Tag: 2016

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Sudan on bringing peace to South Sudan.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Whilst I have not yet personally discussed South Sudan directly with representatives of the Government of Sudan, the UK regularly engages with the Sudanese over this pressing issue. We do this both bilaterally and in the margins of international meetings on South Sudan’s peace process, such as July’s Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission Partners Group meeting, which Sudan hosted and co-chaired with China.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, to which destinations (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have taken flights as part of their official duties since his Department was established.

    Mr David Jones

    The Government publishes information about flights and other expenses incurred on Ministerial and senior official overseas trips on a quarterly basis.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to combat the (a) decline in the use of local shopping centres and (b) fall in employment rates by local shopping centres; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is committed to helping our high streets and town centres thrive and is supporting them through a billion pound package of investment. This includes:

    – targeted tax breaks;

    – the doubling of small business rate relief;

    – sensible planning changes to allow business to respond flexibly to changing market conditions; and

    -taking action to tackle over-zealous parking practices.

    As a result, we have seen some very positive signs that our local centres are fighting back. Vacancy rates are in decline, retail sales are up for the 31st consecutive month and there was encouraging news on footfall over the festive period.

    My Department also ran the Great British High Street Competition, which this year received nearly 200,000 votes from the general public. This shows that local people cherish their high streets and that, if the broader retail sector can adapt to their changing needs, it can thrive.

    The devolution agenda also provides significant opportunities as we’re ensuring local areas that encourage growth reap the rewards. Councils will keep 100% of local taxes – including all £26 billion from business rates – by the end of this Parliament, providing a much stronger incentive to engage proactively with businesses in their local area.

    I am also aware that, in my hon. Friend’s constituency of Romford, local partners are pushing forward a range of exciting and innovative programmes such as the redesign of the local market. This work is regenerating the wider area and creating jobs. I would like to applaud Romford for this work and suggest that others look to follow their example.

  • 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 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions information has been requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 concerning meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat set up as a result of the Belfast Agreement 1998; whether each request was granted, and if not, why not.

    Lord Dunlop

    The Northern Ireland Office has not received any Freedom of Information requests concerning meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat set up as a result of the Belfast Agreement 1998.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of apprenticeships created in 2015 were taken up by British citizens.

    Nick Boles

    The Department collects self-reported data on the ethnicity of apprentices, but not nationality. Skills Funding Agency funding can only be used for apprentices whose main employment or normal place of work is in England. In addition employers are responsible for checking that their apprentices have the right to work in the UK.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic benefits of extending Crossrail to (a) Dartford and (b) Ebbsfleet stations.

    Claire Perry

    In 2014 the Department commissioned a value for money review of the benefits offered by an extension of Crossrail services to Ebbsfleet (via Dartford). This report recommended further analysis before an informed decision could be made. Subsequently Network Rail have launched a Kent Route Study which will assess the need for, and feasibility of, rail network enhancements across Kent. This will include any possible extension of Crossrail services which would need to be underpinned by further economic analysis conducted by Transport for London.

  • David Davis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Davis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment of airstrikes in Yemen since 2012.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has carried out no impact assessments of airstrikes in Yemen since 2012. Impact assessments are required for the implementation of domestic UK policy, not for military action abroad either by the UK or other countries.

    During the current Saudi-led Coalition operation in Yemen the MOD has monitored incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law violations using available information. We consider a range of information from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the UK’s liaison officer to Eurocorps was withdrawn.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    We have no digital record of there being a UK liaison officer to the Eurocorps.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the NHS is of using agency nurses from overseas.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The information requested is not held by the Department.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why, in the last year, there has been a reduction in the number of UK and EU statements on human rights violations in Sudan.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    ​Sudan remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as outlined in the FCO’s last annual Human Rights and Democracy Report published in July 2016. We regularly raise our human rights concerns directly with the government of Sudan in London, Khartoum and New York as part of our ongoing dialogue. Most recently, human rights issues were a key theme of the Strategic Dialogue that took place in London in on 10/11 October.

    We consider our response to all reports of human rights violations carefully, in consultation with our EU and troika partners and with human rights organisations on the ground, and respond in the way we judge to be the most effective in conveying our concerns to the government of Sudan. We also support the established UN mechanisms in their efforts to improve the situation in Sudan.