Tag: 2016

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to make section 95 support payments to asylum seekers.

    James Brokenshire

    We continue to meet our statutory duties to accommodate and support destitute asylum seekers. Assessment of eligibility for support remains a priority. UKVI ensures staff are recruited and deployed flexibly to continue to meet business demands.

  • Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on support for the self-determination movement in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    On the matters of self-determination and legitimate government, we believe that governance of Bahrain is a matter for all political parties in Bahrain. That is why we encourage all political parties, including Al Wefaq who boycotted elections in November 2014, to engage constructively in political dialogue in order to reach an inclusive political settlement. Although we were disappointed by the opposition’s decision to boycott the 2014 elections, we commended the participation of a broad range of candidates which saw 14 independent Shia candidates win seats, of which three were women.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England’s 2015 Annual Report, published in December 2015, what assessment she has made of the effect of the level of the religious oversubscription criteria used by some schools on parents applying to such schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government will shortly consult on a package of changes to the School Admissions Code. These changes will respond to concerns from parents and to the findings within the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Reports. These changes will include measures to improve fairness and transparency.

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious character, are required to comply with the Code. This includes a requirement that ‘the practices and the criteria used to decide the allocation of school places are fair, clear and objective’.

    The Code is clear that parents have a right to object to a school’s admission policy. Where an objection is made and the adjudicator finds that the admission arrangements are unclear, or unfair, or that they otherwise fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority is required by law to change them. The deadline for objections is set many months in advance of the closing date for school applications. This ensures that any admission arrangements which breach the Code can be amended to comply before parents apply for a place.

  • 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 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on implementation of the recommendations of the report by Charlie Taylor, Improving Alternative Provision, published in March 2012.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department accepted the recommendations made by Charlie Taylor in ‘Improving Alternative Provision (AP)’, and has made a number of changes in response.

    We have put in place the framework for Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) to convert to AP academies and for high quality independent providers to become AP free schools. PRUs now have greater autonomy over their staffing and budgets as a result. We have revised the funding system for AP to support more informed decisions on the best AP for individual pupils.

    We have ensured that Initial Teacher Training placements can now be delivered by PRUs, AP academies and AP free schools. Schools’ use of AP is now a greater focus of school inspection. We have also removed restrictions over the use of maintained schools’ power to direct pupils to be educated offsite for the purposes of improving their behaviour. We have published stronger statutory guidance on the use of AP and the education of pupils unable to attend school because of health needs.

    Since the review, the Department has undertaken further research into the AP system, working with local authorities, head teachers of AP or special schools, and reviewing international evidence.

    The Department announced in the White Paper published on 17 March 2016, ‘Education Excellence Everywhere’, that we will be taking further steps to build on the recommendations made in Charlie Taylor’s review in order to meet our vision for a world class system of AP. This paper is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere.

    “

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 April 2016 to Question 32506, how many stages there are in the asylum claims process prior to screening and substantive interviews; and at what stage of that process family ties to refugees already granted asylum in the UK are considered.

    James Brokenshire

    Screening is the first stage in the asylum process after a claim has been lodged. Each claim is considered on its individual merits, usually following a substantive interview. Consideration of a claimant’s personal circumstances such as family ties to the UK will be made following the interview.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30727, what knowledge UK military personnel based in the command and control centre for Saudi Arabian airstrikes in Yemen had on the alleged use of cluster munitions in that conflict.

    Michael Fallon

    The UK is aware that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions in the current conflict in Yemen, as the Saudis have themselves publicly confirmed.

    Based on all the information available to us we assess that no UK-supplied cluster weapons have been used, nor have UK-supplied aircraft been involved in the use of cluster weapons, in the current conflict in Yemen.

  • Alan Meale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Alan Meale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Meale on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons his Department included in the tender document to administer the Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Scheme 1974 a requirement that all posthumous claims to that scheme be accompanied by a grant of probate.

    Jesse Norman

    There was no separate tender document for the administration of the Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Scheme. The Department’s tender did not therefore have any bearings on the requirements under the Scheme.

    Before payments can be made under the CWPS, claims handlers must ensure that the person making the claim is entitled to do so. Provision of probate is sometimes necessary in posthumous claims to ensure that the correct person receives the compensation and also to ensure that the positions of both the estate and the taxpayer are adequately and proportionately protected against fraud.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any increase in Welsh Government funding will come through the existing Barnett formula following the UK vote to leave the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK Government will guarantee EU funding for structural and investment fund projects in Wales, including agri-environment schemes, signed before we leave the EU. It will be for the Welsh Government to make an assessment of which projects should be pursued in areas of its competence, and this guarantee will apply to any such projects. The agricultural sector in Wales will receive the same level of funding that it would have received under Pillar 1 of CAP until the end of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework in 2020.

