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Tag: 2016

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Strategic Defence and Security Review, which improvements in performance in the delivery of the Successor submarine programme (a) have been achieved and (b) he expects to be achieved in the next 12 months.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    We are working closely with all of our key suppliers to ensure that they make improvements, where required, to deliver both the capability and the capacity we need to successfully deliver the Successor programme. This work builds on the efficiencies and improvements already made as part of initiatives such as the Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme.

    Discussions with our key suppliers are ongoing and it would not be appropriate for the Ministry of Defence to discuss this work publicly for commercial reasons.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will place in the Library any information her Department holds on the number of jobs imported coal supports in each of its source countries; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The number of jobs imported coal supports in each of its source countries is not information that the Department of Energy and Climate Change holds.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has made to the EU Commission on the application of VAT to energy-saving materials.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is considering the responses to the consultation published following the judgement of the European Court of Justice and an announcement will be made in due course.

    In the meantime, all those energy savings products which are currently eligible for the reduced rate of VAT will remain eligible.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32406, if he will make it his policy that the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service collect the number of national minimum wage inquiries relating to the domiciliary care and residential care sectors.

    Nick Boles

    The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) only record trade sector information when a caller chooses to provide it. There are no plans to request Acas collect more detailed sector information other than the sector categories that are currently available for National Minimum Wage (NMW) calls.

    NMW callers that identify as working in the domiciliary care or residential care sectors are categorised in the ‘Health, social work and child care’ sector.

    More detailed sector information may be available where a call is referred to HMRC and results in a full investigation taking place.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Immigration of 20 January 2016, Official Report, columns 1425-30, whether there is no predominant colour for the front doors of properties used to house asylum seekers in Teesside.

    James Brokenshire

    The provision of accommodation for asylum seekers is provided under the COMPASS contracts. It is the responsibility of all of the suppliers to ensure that all accommodation used meets the required contractual standard and complies with the Decent Homes Standards. The accommodation should be safe, habitable and fit for purpose. The COMPASS providers are required to inspect properties each month and UKVI’s contract compliance teams reinforce this by visiting properties regularly.

    The Home Office expects the highest standards and where a contractor is found to be falling short of these standards we work with them to ensure that issues are quickly addressed.

    Earlier this year, we instructed our supplier (G4S) to repaint the doors of G4S and Jomast managed properties to ensure that no one colour is predominant. I have received confirmation from the Provider that this had been completed, UKVI staff have also confirmed that no one colour is predominant as they have visited properties as part of their inspection regime.

  • 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 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with (a) the Dalai Lama and (b) dissidents on human rights in Tibet.

    Alok Sharma

    The Dalai Lama has not visited the UK since September 2015. Ministers did not meet the Dalai Lama during that visit. Officials discuss the human rights situation in Tibet regularly with NGOs and human rights activists. UK officials visited Tibetan regions in Gansu in March. UK officials have requested permission to visit the Tibet Autonomous Region later this year, but the Chinese authorities have not yet confirmed a date.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is offering the Democratic Republic of Congo to achieve peace and economic growth.

    James Wharton

    We remain concerned both by ongoing violent conflict in eastern DRC, and nationwide political tensions relating to democracy and human rights. Stability and economic growth are at the very heart of our strategy for the Great Lakes region, which is implemented by DFID, MoD and the Foreign Office. Politically, we are engaging at the highest levels, including via the UN and EU system, to seek a resolution to the current political impasse and conflict in eastern DRC.

    British Military officers and stabilisation experts are embedded in the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, shaping a more agile force, better able to protect civilians. We fund an £80 million programme to build peace in eastern DRC by establishing a durable political settlement at regional and national levels and addressing root causes of conflict, such as land reform.

    The UK also supports economic growth and prosperity in DRC through a £100 million private sector development programme. The programme works with micro, small and medium enterprises to facilitate access to markets and raise incomes, and helps reform the broader business environment, making it more attractive to international investors.


  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) directions or (b) guidance his Department issues to the British Transport Police or the British Transport Police Authority on cost savings in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) future financial years.

    Claire Perry

    The Department has not issued directions to either the British Transport Police (BTP) or the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) on costs savings in 2015-16 and future years. It did, however, provide guidance that there should be no material impact on the operational policing capability of the British Transport Police, including in relation to counter-terrorist activity, from any appropriate efficiency savings it may seek to make over the Spending Review period.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate against (a) high level missile and (b) cyber threats from Russia.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The UK employs a range of capabilities to deter and defend against the threats emanating from potential adversaries; this includes the potential threat from ballistic missiles.

    The cyber threat is continually changing in scope and complexity, and we continually review and adjust our security. Our approach spans technical, organisational, policy, procedural and physical measures.

  • Wendy Morton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Wendy Morton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wendy Morton on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s spending was on Overseas Development Aid in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) the first 10 months of 2015-16; and what the recipient countries of that aid were.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Official Development Assistance spending was:

    in financial year (FT) 2013-14 – £321 million;
    in FT 2014-15 – £344 million;
    and in the first 10 months of FY 2015-16 – £260 million

    We have provided ODA funds to all countries on the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list except for Central African Republic, Djibouti, Sao Tome and Principe, Micronesia, Tokelau, Gabon, Niue, Palau, Wallis and Futuna. The DAC list can be found here: http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/documentupload/DAC%20List%20of%20ODA%20Recipients%202014%20final.pdf.

    “