government to maximise the opportunities and reduce the risks of this new technology. A copy of the report is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492972/gs-16-1-distributed-ledger-technology.pdf

    Consumers’ rights with regard to the collection, processing and disclosure of their personal data are governed by the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The DPA provides rights for individuals in respect of their personal data, including rights in relation to automated decision-making, the right of subject access, the right to prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress compensation for failure to comply with certain of the Act’s requirements, and the right to have data rectified, blocked, erased or otherwise destroyed in certain circumstances.

    There have been significant advances in digital technology since the DPA came into force nearly 20 years ago. The Government is reviewing the current regulatory framework to ensure it is fit for purpose for the digital age.

  • Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many residential properties were owned by private landlords in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (g) 2016.

    Gavin Barwell

    These data are published in Live table 104 here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/519499/LT_104.xls

    “

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with (a) UK Financial Investments and (b) Royal Bank of Scotland about the effects of decisions by the bank’s Global Restructuring Group on (i) small businesses and (ii) the economy of the UK.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is aware of the reports published by Sir Andrew Large and, separately, by Dr Lawrence Tomlinson into Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)’s treatment of customers and businesses in financial difficulty.

    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has appointed Promontory Financial Group and Mazars to independently review the allegations in the reports against RBS’s practices. If the findings from the review reveal issues which come within the FCA’s remit, the FCA will consider further regulatory measures.

    The Government’s shareholding in RBS is managed at arm’s length from HM Treasury by UK Financial Investments (UKFI). However, UKFI’s role is to manage the investment, not the bank. Commercial affairs remain the responsibility of the bank’s independent management team.

    RBS is making progress to deal decisively with the problems of the past, which will allow it to become a simpler, safer and more focused bank that works for the UK economy. Under the leadership of Ross McEwan RBS has made good progress in becoming a simpler, safer and more focused bank that works for the UK economy.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to discuss the issue of education for children in areas of conflict at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016; and what plans she has to ensure children have access to education in those areas.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Education will be a significant theme in the World Humanitarian Summit and we will use this opportunity to promote our aims to improve learning outcomes, to reach all children in fragile states, and to keep girls in school.

    DFID supports children overseas to go school and continuing learning even when they are forced from their homes. This includes our flagship £355 million Girls’ Education Challenge that will enable up to 1 million more of the world’s most marginalised girls to benefit from an education of sufficient quality and transform their lives. In addition, DFID is supporting improvements to how the international community provides education in emergencies, including support for the ‘No Lost Generation’ Initiative to provide over 251,000 Syrian children with formal and informal education inside Syria and in the region, allowing them to catch up on lost learning time and sit public school examinations.

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many project licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were (a) granted and (b) refused on the basis of the results of the harm-benefit analysis carried out on those applications by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit.

    Karen Bradley

    I refer the Hon. Member to the response I previously provided to her question on 4 February 2016 (24508). The Home Office does not keep records of applications that have been rejected / refused or withdrawn at the concept or at the drafting stage.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department provides to farmers who are waiting to receive a single farm payment.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) started paying Basic Payment Scheme claims from the opening of the payment window on 1 December 2015. As of 21 March 2016, the RPA has paid 72,807 claimants approximately £1.15 billion and remains focused on paying the remainder of claims as promptly as possible.

    The RPA has an established financial hardship process and is working with a range of farming help organisations to see what further support could be offered. Following hardship case referrals from these organisations, over 420 farmers have received RPA hardship payments, amounting to more than £6.8 million.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what grounds her Department grants exemptions from (a) the life in the UK written test and (b) the language requirements of an application for UK citizenship; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Secretary of State may waive the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK requirement for British citizenship on the basis of a person’s age, physical or mental condition.

    A person will normally be exempted from this requirement if they provide evidence from an appropriate medical practitioner that their condition is so severe that it prevents them from being able to learn English or prepare for or sit an English test or the Life in the UK test. Each application is considered on its own merits.

    Information cannot be obtained from UKVI data systems to show how many exemption requests were made and granted. This information could only be obtained from looking at individual records at disproportionate cost.