Tag: 2016

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the restructuring process set out in the review of the Air Cadet Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 10 March 2016, (Official Report, column WS605).

    A programme of works has been developed to deliver the improved infrastructure and accommodation at Volunteer Gliding Squadrons. Work also continues to align and integrate the various training courses for Air Cadets into an integrated aviation training package. In future this will be tailored to a cadet’s level of experience and will cover aviation related ground training, realistic flight simulation with part-task training glider simulators, and formal gliding instruction on Volunteer Gliding Squadrons.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent officials in his Department working on the BBC Charter Renewal consultation; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    In addition to 3 DCMS BBC policy team officials, 30 other DCMS officials, at an average of 8.1 full-time equivalent people per week, over a 12 week period, supported the process to review the consultation responses.

    19 officials seconded from other government departments (7.7 full-time equivalent per week) and 20 agency staff (9.4 full-time equivalent per week) also supported the process.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library copies of all letters, leaflets and other material from her Department circulated to (a) stakeholders and (b) members of the public on the EU referendum; what the costs of the production and distribution of that material has been since 1 January 2016; and what she estimates the cost of any further production and distribution of such material will be between 6 May 2016 and 23 June 2016.

    Karen Bradley

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to Parliamentary Questions 38811 and 38825 by the hon. Member for Weston –Super-Mare (John Penrose), Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 8 June 2016.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data exists about the proportion of excess mortality in lower socioeconomic status groups due to smoking-related diseases; whether the forthcoming tobacco control strategy for England will contain measures to address that issue; and when he expects to publish the next tobacco control strategy for England.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The independent review into health inequalities in England undertaken by Professor Sir Michael Marmot culminated in the publication in 2010 of Fair Society, Healthy Lives. The review identified the most effective evidence-based strategies for reducing health inequalities in England and made the following recommendation:

    “Tobacco control is central to any strategy to tackle health inequalities as smoking accounts for approximately half of the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups. Smoking-related death rates are two to three times higher in low-income groups than in wealthier social groups.”

    The new tobacco control plan is currently being developed and Ministers will decide on an appropriate publication date in due course.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will make an estimate of the potential average cost for a typical family of their weekly shopping in the event of the UK leaving the EU without securing any preferential trade agreements and reverting to standard World Trade Organisation tariffs.

    Mr Robin Walker

    My Department, working with officials across government, continues to undertake a wide range of data analyses to inform the UK’s position for the upcoming negotiations with our EU partners. We have been clear that we will not provide a running commentary that might undermine our negotiating position.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have been provided with advance payments of universal credit in each of the last 12 months.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not currently available.

    The range of statistics published for Universal Credit has increased as quality assurance has been carried out. This process will continue on a wider range of breakdowns and Departmental statisticians anticipate being able to start releasing these, in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, during 2016.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the independence of the legal system in the Maldives.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are concerned about the erosion of judicial independence in the Maldives. A 2013 UN report by the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers raised serious questions about the impartiality of judges, the fact that many interventions by courts were arbitrary and that due process was not being followed. We do not believe that the situation has improved since. I raised the issue of judicial independence when I met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen, during my visit to the Maldives on 17 and 18 January.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26859, if she will update her Department’s response to e-petition 104867, on legalisation of medicinal cannabis, in respect of the information on availability of the drug Sativex.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government’s position is unchanged. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has issued a marketing authorisation and the Home Office has amended the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to enable Sativex to be available to patients via health care practitioners.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of which fuel source is the most efficient for national electricity grid re-starts following power cuts; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC officials routinely work with National Grid to assess the resilience of response processes, including the failure of the National Electricity Transmission System.

    This work includes assessment of how different fuel sources can deliver this ‘Black Start’ capability.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has made to the government of Saudi Arabia on the designation of the Yemeni cities Sa’da and Marran as military targets by the Saudi Arabian-led coalition on 8 May 2015.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Government takes all allegations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations very seriously and we have emphasised the importance of full compliance with IHL to the Saudi Government and other members of the military coalition on several occasions. We have provided training and advice to the coalition to support continued compliance with IHL and minimise civilian casualties.