Tag: 2016

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on progress of democratic reforms in the Maldives since 2008.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    In 2008 the Maldives ratified a new constitution which paved the way for the first free and fair, multi-party elections in its history. We welcomed this process, the elections that followed it and the ambitious reform agenda of the new government.

    Since 2012 there has been a steady decline in democratic space and respect for human rights in the Maldives. This includes restrictions on the right to protest, the intimidation of civil society, human rights organisations and members of the media and signs that the death penalty is to be reintroduced. Other concerns include the arbitrary detention of political figures and the decreasing independence of institutions and the judiciary. The State of Emergency declared in November 2015 temporarily suspended basic rights.

    We continue to work with the Maldivian Government and the international community to encourage and support political and democratic reform.

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking in conjunction with the Mayor of London to safeguard the licensed taxi trade; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government supports choice for consumers, and wants to see both taxis and private hire vehicles prosper.

    The Mayor, Transport for London (TfL), the police and local authorities have a range of tools available to them to seek to address any concerns they may have over the safety or performance of taxi and/or private hire vehicle services. Effective use of these tools allow both licensed taxi and private hire vehicles to operate lawfully and meet the demands of London’s travelling public.

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have agreed the reduction to the Block Grant for the Northern Ireland Executive as a result of the decision to introduce a lower rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland from April 2018, and if so, what is the new Block Grant figure.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    In 2015 the government legislated to make a lower Northern Ireland Corporation Tax rate possible. The Northern Ireland Executive are committed to introducing a rate of 12.5%, to be introduced in 2018.

    Now Northern Ireland’s own political leaders must press on with the reforms necessary to put the Executive’s finances on the sustainable footing required to complete Corporation Tax devolution.

    As set out in the Stormont House Agreement, the Executive would then meet the direct and behavioural costs of any reduction in corporation tax in Northern Ireland, and we are continuing to work with the Executive on the funding arrangements which would deliver this outcome.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the proposed 30 per cent reduction in Ministry of Defence civilian staff as set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, what assessment they have made of the impact of that reduction on the formulation and delivery of policy.

    Earl Howe

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to meeting its obligations set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, including the aim to reduce our civilian workforce by 30 per cent. The Chief of Defence People has been appointed Senior Responsible Owner, and work is in hand within the single Services, Joint Forces Command, and other organisations within the MOD to develop detailed plans. As we develop these plans we will continually assess their impact to ensure that the Department continues to have the skills and capabilities required to deliver our Defence outputs, including policy development and management of major programmes.

    The Government will respond in due course to the report by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.

  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to discuss the situation in the Maldives with John Kerry.

    Alok Sharma

    The Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), has no plans to discuss the situation in the Maldives with John Kerry.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much compensation the NHS has paid to patients who were injured by healthcare carried out by private contractors in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department does not hold this information centrally; the answer has been supplied by the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHS LA).

    The table below shows all payments made on claims against private providers as at 31 December 2015 (open and closed claims) for payment years 2010/11 to 2014/15.

    Year of Payment

    Damages £

    Defence Costs £

    Claimant Costs £

    Total Paid £

    2010/11
    2011/12
    2012/13
    2013/14
    2014/15

    3,213,372
    4,143,937
    8,132,597
    8,522,797
    8,905,057

    378,903
    621,887
    807,120
    868,765
    1,096,935

    1,251,698
    1,989,256
    3,312,219
    4,172,732
    4,504,967

    4,843,973
    6,755,080
    12,251,935
    13,564,293
    14,506,960

    Total

    32,917,760

    3,773,610

    15,230,871

    51,922,241

    Source: NHSLA

    Date: January 2016

    Prior to that date indemnity cover was provided by the referring National Health Service body. Since 1 April 2013 independent providers have been directly eligible for membership of the clinical negligence scheme for trusts. The figures in the table represent all private provider claims for each of the last five years.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of how the Sellafield workforce reform initiative will ensure (a) safer, (b) quicker and (c) more efficient delivery of decommissioning at Sellafield.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has a responsibility to UK tax payers to ensure that Sellafield Ltd has maximum opportunity for improved performance: accelerating hazard reduction and delivering value for money. A new model, part of a suite of changes designed to increase efficiency in the business, is being put in place to help achieve that. The rationale for this model is set out in the Sellafield Model Change (SMC) Outline Business Case.

    Details of the change programme are available at http://www.nda.gov.uk/contracts-and-competition/sellafield-model-change-programme/.

    “

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department’s press release of 25 November 2015, entitled Department of Health’s settlement at the Spending Review 2015, how the figure of £2 billion of asset sales over five years was calculated; what the 25 potential asset sales with the highest prospective value are; what the value of projected asset sales scheduled to take place will be in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The £2 billion target was a Spending Review target agreed between the Department and HM Treasury. The target was derived from 2015-16 capital plans submitted to the Department from across the NHS Group, taking account of historic trends and additional future disposals needed to deliver the Department’s policy and finance objectives over the Spending Review period.

    Land and buildings are the highest value asset class in the National Health Service. The Department works with a wide range of NHS and foundation trust’s bodies in confidence to identify and help bring forward surplus property. Data on the values of surplus land and property, before it is sold, is commercially sensitive and is not appropriate for the public domain.

    The NHS continuously looks at ways of using its assets more efficiently, including disposing of what is surplus. It is not possible to provide a projected value of surplus assets at this stage while this work is ongoing but the Department is aiming to achieve circa £400 million per annum in sales from NHS and NHS Property Services’ assets over the Spending Review period.

  • Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Mills on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to support (a) people with savings and (b) home ownership.

    Harriett Baldwin

    400,000 people have already opened a Help to Buy: ISA to buy their first home. At Budget 2016 the Chancellor also announced a Lifetime ISA which can be used by people under 40 to save for their first home and retirement.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the concept of parity of esteem as outlined by the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to those who march on the streets of Northern Ireland in army uniforms but are not members of the army, in the same ways as to members of the recognised security forces.

    Lord Dunlop

    This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect. In the Agreement it is clearly expressed and defined in relation to people living in Northern Ireland.

    As a general obligation there is no definition of particular circumstances in which it does or does not apply.

    As I have set out in previous replies to the Noble Lord, this Government is firm in its commitment to the protection of people against any form of discrimination, and the promotion of opportunity for all, across the whole of our United Kingdom.

    In respect of the Noble Lord’s question about those who might march wearing army uniforms but who are not members of an army, the concept of parity of esteem clearly does not absolve people from upholding the law. This Government has made clear many times that we will never accept any form of equivalence between members of the security forces and those who engage in terrorism or other forms of paramilitary activity.