Tag: 2016

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on support for the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government shares the concerns of the UN Commission of Inquiry regarding human rights in Eritrea, in particular shortcomings in the rule of law and indefinite national service.

    We have made clear to the Eritrean Government the tangible improvements we want to see, including amending its national service system and fully implementing its own constitution. We are also urging the Government of Eritrea to increase further its engagement with international human rights bodies, such as the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recently visited Eritrea and was allowed access for the first time to a place of detention. We are supporting UN and EU programmes set up to address recommendations made by the Universal Periodic Review on human rights, and are funding a programme on strengthening the rule of law implemented by the Slynn Foundation.

    The mechanism of the Special Rapporteur is an important tool for the international community to strengthen its engagement with Eritrea. The UK Statement to the Human Rights Council on 21 June called on both the Special Rapporteur and the Government of Eritrea to consider ways that they might work together constructively to enhance the progress Eritrea has begun to make in its human rights observance.

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase quota levels for the under-10 metres fishing fleet.

    George Eustice

    Defra is in the final stages of a permanent quota realignment exercise which will represent a14% uplift in the amount of quota the inshore fleet currently receives.

    For species subject to the discard ban from January 2016, we have announced that the non-sector pools, which includes fishing vessels under 10 metres, will receive the first 100 tonnes of any quota uplift received and 10% of any remaining uplift. For 2016 this represents more than 1,000 tonnes of uplift to support the non-sector in their adaptation to the landing obligation.

    The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is currently determining the 2016 monthly catch limits for the inshore fleet in light of the December 2015 Fisheries Council agreement. This quota will be used to maximise the income that can be achieved, while minimising discards for the non-sector fleet. The MMO welcomes views on quota management and utilisation of quota uplift for the non–sector via the MMO coastal quota advisory meetings and monthly quota consultations.

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what budget has been allocated to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Following the results of the Spending Review the Department for Education is currently finalising budgets over the review period for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) along with other budgets for which the Department is responsible. I am not in a position to confirm the level of funding that the EHRC will receive until this process is complete.

    The EHRC’s budget is available in its annual report, which is available to view here: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/about-commission/corporate-reporting/annual-reports

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mother and baby beds are available in mental health units or hospitals in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) the East Midlands region.

    Alistair Burt

    We are advised by NHS England that there are seven mother and baby beds in mental health units for Nottinghamshire and a total of 13 in the East Midlands, provided as follows: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Perinatal (seven beds), and Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Mother and Baby Unit (six beds).

  • Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government between which dates the current President of the World Anti-Doping Agency was a consultant to UK Anti-Doping; how much he was paid; and what his responsibilities were.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Sir Craig Reedie was appointed a Special Advisor to UK Anti-Doping in 2009. The role was created to provide expert advice to UK Anti-Doping, primarily during its formative phase, as and when required. Under this appointment, Sir Craig Reedie was not commissioned to provide any expert advice and therefore received no payment from UK Anti-Doping. He formally stood down from this role on his appointment to President of the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2014.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish Government plans to deploy armed officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary to support territorial police forces and to use the military to backfill such officers in civil nuclear establishments.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Civil Nuclear Constabulary and territorial police forces offer mutual support through individual agreements. As the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House of Commons on 23 November [23 Nov 2015: Column 1051], plans are in place to enable military personnel to support the Police in the event of major terrorist incidents in the UK. Military personnel will be able to fill a number of operational tasks. For national security reasons, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on these detailed operational agreements.

  • Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Crawley on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many pregnant women have been deported from the UK in the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office will not necessarily be aware that a woman is pregnant unless she chooses to make this known to us and a woman may not know herself that she is pregnant when she is detained. It may not always be appropriate for healthcare professionals to disclose information that the patient has asked not to be disclosed.

    Subject to these limitations, management information for 21 June 2016 shows that there were no pregnant women detained under Immigration Act powers at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre.

    Information on the number of pregnant women deported from the UK in each of the last five years is not held centrally and providing it would incur disproportionate cost.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review their policy of freezing state pensions of British citizens residing in overseas countries, where there is no existing reciprocal social security arrangement in place.

    Lord Freud

    The Government has a clear position, which has remained consistent for around 70 years: UK State Pensions are payable worldwide and uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so – for example in countries where a reciprocal agreement is in place that allows for uprating. There are no plans to change this or to assess the impact of British citizens’ choosing to retire abroad.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who will be eligible to apply for the High Speed 2 (a) Community and Environment Fund and (b) Business and Local Economy Fund.

    Andrew Jones

    The Community and Environment Fund is open to constituted community groups along the Phase One route, including registered charities, community interest companies and Local Authorities. The Business and Local Economy Fund is open to organisations that represent the collective business community of areas along the Phase One route, such as Chambers of Commerce, Business Improvement Districts, Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he and the Secretary of State for Defence met in a 2 plus 2 bilateral meeting with their Russian counterparts.

    Mr David Lidington

    The then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble friend the Lord Hague of Richmond and the then Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met their Russian counterparts at the UK-Russia Joint Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue in London on 13 March 2013. The Government suspended the ‘2+2’ format and wider military cooperation with Russia following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in March 2014.