UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2016

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has made to (a) Public Health England and (b) the Department of Health on the inclusion of (i) environmental criteria and (ii) the work of her Department’s Green Food Project in the review of the Eat Well Plate.

    George Eustice

    The 2012 Green Food Project was a joint initiative between Government, the food and farming industry and environmental organisations.

    One piece of follow-up work to the Green Food Project was a group of stakeholders who came together in 2013 to develop principles for a healthy and sustainable diet. Public Health England and Department of Health were part of this working group. Its conclusion, ‘The Principles of Healthy and Sustainable Eating Patterns’ were published by the Global Food Security Programme in May this year. (http://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/assets/pdfs/healthy-sustainable-eating-patterns-report.pdf)

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the low oil price since summer 2014 on the number of UK seafarers employed on offshore supply vessels in the North Sea.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The 2015 seafarer statistics have just been published. We estimate that there were 23,380 UK seafarers active at sea in 2015, an increase of 2 per cent on the previous year. We are aware that the current downturn in the offshore sector may not yet be fully reflected in these figures.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the cost to the economy of unreliable internet connectivity and speeds in 2014-15.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We are not aware of any existing research about the annual cost to the UK economy of unreliable broadband internet connectivity or speeds in 2014-15. However, the economic benefits of broadband access are clear, for example, SQW Consulting’s UK Broadband impact study in 2013 estimated that the availability and take-up of faster broadband speeds will add about £17 billion to the UK’s annual Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2024.

    In November, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition is to set this at 10 Mbps. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection from a designated provider, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live. A consultation, which has now closed, was published on 23 March setting out the Government’s proposed approach to taking this work forward.

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans that the toll level for Vehicle Category 1 and Vehicle Category 2 will be equal when the Severn Bridges return to public ownership.

    Andrew Jones

    The Chancellor announced at Budget 2015 that the Government will abolish Category 2 tolls (small goods vehicles and small buses) and include those vehicles in Category 1, to reduce costs for businesses once Severn River Crossings are in public ownership.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why there are no targets in the NHS for follow-up appointments after an initial consultant consultation.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The appropriate interval for follow up appointments will vary between different services or specialties, and between individual patients, depending on the severity of their condition. All follow up appointments (also known as planned, surveillance or recall appointments) should take place when clinically appropriate. NHS England’s guidance, Recording and reporting referral to treatment waiting times for consultant-led elective care is clear that when patients on planned lists are clinically ready for their care to commence and reach the date for their planned appointment they should either receive that appointment or be transferred to an active waiting list. At this point a waiting time clock will be started and their wait reported in the relevant statistical return. A copy of the guidance is attached.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the gender was of each person who has (a) applied and (b) made the shortlist for each Permanent Secretary appointment since January 2015.

    Matthew Hancock

    As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has recently said, we are considering methods by which we may publish information related to Permanent Secretary appointments in a way that doesn’t compromise individuals’ privacy.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41904, what mechanisms are in place to ensure her Department meets its positive obligation under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights to identify and take operational measures to protect victims of human trafficking held at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    No one who is found to be at risk of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment on return to their country will be deported from the UK. There are processes in place for those held in Immigration Removal Centres to claim asylum if they believe they are at risk of such treatment.

    Home Office staff working in all Immigration Removal Centres, including Yarl’s Wood, are trained as First Responders to identify signs that individuals may be potential victims of trafficking or slavery. Where an individual is identified as a potential victim, they will be referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for assessment.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s plans are for the future of RAF Aldergrove.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The estate optimisation strategy aims to provide a more efficient and better quality Defence estate to support our Armed Forces, which will be fit for purpose for future generations.

    This long-term, detailed work seeks to identify a rationalised Defence estate which more appropriately meets the needs of our Armed Forces by being of better quality, more cost effective and more efficient, as well as 30% smaller overall, by 2040.

    No decision about the future of individual sites has been made at this point, other than those that have been previously announced

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with (a) the Burundi Ambassador, (b) the Burundi government, (c) the UN and (d) the African Union.

    James Duddridge

    I spoke with the Burundian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Deo Sindayihebura, about violence and insecurity in Burundi on Thursday, 10th December. In the week commencing 14 December, I was in the region. On 17 December I discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with the Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe, and Major General Prime Niyongabo, Army Chief Of Staff.

    My visit to the region was focused on Burundi throughout. I had separate meetings with the Ugandan President Museveni and the Ugandan Foreign Minister Kutesa. Additionally, I spoke by phone with Defence Minister Kiyonga, the Ugandan nominated mediator, on 15 December. I met the Rwandan Foreign Minister Mushikiwabo on 16 December. These meetings were with key members of the African Union, who are looking to help find solutions to the situation. On 7 November, I spoke with Ibrahima Fall, AU Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, and Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security.

    I met with UN Humanitarian agencies including UNHCR, IOM, WFP, UNICEF whilst in Burundi. I also recently wrote to the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Conflict Prevention, Jamal Benomar, to make clear our concerns about Burundi and offer the UK Government’s support to him.

  • Geoffrey Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Geoffrey Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Robinson on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many small businesses have received financial assistance from (a) peer to peer lenders and (b) other sources in the last 12 months.

    Anna Soubry

    Recent figures from the peer-to-peer finance association show that their members had 225,000 loans outstanding in the third quarter of 2015 and that over half of these by value were to businesses. That is a 108,000 increase on the previous year. Other sources such as crowdfunding are growing equally fast, and lending to smaller businesses from the banks has been recovering strongly. 80% of loan and overdraft applications to SMEs were successful in the 18 months to Q3 2015 , up from 68% in Q4 2013 (SME Finance Monitor)