Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s guidance Overseas Business Risk – The Occupied Palestinian Territories, what advice they have given to local councils and other public bodies on (1) trade with businesses in the state of Israel, (2) trade with businesses in the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), (3) trade with Israeli companies that also work in the Israeli settlements in the OPTs, and (4) trade with any company from the UK that also has contracts in the Israeli settlements in the OPTs.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    On 17 February, the Government published procurement guidance for public authorities that makes clear that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate and may be illegal outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government. It is general guidance for public authorities on contracting with suppliers from WTO countries.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the UK’s membership of the EU to the protection of the UK’s borders.

    James Brokenshire

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU. The Government published a white paper, ‘The best of both worlds’, on 22 February, which sets out how membership of the EU enhances our ability to co-operate with other EU Member States to combat crime and terrorism and keep all parts of the United Kingdom safe.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on campaigns promoting the cessation of smoking in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England took over public health campaigns formerly run by the Department on 1 April 2013.

    The breakdown of spending on smoking cessation campaigns since 1 April 2013 is as below; all figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000 and include paid media spending (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs and value added tax).

    2013-14

    £7,640,000

    2014-15

    £6,920,000

    2015-16

    £5,300,000
  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings he had to discuss tax evasion and avoidance between (a) 5 April 2016 and 5 May 2016 and (b) 6 May 2016 and 6 June 2016.

    Mr David Cameron

    I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

    I also hosted the Anti-Corruption Summit, the first of its kind, which discussed among other issues tax evasion and avoidance. The Summit conclusions have been published on the gov.uk website.

    The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone makes a fair contribution towards reducing the deficit. We have already announced, during this Parliament, that we will legislate for over 25 measures to tackle avoidance, evasion and aggressive tax planning, which are forecast to raise £16 billion by 2021.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to set out its own nationally-determined contribution to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    For now the UK remains a Member State and part of the EU’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). It is not appropriate at this point to speculate about arrangements for after the UK ceases to be a Member State. The UK’s commitment to tackling global climate change remains firm.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many university technical colleges have (a) closed and (b) converted to an academy or free school since 2010.

    Edward Timpson

    Three University Technical Colleges (UTCs) have closed since 2010. These are Black Country UTC and Hackney UTC, which closed in August 2015, and Central Bedfordshire UTC in August 2016.

    One UTC has converted into a free school (i.e. a new academy), namely UTC Royal Borough of Greenwich, which ceased to be a UTC in August 2016 and became the Royal Greenwich Trust School.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will meet with representative bodies of people acting for personal injury complainants to discuss the outcome of his discussions with the insurance industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government continues to work with a wide range of stakeholders in taking forward the whiplash reform package announced by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement in November 2015. Officials met with representative bodies for claimant solicitors in December 2015 and a ministerial meeting is planned for the end of January 2016. They will have a further opportunity to comment when we consult on the detail of the reforms in due course.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with ministers of the Scottish Government and women’s organisations on devolving competence for abortion legislation to Scotland.

    David Mundell

    I have discussed the issue of devolution of competence for abortion law in Scotland with representatives of several women’s organisations and I have a regular dialogue with the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister on all aspects of implementation of the Smith Agreement.

  • Lord Hamilton of Epsom – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hamilton of Epsom – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hamilton of Epsom on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether it would be consistent with the policy and objectives of the European Communities Act 1972 to notify the European Council of their intention to withdraw from the EU without prior approval by an Act of Parliament.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The European Communities Act 1972 does not require prior approval of actions by Act of Parliament. The European Union Act 2011 does define some circumstances where this is required, but these do not include a notification under article 50. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), said on 22 February, “if the British people vote to leave, there is only one way to bring that about, namely to trigger Article 50 of the Treaties and begin the process of exit, and the British people would rightly expect that to start straight away."

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what international humanitarian aid exercises her Department has been involved in that have (a) involved EU member states and (b) been EU-led.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK participated in the Triplex 2013 Exercise which was led by the International Humanitarian Partnership and co-funded by the European Union.

    The Triplex Exercise brings together EU Civil Protection Teams and Modules with the United Nations, International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) and military, to strengthen preparedness and coordination of an effective response in the first phase of a large-scale humanitarian emergency.