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Tag: 2016

  • Lord Ahmed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Ahmed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they keep statistics regarding how many British parliamentarians have visited (1) Sudan, (2) Syria, (3) Iran, and (4) Iraq, in the last five years; and if so, what assessment they have made of how many may be discouraged from visiting those countries in the future due to the implementation of HR158 under the Visa Waiver Programme Improvement and Terrorist Prevention Act 2015 by US authorities.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Figures for the number of British parliamentarians who have visited (1) Sudan, (2) Syria, (3) Iran, and (4) Iraq, in the last five years are not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. As Parliamentarians are not obliged to inform the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of their travel commitments, any figures held by overseas posts may not be accurate. The FCO has not made any assessment of the impact of the implementation of HR158 under the Visa Waiver Programme Improvement and Terrorist Prevention Act 2015 by US authorities on travel by parliamentarians to these countries

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will suspend arms export licences and reject new applications for arms exports to any parties that risk using them in contravention of international humanitarian and human rights laws.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    All UK export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all available relevant information at the time of the application. A licence will not be issued if doing so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria, including the UK’s international obligations and its commitments to enforce UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes, and where it is assessed there is a clear risk that the items might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law. As part of its assessment under Criterion 2, the Government is required to take account of the risk the items might be used to commit gender-based violence or serious violence against women or children.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the average annual energy charges paid by (a) existing and (b) new customers in each of the last five years.

    Jesse Norman

    Average annual domestic bills for gas and electricity and industrial energy prices are published as part of the BEIS’s quarterly energy prices publication. The latest available figures are for the average annual domestic bills in 2015 which are £714 for gas (GB) and £584 (UK) for standard electricity.

    The information required to distinguish between existing and new customers is not held by BEIS.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West of 30 August 2016 on the Kingston Centre (Primary PRU), our case reference ZA5075.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System sent a reply to the Hon. Member’s letter on 24 October 2016.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many properties in (a) the UK and (b) England have received any funding grants of up to £5,000 from the Environment Agency for the purchase and installation of flood prevention measures in their homes since 2012.

    Rory Stewart

    Between 2011/12 and 2014/15, approximately 60 projects have been funded through Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid and Partnership scheme funding by the Environment Agency to provide individual property level protection to approximately 1,100 homes.

    Over 6,000 properties benefitted from Defra funding up to £5,000 from the Repair & Renew Grant scheme launched following the winter floods 2013/14 to help protect their property against future flooding.

    These figures are for England only. Flood Risk management is a devolved matter managed locally by the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses in Leeds who (a) applied and (b) were deemed eligible for the (i) business recovery grant, (ii) business rates relief and (c) Flood Resilience-Resistance grant since flooding over Christmas 2015.

    James Wharton

    Leeds City Council has to date received £4.7 million from the Community and Business Relief Scheme with more funding to follow once property numbers are finalised. Central Government will fully fund 100% Business Rates relief for a minimum of 3 months for any flooded business that meets the eligibility criteria. To date, Leeds City Council has received an advance payment of £586,863 for Business Rates relief.

    Shortly, we will be asking affected local authorities to provide data on how they have used their funding, but our task currently is to do everything we can to help towns and communities recover from these devastating floods.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on (a) geopolitical stability and (b) the UK’s influence in the world.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) has been clear that in remaining in a reformed EU the UK can play a leading role in one of the world’s largest organisations from within, helping to make the big decisions on trade and security that determine our future. Working together with EU partners, for example on sanctions against Russia, or on the Iran nuclear dossier, has given the UK’s foreign policy an important additional dimension.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the level of hotel use to house asylum seekers is in each local authority area.

    James Brokenshire

    Under the COMPASS contracts, providers are allowed to use contingency accommodation to cope with unanticipated increase in demand, but we have made clear to providers that this is only ever acceptable in exceptional situations and asylum seekers must be moved to appropriate longer term accommodation as soon as possible. Providers will inform local authorities about short term contingency accommodation prior to its use.

    Our records indicate that there are currently 22 hotels in use across 10 local authorities. This is provisional management information that is subject to daily change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics

  • Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the findings of their review of employment tribunal fees; who conducted that review; what resources were afforded to that review; and when they were made aware of the findings of that review.

