Tag: 2016

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government is doing to improve the sharing of intelligence among EU countries to reduce the movement of terrorists across Europe.

    Mr John Hayes

    The UK works closely with European counterparts in the shared goal of preventing and disrupting the movement of terrorists across Europe. The UK is committed to working towards being fully compliant with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178 which required countries to takes steps to address the foreign terrorist fighter phenomenon, including reducing their movement.

    We work with Member States intelligence services on a bilateral basis and through the Counter Terrorism Group. Beyond our extensive engagement on intelligence channels, including senior visits and operational support, we also work closely with partners through bilateral policy and law enforcement exchanges on counter-terrorism, and discuss the issues at high-level fora such as Justice and Home Affairs Council. We exchange threat assessments and information on our respective approaches to counter terrorism with Member States.

  • 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 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hostage incidents in which a (a) prison officer and (b) prisoner was taken hostage have taken place in each prison establishment since January 2010.

    Andrew Selous

    Violence in prisons has increased in recent years. These figures demonstrate that the Prime Minister and the Justice Secretary are right and out prisons badly need reform.

    We are already trialling the use of body worn cameras in prisons, training sniffer dogs to detect new psychoactive substances and have made it an offence to smuggle new psychoactive substances into prison. However, ultimately the only way to reduce violence in our prisons is to give governors and those who work in prisons the tools necessary to more effectively rehabilitate offenders.

    Hostage incidents are rare occurrences. The table attached provides details of hostage incidents, broken down by establishment and victim type.

    Note: These figures have been drawn from the NOMS Incident Reporting System. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Although the figures are shown to the last case the figures may not be accurate to that level.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many patients are waiting, and for how long, for follow-up appointments in hospital with ophthalmic specialists.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The information is not available in the format requested.

    The referral to treatment waiting times standard is that 92% of patients still waiting to start consultant-led treatment for non-urgent conditions at the end of each month should have been waiting within 18 weeks from referral. At the end of January 2016, there were 327,066 patients waiting to start ophthalmology treatment, 94% of whom had been waiting within 18 weeks, with an average median waiting time of 6.9 weeks. It is not known how many of these patients were waiting for a first outpatient appointment rather than to be admitted to hospital.

    Information on how many patients are waiting for follow-up appointments, and for how long, is not collected.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 33817, what the Joint Intelligence Committee’s current estimate is of the number of non-extremist opposition fighters in Syria.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 21 April 2016 to UIN 33817.

  • Kelly Tolhurst – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kelly Tolhurst – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelly Tolhurst on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his Department’s policies of the conclusion of the report by the Local Plans Expert Group, published in March 2016, paragraph s15, that local plans in the South East may not enable the full scale of housing need to be met.

    Brandon Lewis

    The National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to identify and plan for the housing needs in their area. Planning guidance is clear that Green Belt and other constraints may restrict the ability of an individual authority to meet its need.

    The Framework is clear that the supply of new homes may be delivered by larger scale development, such as new settlements or urban extensions, and the Government is supporting new locally led garden towns and villages in places where communities want them.

    The Local Plans Expert Group published their report on 16 March 2016, and this was open for representations until 27 April. The report and representations are receiving careful consideration and a further statement will be made in due course.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on proposals to ban the use by Russia of the SWIFT banking system related to Russia’s military action in Syria.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The UK is not considering SWIFT sanctions at this time. Sanctions are one tool in the international community’s wider strategy for resolving the crisis in Syria. We are committed to doing all we can to keep the momentum on the political process so that we can find a long-term solution to the conflict in Syria.

    We remain deeply concerned about Russia’s role in Syria. We continue to urge Russia to use their influence to restore the Cessation of Hostilities and enable humanitarian access to all those in need, as stipulated by the UN.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what overseas visits she has made since her appointment.

    Priti Patel

    The Secretary of State has visited a range of countries overseas since her appointment. Information on Ministerial Travel is published as part of DFID’s quarterly transparency return on www.gov.uk.

    “

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultation his Department has undertaken with organisations that provide supported housing for vulnerable people (a) before and (b) since the announcement that housing benefit for tenants in supported housing will be capped at the local rate of local housing allowance.

    Brandon Lewis

    Ministers from the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Department of Work and Pensions regularly consult with a wide range of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Ministers and officials from both Departments are meeting relevant organisations from all sectors.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people the £7 million fund for Employability in Scotland will assist in 2016-17.

    Priti Patel

    As funding for the new Work and Health Programme will be devolved in Scotland, by definition it will be for the Scottish Government to decide how many people it chooses to support through their devolved programme.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what 10 Downing Street’s wellness strategy is.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Cabinet Office takes the well-being of its employees seriously and provides a range of support, including the recent launch of the Cabinet Office Listening Service, resourced by staff who have been trained in active listening and emotional support. The service can provide upfront support to Cabinet Office staff dealing directly or indirectly with specific issues in their personal or working life or to help them to cope with mental health issues of any kind including depression, anxiety or stress. Listeners can also signpost individuals onto other relevant services such as the external Employee Assistant Programme which offers counselling, impartial advice and access to online health and wellness related resources.

    The department has established an employee led WorkWell community to further develop and implement a strategy for wellness. Progress to date includes establishing resilience training for senior leaders and their teams, signing up to the Time to Change pledge on mental health, providing access to coaching and training in skills to improve wellbeing such as mindfulness. WorkWell are also seeking to increase awareness of opportunities to improve physical wellbeing at work including provision of on-site health checks.