Tag: 2016

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking ensure that UK overseas aid is spent effectively and transparently.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    As set out in the aid strategy, UK aid: tackling global challenges in the national interest, the government will ensure that every penny of money spent delivers value for taxpayers, and projects that do not will be cancelled. Departments follow good financial management principles set out in HM Treasury guidance in ‘Managing Public Money’ for all their expenditure. In addition, ODA spend is subject to scrutiny by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact. The UK Aid Strategy also commits all departments to achieving greater levels of transparency in aid spend.

    DFID has robust internal processes such as strong ministerial oversight, mandatory reviews on all programmes, detailed management information for use at all levels of the organisation including on project performance and quality. Other departments will have their own arrangements and DFID will continue to share good practice advice with them.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people on the dangerous persons database are (a) missing and (b) wanted; and for what offence or reason those people are on that database.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not hold this data. Statistical information from the ViSOR dangerous persons database is owned by the police, and the Home Office does not have access to this information.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-06-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent survey by the American University of Beirut and UNRWA on the socioeconomic status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon; and what bilateral and multilateral action they are taking to meet the challenges identified by that survey.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK Government is aware of the survey by the American University of Beirut and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). DFID staff attended the survey’s launch event and have noted its findings.

    The UK is a long-term supporter of UNRWA, including in Lebanon, providing over £60 million in 2015/16 and remaining the third largest donor to the UNRWA General Fund. We also provided £12m in total to UNRWA in Lebanon through the 2015 and 2016 Syria Emergency Appeals, and £1.9m this year through the UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund, supporting Palestinian youth with vocational and English skills training and job placement.

    DFID has also committed to spending up to £40m a year on education in Lebanon, with a major programming element aimed at providing non-formal education to the most vulnerable children and youth, including Palestinians.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average cost per student to the public purse of providing bachelor-level education in dental surgery.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Information on the average cost to Health Education England (HEE) of providing Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) education and Dental Foundation Training (DFT) can be found in the tables A, B and C below.

    Table A

    Cost to HEE of BDS education

    BDS

    Average tariff

    Fee Contribution

    Maintenance

    Total

    Year 1

    £32,600

    –

    –

    £32,600

    Year 2

    £32,600

    –

    –

    £32,600

    Year 3

    £32,600

    –

    –

    £32,600

    Year 4

    £32,600

    –

    –

    £32,600

    Year 5

    £32,600

    £9,000

    £3,000

    £44,600

    Total

    £163,000

    £9,000

    £3,000

    £175,000

    Notes:

    1. Average Tariff is the placement fee to cover the placement.
    2. Fee contribution is the tuition fee payable in year 5.
    3. Maintenance is the Bursary cost.
    4. These figures represent the best estimate of average cost to HEE, there may be other costs to the public purse, for example to provide student loans that are not included in these estimates.

    Table B

    Cost to HEE of providing dental foundation training in secondary care

    Placement support

    £50,900

    Salary/Maintenance

    £34,100

    Total

    £85,000

    Notes:

    1. Training Placement Support cost is the cost of the dental practice providing training & facilities.

    2. Trainee Salary/Maintenance cost is the contribution to the trainee salary and associated costs.

    Table C

    Cost to HEE of providing dental foundation training in primary care

    Dental foundation training salary

    £31,044

    Dental foundation trainer grant

    £9,324

    Service costs

    £64,164

    Total

    £104,532

    Notes:

    1. Training salary is the reimbursement of the salary paid to the dental trainee.

    2. Trainer grant is the sum that represents the time spent in supervising a trainee.

    3. Service costs is a sum that represents the service costs of employing a trainee.

  • Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2016-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries UK aid is being used to fund private healthcare provision.

    Lord Bates

    The UK supports developing countries across Africa and Asia to make faster progress towards universal health coverage, with a focus on ensuring that poor people can use the health services they need without the risk of financial hardship associated with direct out-of-pocket payments. Poor people often rely on non-state service providers for much of their health care. The UK therefore supports private providers where this offers the best value for money in reaching the poor with good quality services.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on lawyers in cases relating to the release of departmental documents under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each year since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    Legal costs relating to Freedom of Information are not held centrally by the Department and the cost of determining these over the past five years would exceed the disproportionate limit. The costs of internal lawyers’ time are not held in such a way that they can be separately identified.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has decided which magistrates’ courts are to be closed; and when he expects to announce that decision.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I announced the outcome of the consultation on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales on 11 February 2016.

    Copies of consultation documents are available online at www.gov.uk/moj.

    “

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the proportion of British Film Institute funding that was allocated to Hollywood studio films in the latest period for which figures are available; and what definition of Hollywood studio films is used in this context.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Hollywood studio films refer to films produced and distributed by a major studio based in the United States. No British Film Institute (BFI) funding has been awarded to any Hollywood studio film since the BFI became a Lottery distributor in 2011.

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Burmese counterpart on prisoners of conscience in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The release of political prisoners has been an early priority for the new NLD-led government, with over 100 having been released since Friday.

    The UK Government has long campaigned on the issue of political prisoners in Burma and we welcome this quick action.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that women refugees in Syria and Iraq have access to adequate sanitary protection; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The humanitarian crises in Syria and Iraq have placed many women and girls at risk of exploitation and insecurity. In both countries, DFID continues to work with the UN, NGOs and international community to ensure women’s rights are protected.

    The UK has pledged over £2.3 billion in response to the Syria crisis since 2011. Of this, DFID has provided £5 million to UNFPA inside Syria. As part of this assistance UNFPA distribute hygiene or “dignity” kits to preserve and promote the hygiene and dignity of displaced women and adolescent girls as well as men, and to allow their social integration while away from home. These include sanitary napkins, underwear, and a range of practical personal hygiene items. With UK support, UNFPA alone distributed 50,900 dignity kits inside Syria in 2015. UNFPA and other partners are also improving access to reproductive health services inside Syria.

    The UK has committed £79.5 million of humanitarian assistance to Iraq since summer 2014. This includes cash assistance for vulnerable displaced Iraqis, allowing them to prioritise what they need most. Through the UN- managed Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, we fund a number of projects meeting the most urgent needs of displaced Iraqis including emergency healthcare, water and sanitation, and protection services for women and girls. Our partners consider gender related differences in needs in all DFID funded projects.