    Lord Faulks

    On 11 June we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. The Review is being undertaken within the Ministry of Justice.

    The review is ongoing and will be published in due course.

  • Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the timeliness of NHS Property Services’ (a) agreement and (b) delivery of building works at (i) Sidney West in West Sussex, (ii) Horsham Hospital and (iii) Crawley Hospital.

    George Freeman

    NHS Property Services (NHSPS) invests in its buildings to ensure they are safe and statutorily compliant. Additionally, it builds or refurbishes healthcare estates to change the estate to meet changing local healthcare needs where National Health Service customers indicate the need and commit to fund the revenue consequences of our investment. This ensures scarce capital funds are prioritised where the need is greatest.

    The following table summarises the capital projects underway, planned or proposed for Sidney West Primary Care Centre, Horsham Hospital and for Crawley Hospital. The Company’s primary customers for these projects are Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Horsham and Mid-Sussex CCG who commission clinical services and lead the development of Local Estate Strategies for the areas they cover.

    Location

    Project

    Value

    Current Position

    Sidney West Primary Care Centre

    Diagnostics refurbishment

    To be confirmed

    This does not have an approved business case. Confirmation is being sought from the CCGs as to the specification of works they would wish us to undertake. Timescales for delivery cannot be confirmed at this point.

    Horsham Hospital

    Landlord works: Flooring, windows and roofing

    £0.61 million

    NHSPS is investing in a package of landlord works within Horsham Hospital including the gym refurbishment, new flooring in key areas and the refurbishment of windows. The works will start in June 2016 and are expected to be complete in October 2016.

    Horsham Hospital

    Muskoskeletal Physiotherapy (MSK)

    £1.20 million

    NHSPS is currently delivering the final phase of the MSK programme. The £2.4 million construction works at Horsham and Crawley are being managed by NHSPS as a single project and are due for completion on 20 July 2016.

    Crawley Hospital

    Muskoskeletal Physiotherapy (MSK)

    £1.20 million

    Please see above Horsham MSK position.

    Crawley Hospital

    Sub-acute ward refurbishment

    £3.97 million

    This project is for development of a 26 bed step-up/step-down facility housed within the Crawley Hospital red wing 6th floor. Works have been designed and priced. Discussions are expected to conclude in the near future between NHSPS and the CCG on agreed terms of commissioner commitment. It is anticipated that formal approval for the investment will be signed off in June 2016 with works to be completed in November 2016.

    Crawley Hospital

    Transforming Urgent Care refurbishment

    £4.53 million

    This project is for development of a combination of a clinical assessment unit, extend paediatrics, urgent treatment centre and an upgraded reception. Works have been designed and priced. Discussions are expected to conclude in the near future between NHSPS and the CCG on agreed terms of commissioner commitment. It is anticipated that formal approval for the investment will be signed off in June 2016 with works to be completed in November 2016.

    Crawley Hospital

    Landlord works associated with the Sub-acute and Transforming Urgent Care projects

    £0.70 million

    Subject to the final approval of the Sub-acute and Transforming Urgent Care customer projects NHSPS intends to invest in additional landlord works to ensure the supporting infrastructure matches the updated patient facilities.

    Crawley Hospital

    Landlord works: Fire compartmentalisation and safety upgrade

    £2.50 million

    The Crawley Hospital red wing is viewed strategically as the core building of the hospital complex. NHSPS is investing in essential landlord works to guarantee the safe and effective back office functions of the hospital infrastructure. Included within this scheme are a review and reconfiguration of fire safety zones, replacement of fire doors, removal of asbestos and improvements to the water supply system. These works will be complete in October 2016.

    Crawley Hospital

    Theatre Air Handling Unit lifecycle replacement

    £0.36 million

    NHSPS has addressed the end-of-life-status of physical assets, with planned investment that future proofs the Crawley Hospital facilities. For example, the planned renewal of the theatre air conditioning systems which will accommodate increased theatre activity and utilise energy efficient systems to improve upon the previous infrastructure. Installation is expected to be completed in November 2016.