Tag: 2016

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 10 March (HL Deb, col 1406), whether the 60 per cent of jobs guaranteed in the supply chain for Hinkley Point remain guaranteed for the third nuclear plant and beyond, with which the Chinese are fully involved.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The government is working to maximise the economic and social benefits accruing to the UK local and national economies as the result of the development of all new UK nuclear power stations.

    The developers of New Nuclear Power Plants, Hinkley Point C located in Somerset, Wylfa Newydd on the Isle of Anglesey and Moorside in West Cumbria are all working towards ensuring that 60% or more is spent with UK companies

    For further proposed new build including Sizewell C in Suffolk, Oldbury in South Gloucestershire & Bradwell in Essex, the Government is working with the new build developers to match or better this percentage for work placed with UK firms.

  • 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 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what advice was provided by UK service personnel to the Saudi military prior to 8 May 2015 on international humanitarian law and the designation of civilian populated city regions as valid military targets.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence has a longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia, including the provision of training and advice in a broad range of areas including International Humanitarian Law. The education and training courses which Saudi Arabian military personnel have completed includes courses such as Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context, the Strategic Leadership Programmes, and Initial Officer training courses. These courses expose Saudi military personnel to UK policy, and promote concepts of accountability, compliance with International Humanitarian Law and transparency. They are important in building skills which enable Saudi Arabia to deal appropriately with their own security problems, thereby contributing to regional security.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Health and Safety Executive’s effectiveness strategy on reducing deaths from work-related respiratory illnesses.

    Justin Tomlinson

    HSE regularly reviews the implementation of its strategies – including the new strategy for the health and safety system – and reports the findings in its annual report. HSE’s latest annual report is available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/ara-2014-15.pdf

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  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many motorway service stations have rapid chargers installed to allow charging of electric vehicles in (a) Liverpool City Region and (b) England.

    Mr John Hayes

    Highways England encourages and supports the private sector operators of motorway service areas to provide charge points at their facilities. There are 112 motorway service areas in England and over 95% have rapid charge points installed, which can provide a charge to an electric vehicle in 20 to 30 minutes.

    The nearest motorway service area to Liverpool is Burtonwood Services at Junction 8 on the M62, where there are two charging facilities.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s policy is on seeking a ban on ivory sales.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government is deeply concerned by the continued poaching of elephants for their ivory, which is why we are committed to maintaining the current global ban on any international trade in new ivory. The UK has made no formal assessment of the impact of other countries’ additional measures to restrict trade in ivory. However, as a further step in delivering the Government’s manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales, on 21 September the Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day, putting UK rules on ivory sales among the world’s toughest. We will consult on plans for the ban early next year. This will complement the existing UK approach not to permit the trade of raw ivory tusks.

    The Government also successfully lobbied for the EU-wide adoption of the existing UK ban on sales of raw ivory tusks, which was advocated through the EU Council Conclusions on an EU Action Plan on Wildlife Trafficking and adopted in June. This urged EU Member States not to issue export or re-export documents under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for raw, pre-Convention ivory (pre-1990) and to consider further measures to put a halt to commercial trade in ivory from elephants.

    At the CITES Conference that took place from 24 September to 5 October the UK was involved in negotiations that successfully secured a strong agreement calling for the closure of domestic ivory markets where they contribute to poaching or illegal trade. This was agreed by all 183 Parties to CITES.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted or commissioned on the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis in preventing HIV infection in men who have sex with men.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England part funded the PROUD study that examined the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis in preventing HIV infection in men who have sex with men. The results of the study were published in September 2015.

  • Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jowell on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many hours per week (1) primary, and (2) secondary, school pupils spent participating in sport in 2015 compared to 2010.

    Lord Nash

    In both 2014/15 and 2009/10, primary schools reported spending around 2 hours per week on Physical Education.

    In 2009/10, secondary school pupils spent on average around 1 hour and 45 minutes in PE each week. No equivalent figures are available for secondary school pupils for 2014/15.

    Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have received over £450m of ring-fenced funding to improve PE and sport. We have committed to continue this funding until 2020. In December 2015, we published a research report looking at how schools used the primary PE and sport premium and the impact of the fund on PE and sports provision. The findings show that 87% of schools reported that the quality of PE teaching had increased since the introduction of the premium. 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities. Meanwhile, 70% of schools reported that participation in inter-school competitions had increased and over half of schools reported an increase in intra-school competitions.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding his Department has provided for (a) museums and (b) heritage in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) Nottinghamshire in each of the last three years.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    This Government continues to support heritage and arts projects across the East Midlands and Nottinghamshire through its arms length bodies, including Nottingham’s historic Lace Markets’ Galleries of Justice Museum, which was awarded £1m from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to carry out major redevelopment.

    Since 2012, the HLF has given more than £80m to the East Midlands and £6.7m to Nottinghamshire. Figures for 2015/16 are not yet available. Through Arts Council England, nearly £7m has been provided for museums in the East Midlands and over £1.6m for museums in Nottinghamshire, including the City of Nottingham, in the last three years.

    Over the same period, Historic England has given over £3m to the East Midlands, and more than £375,000 to Nottinghamshire. Party of this funding supported a project, in partnership with Bassetlaw District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, to repair and reinstate historic features in the Tuxford Conservation Area – which led to it being remove from the ‘at risk’ register.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress the Government has made on its commitment to enshrine the Paris climate deal into UK law.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK is already playing its part in delivering the Paris climate deal, through its contribution to meeting EU climate and energy targets and through its domestic climate framework set out in the Climate Change Act. In addition, the Government believes we need to take the step of enshrining the global goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions into UK law. As a first step, our independent advisors, the Committee on Climate Change, are looking at the implications of the Paris commitments. The Committee has said that it will report in the autumn, and we will consider carefully the recommendations.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what communication the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had with the South Sudanese Transitional Government of National Unity.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), wrote to President Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice President Dr Riek Machar Teny and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Deng Alor Kwol on 6 May. He welcomed the formation of the transitional government and urged them to secure peace, tackle the economic crisis and address the humanitarian situation. Our Embassy in Juba is also in direct contact with members of the transitional government and will continue to press for the full implementation of the peace agreement.