Tag: 2016

  • Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Greenwood on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what humanitarian support the Government is providing for refugee children.

    Justine Greening

    Syria is the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion and is meeting emergency needs of children and supporting them to stay closer to home. At tomorrow’s Syria Conference I expect leaders will agree a new goal that all refugee children from Syria and affected host country children are in education in 2016/17. Last week, my Department also announced a new £10 million fund to help meet the needs of refugee children in Europe and the Balkans.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which Government policies on ensuring the (a) security of UK ports and (b) identification and checking of containers for contraband, trafficked persons or other illegal activity are the responsibility of his Department; and which such policies which are the responsibility of another department his Department has a secondary role in.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for ensuring that proportionate security measures are in place to protect ports, passengers and ships registered in this country. These measures are risk based and are designed to mitigate the threat from terrorism. This work involves close co-operation with other government departments, the Police and the maritime industry.

    The Home Office is responsible for the detection of contraband and trafficked persons at UK Ports. DfT works closely with the Home Office and other partner agencies to counter this type of illegal activity.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to make an application under Article 16 of the EU Habitats Directive for a derogation in relation to species protected under Annex IV of that Directive which may be affected by Phase 1 of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Where effects on protected species are identified, the appropriate licenses will be obtained from Natural England prior to any works being undertaken. This includes species protected by the Habitats Regulations 2010 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Natural England is working with HS2 ltd in scoping the required licences through 2016 in the run up to Royal Assent.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, under which statute he has the power to impose contracts on junior doctors.

    Ben Gummer

    The Secretary of State acted entirely lawfully in deciding to announce, on 11 February 2016, Official Report, columns 1763 – 1778 that he would proceed with the introduction of a new contract without further negotiation with the British Medical Association.

    In deciding that a new contract – which would be safer for patients and fair and reasonable for junior doctors – should proceed to be introduced, the Secretary of State was exercising a range of powers under the National Health Service Act 2006.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy that scientists and technicians working in the health sector should be registered with a professional body such as the Science Council.

    Ben Gummer

    There are no plans to require scientists and technicians working in the health sector to register with a professional body such as the Science Council. While voluntary registration schemes, such as those overseen by the Science Council, provide an important mechanism for assuring the standards of professional staff, it is a matter for individual staff and their employing organisation as to how they make use of the assurance provided by voluntary registration schemes.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have conducted any research into the possible mental and psychological impact on children of using Twitter and Facebook; and if not, whether they plan to do so.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department does not itself conduct research, but funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Department’s Policy Research Programme (PRP). The NIHR and the PRP have not funded specific research into the possible mental and psychological impact on children of using Twitter and Facebook and have no plans to commission research on this topic. In 2014-15 (the latest year for which data is currently available), the NIHR invested £72.6 million in research in mental health, including the mental health of children.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) status and (b) latest estimated or final cost is of each of the 19 road schemes announced in December 2014 for the Midlands.

    Mr John Hayes

    The current status of the 19 schemes announced in December 2014 for the Midlands is given in Highways England’s Delivery Plan for 2016-2017, which is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-england-delivery-plan-2016-to-2017

    Overall schemes which are under construction are coming in or under budget. For schemes under development we would expect some movement in timescales or costs but overall Highways England is on course to deliver its commitments within the allocated funding.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from business groups on the closure of the Business Growth Service.

    Anna Soubry

    To date I have received no official representations from business groups on the closure of the Business Growth Service.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new housing developments were built in the period 2010 to 2015 against advice given by the Environment Agency.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The information requested is not collected by the Department. The Environment Agency’s most recent report ‘Managing flood and coastal erosion risks in England’ indicates that between April 2011 and March 2015, over 99 per cent of proposed new homes had planning outcomes in line with Environment Agency advice where they had objected because of concerns about flood risk and had been made aware of the decision.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on social mobility.

    Priti Patel

    The Government has carefully considered the impact of the tax and benefit reforms introduced in the Summer Budget, including those in the Bill, and are committed to improving social mobility.

    The Bill itself proposes a reform to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission to ensure its focus on this important issue. The new provisions on life chances recognise the crucial role of education in this respect, and the objectives of our welfare reforms are to promote employment, ensure people have the skills and the opportunities they need, make sure that work always pays, and allow people to keep more of what they earn.