    As a result of these steps taken by the UK Government, individuals and organisations in receipt of EU funds now have a greater degree of certainty about funding over the coming years. The UK Government will work with the Welsh Government to consider future funding arrangements for once the UK has left the EU.

  • 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 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times the Prison Service Gold Command opened in each month since May 2010; and what the nature was of each incident that caused it to be opened.

    Andrew Selous

    The safety of staff and prisoners is a priority. Gold Command is opened in order to deal with incidents as quickly and safely as possible. Not all incidents turn out to be serious, but all incidents are regarded as potentially serious at the point of Gold being opened up.

    Prisons are dealing with an increasingly violent population, and the effects of novel psychoactive substances. We take a zero tolerance approach to drugs in prisons, and have recently introduced tough new laws which will see those who smuggle packages over prison walls, including drugs, face up to two years in prison. There are already a range of robust measures in place to detect drugs, including the use of sniffer dogs, searches of cells, and mandatory drugs tests.

    Table 1: Gold Command Openings by Month and Incident Type May 2010 – December 2015

    Month

    Total

    Hostage

    Concerted Indiscipline

    Incident at Height

    Industrial Action

    Escape

    Barricade

    Fire

    Civil Unrest

    May-10

    2

    2

    Jun-10

    1

    1

    Jul-10

    3

    1

    2

    Aug-10

    1

    1

    Sep-10

    2

    2

    Oct-10

    4

    2

    1

    1

    Nov-10

    8

    2

    5

    1

    Dec-10

    3

    1

    2

    Jan-11

    4

    4

    Feb-11

    4

    2

    1

    1

    Mar-11

    1

    1

    Apr-11

    4

    2

    1

    1

    May-11

    2

    2

    Jun-11

    0

    Jul-11

    0

    Aug-11

    3

    1

    1

    1

    Month

    Total

    Hostage

    Concerted Indiscipline

    Incident at Height

    Industrial Action

    Escape

    Barricade

    Fire

    Civil Unrest

    Sep-11

    1

    1

    Oct-11

    2

    1

    1

    Nov-11

    7

    4

    1

    1

    1

    Dec-11

    2

    2

    Jan-12

    5

    5

    Feb-12

    3

    2

    1

    Mar-12

    5

    2

    1

    1

    1

    Apr-12

    2

    2

    May-12

    6

    5

    1

    Jun-12

    3

    1

    1

    1

    Jul-12

    6

    4

    2

    Aug-12

    3

    2

    1

    Sep-12

    3

    1

    2

    Oct-12

    2

    2

    Nov-12

    6

    4

    2

    Dec-12

    2

    2

    Jan-13

    2

    1

    1

    Feb-13

    1

    1

    Mar-13

    7

    4

    1

    1

    1

    Apr-13

    6

    4

    1

    1

    May-13

    6

    3

    1

    1

    1

    Jun-13

    13

    9

    3

    1

    Jul-13

    4

    4

    Aug-13

    4

    3

    1

    Sep-13

    12

    7

    1

    4

    Oct-13

    4

    2

    1

    1

    Nov-13

    6

    3

    2

    1

    Dec-13

    6

    5

    1

    Jan-14

    10

    8

    2

    Feb-14

    4

    3

    1

    Mar-14

    5

    3

    2

    Apr-14

    6

    5

    1

    May-14

    0

    Jun-14

    8

    7

    1

    Jul-14

    12

    7

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Aug-14

    5

    3

    2

    Sep-14

    5

    3

    1

    1

    Oct-14

    5

    4

    1

    Nov-14

    10

    6

    4

    Dec-14

    8

    4

    3

    1

    Jan-15

    5

    4

    1

    Feb-15

    2

    2

    Month

    Total

    Hostage

    Concerted Indiscipline

    Incident at Height

    Industrial Action

    Escape

    Barricade

    Fire

    Civil Unrest

    Mar-15

    13

    9

    2

    2

    Apr-15

    5

    3

    1

    1

    May-15

    6

    4

    2

    Jun-15

    9

    5

    2

    1

    1

    Jul-15

    14

    7

    2

    5

    Aug-15

    3

    1

    2

    Sep-15

    9

    6

    2

    1

    Oct-15

    6

    3

    2

    1

    Nov-15

    5

    2

    3

    Dec-15

    5

    2

    1

    2

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to ensure (a) pregnant women and (b) other people intending to visit South America and the Caribbean are aware of the risks posed by Zika virus.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) have been carefully monitoring the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas since it was first reported in Brazil during May 2015. When the Brazilian Ministry of Health announced a potential link between maternal Zika virus infection and microcephaly in December 2015, PHE and NaTHNaC published updated advice for travellers to South and Central America and the Caribbean, including specific advice for pregnant women. This advice continues to be updated regularly as more information becomes available.

    PHE has been and continues to liaise with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Association of British Neurologists and the Association of British Travel Agents who have published updates on their respective websites. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also updated its country travel advice pages with information about Zika virus.