The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will list by title the documents requested and not released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to (a) nuclear power and (b) Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant since May 2010.
Andrea Leadsom
The information requested is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions custody nurses were not available in police stations when required in each year since 2010.
Mike Penning
The provision and commissioning of police custody nurses is the responsibility of individual Police and Crime Commissioners, and police custody nurse staffing and availability levels are an operational policing matter in conjunction with the custody healthcare service provider. Information on these issues is not held centrally by the Home Office.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the assets held by the Air Cadet Organisation; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Julian Brazier
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The capitalisation threshold to be recorded on an asset register is £25,000, so assets held which do not meet that threshold will only appear on unit inventories across the entire Air Cadet Organisation
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to hold events for cities intending to apply to be the 2023 European City of Culture.
Mr Edward Vaizey
DCMS will be running an event this year for potential bidding Local Authorities for the European Capital of Culture 2023 to provide information on the benefits, processes involved and generate interest in this exciting opportunity – in advance of the competition commencing in 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the potential use and effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicle technology in supporting the UK’s international development agenda.
Mr Nick Hurd
It is in the interest of the UK taxpayer, as well as beneficiaries on the ground, that the Department for International Development scrutinises the most cost-effective means of delivering aid, especially when responding to crises. In some cases technology can provide valuable advantages in terms of efficiency and cost effectiveness, as well as enabling the ability to respond rapidly to crises and assist those in the hardest to reach places.
The Department has recently commissioned a review of the potential of a number of Frontier Technologies including Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, which will help us identify potential applications as well as risks.
There are a small number of examples of UAV technologies currently being trialled in DFID programmes. This includes a small-scale trial of UAV mapping to inform disaster preparedness, mitigation and response efforts in Nepal. There is also research being conducted in the natural and physical sciences arena, including on climate extremes which have an impact on vulnerable populations in developing countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with Sussex clinical commissioning groups about patient transport service provider Langfords going into administration.
Mr Philip Dunne
This is a matter for local commissioners.
NHS England has confirmed that Coperforma, holder of the non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) contract for Sussex, informed High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group (HWLH CCG) on 16 June 2016 that a receiver had been appointed for VM Langfords – transport provider sub-contracted to deliver PTS in East and West Sussex. A number of South East Coast Ambulance Services (SECAmb) staff had been transferred to VM Langfords employment.
HWLH CCG met with Coperforma on 17 June 2016 and was assured that a plan was already in place for additional transport capacity to mitigate any loss of capacity that this situation may cause.
HWLH CCG is working closely with Coperforma and the unions (Unison and GMB) to work through the implications for ex SECAmb staff, to ensure the processes followed are in keeping with employment legislation and good practice and that the impacts on service delivery are kept to a minimum.
There have been no discussions between Ministers in the Department and Sussex CCGs about PTS provider VM Langfords going into administration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote British-made produce in the UK and abroad.
George Eustice
The Great British Food Unit brings together expertise from within Defra, the Department for International Trade and Embassies to promote top quality British food and drink around the world. The five year Great British Food Campaign celebrates the best of the UK’s Food and Drink industry and aims to build a world-leading brand for British food and drink.
2016 is the Year of Great British Food. Within the UK, a series of events, partnerships and promotional activity is celebrating the richness of Great British Food and highlighting the best of our food and drink provenance, heritage and culture, working with leading food entrepreneurs and in partnership with the food and drink industry.
Encouraging companies to start exporting or to increase exports is a priority for this government. The Great British Food Unit has developed nine campaigns in 18 priority countries with the aim of boosting exports by hundreds of millions over the next five years. The campaigns target large existing markets or markets with significant growth potential – Australia and New Zealand; France; Germany; India; Japan; Mexico and Latin America; USA and Canada; China; UAE and Gulf.
In England, the ‘Exporting is Great’ Export Hub Truck tour (10 to 14 October 2016) is supporting new exporters in getting the information and support they need to begin exporting. The truck is visiting the South West, the Midlands, the Northern Powerhouse regions and the South East.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-12-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the assurances by the government of Saudi Arabia that it is complying with international humanitarian law in its military intervention in Yemen suffice for the UK to meet its obligations under Article 6(3) of the Arms Trade Treaty.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK supports the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition military intervention, which came at the request of legitimate President Hadi. We have been clear with all parties that military action should be taken in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are aware of reports on alleged violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen by the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition and take these very seriously. We have regularly raised with Saudi Arabia the need to comply with international humanitarian law in Yemen, and continue to engage with them on this. We have offered advice and training to demonstrate best practice and to help ensure continued compliance with international humanitarian law. The Ministry of Defence monitors alleged international humanitarian law violations, using available information, which in turn informs our overall assessment of international humanitarian law compliance in Yemen. We consider a range of evidence from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations. The UK is satisfied that we are not in breach of our international obligations. The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent export control regimes in the world. All exports of arms and controlled military goods to Saudi Arabia are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant information at the time of the application, to ensure compliance with our legal obligations. A licence will not be issued, for any country, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the UK Licensing Criteria, including where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in China on the recent disappearance of five people who work for a Hong Kong publishing company and bookseller.
Mr Hugo Swire
Her Majesty’s Government remains deeply concerned about British citizen Mr Lee Po who went missing from Hong Kong in December and his four colleagues associated with the Causeway Bay Books bookstore. I raised the issue with the Chinese Ambassador to the UK on 22 January and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the case with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on 5 January. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are in regular contact with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to make clear our serious concerns about this matter. As the Foreign Secretary told the House on 12 January, if allegations of Chinese security agents taking a British Citizen out of Hong Kong are correct, then this would be a serious breach of the Joint Declaration (Official Record 12 Jan 2016 : Column 693).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will increase aid to Jordan in order to help that country cope with the inflow of Syrian refugees.
Mr Desmond Swayne
At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion. This funding will support those in need inside Syria and in the surrounding region which is dealing with the impact of the crisis, including Jordan. Final country allocations are still being decided but it is clear that aid from the UK in Jordan will rise compared to previous years.