Tag: 2016

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support apprenticeship providers to take on people who have special educational needs and disabilities.

    Nick Boles

    We are committed to ensuring that apprenticeships are accessible diverse range of people including young people with learning difficulties or disabilities.

    We have supported the production of an employer toolkit and a Special Educational Needs (SEN) section of the Education and Training Foundation Excellence Gateway.

    To encourage employers to hire apprentices, the Government funds apprenticeship training for all 16-18 year olds. This level of funding is extended for apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) aged 19-24. In addition, providers can access Learning Support funding to help apprentices who have a learning difficulty and/or disability.

    A Taskforce, led by my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys (Paul Maynard), has been looking at issues around apprenticeships for people with learning difficulties or disabilities. The Taskforce is currently considering its recommendations.

    Apprenticeships are safeguarded by the same equality duties under the Equality Act (2010) as any other employment. We encourage the use of the range of reasonable adjustments available so apprentices with special educational needs and disabilities (who can apply for Access to Work funding) can demonstrate what they know and can do.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to continue to support Government investment in (a) new energy sources and (b) tidal energy.

    Jesse Norman

    Government investment in all forms of renewable energy continues to be predicated on achieving an energy mix that is secure, clean and affordable. Government will be announcing details of the next energy innovation programme and the Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round in due course.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-10-24.

    To ask the Attorney General, what recent steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to set out its approach to prosecuting hate crime.

    Robert Buckland

    We are committed to tackling hate crime in any form. The cross Government Hate Crime Action Plan, published in July 2016, focuses on reducing hate crime, increasing reporting and ensuring that all criminal justice partners and key stakeholders deliver the appropriate outcomes for victims.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK airstrikes have been carried out against Daesh in Syria over the last two months; how many of those were against (1) economic targets, and (2) human targets; and what estimate they have made of collateral damage from those strikes.

    Earl Howe

    As at 18 January 2016 the Royal Air Force has conducted a total of 22 air strikes against Daesh targets in Syria, beginning on the 2 December 2015 after the House of Commons vote.

    Of these, 11 strikes were against oil infrastructure, one was against a Daesh command and control centre and 10 were against Daesh fighters and their equipment. No collateral damage or civilian casualties arose from these strikes.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2016 to Question 22264, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on recovery outcomes for ill Gulf War veterans of the research that his Department has funded into rehabilitative therapies for such veterans.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) funded the first stage of a trial at Cardiff University to develop a treatment programme for ill Gulf veterans. Unfortunately there were difficulties with the recruitment of Gulf War veterans and the Department took the decision not to proceed with the second phase of the trial.

    The MOD has made no assessment of the recovery outcomes for ill Gulf War veterans that took part in that trial.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients are registered at each GP surgery in Mid Sussex constituency; what the capacity of each such surgery is; and how many such surgeries are over-subscribed.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England advises that surgeries do not have a specific maximum number of patients allowed to register at a general practitioner (GP) surgery. If a practice considers that it has too many patients registered, or wishing to register, then it may request a temporary list closure, try and recruit more GPs/nurses, or may extend its premises.

    NHS England confirms that in Horsham and Mid Sussex there is currently one surgery which has a capped list and has made a formal application to NHS England to close its list which is under consideration. This practice is Ship Street Surgery in East Grinstead.

    NHS England has provided the information as shown in the following tables.

    GP practices in the Horsham and Mid Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group area, with current list sizes (number of registered patients):

    Meadows Surgery

    9,643

    Cowfold Surgery

    4,575

    Cuckfield Medical Centre

    8,624

    Ship Street Surgery

    11,811

    Judges Close Surgery

    7,857

    Park Surgery Horsham

    24,397

    Rudgwick Medical Centre

    3,488

    Courtyard Surgery

    8,786

    Lindfield Medical Centre

    11,150

    Orchard Surgery Horsham

    9,418

    Health Centre at Bowers Place

    8,099

    Dolphins Health Centre

    11,955

    Newtons Health Centre

    13,839

    Mid Sussex Health Care

    19,322

    Moatfield Surgery

    13,713

    Silverdale Practice

    11,694

    Brow Medical Centre

    6,366

    Riverside Surgery

    7,622

    The Village Surgery

    8,188

    Northlands Wood Surgery

    6,621

    Ouse Valley Practice

    6,675

    Park View Health Partnership

    5,509

    Holbrook Surgery

    15,240

    Source: NHS England. Validated but unpublished information on GP practice list sizes from an approved statistical collection.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress made at the recent UN peace talks in Geneva on Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The latest phase of UN-facilitated peace talks on Syria came to a pause in Geneva on 24 March. UN Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura intends to reconvene the parties after the Easter break. This latest phase continued in the “proximity talks” format rather than direct talks between the parties. During their discussions with the UN Special Envoy, the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian Opposition presented their plans for political transition. Conversely, we understand that the Syrian regime did not engage on issues of substance during their discussions with the UN Special Envoy. At the conclusion of this round of talks, the UN produced a paper outlining its assessment of the “points of convergence” between the opposition and regime and has invited both sides to consider it before talks resume on or around 10 April.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33610, how much funding the Government has allocated to (a) the Global Forum, (b) the World Bank, (c) the OECD and (d) each developing country to (i) improve the exchange of information to help tackle tax avoidance and (ii) improve tax capacity-building in each year since 2009-10.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK government is committed to tackling tax avoidance at the global level and is supportive of using tax policy to help fund sustainable development. We support much of the work international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank, undertake in the area of international tax.

    The OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project reviewed the international tax rules to ensure profits are taxed where economic activities are performed. The UK government is committed to consistent and effective implementation of the OECD BEPS outputs. Since 2009-10, the UK government has contributed £339,580 in 2012-13 and £394,789 in 2015-16. In addition, the UK government supports and contributes to the work of the OECD’s Global Forum on addressing the risks to tax compliance posed by non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

    The UK government does not hold specific figures for the amount of official development assistance (ODA) spent on tax and development for the years since 2009-10.Until recently, it was not possible to disaggregate funding for tax reform and capacity building from wider public financial management programmes.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings the team working on projects to improve Turkey’s prospects of joining the EU, based at the British Embassy in Ankara, have had with representatives of the Turkish government in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Lidington

    Staff in the projects team at the British Embassy in Ankara regularly meet their Turkish Government counterparts on a range of business, including promoting reform and democratisation towards European standards. The UK remains committed to supporting security and prosperity across Europe, where we will continue to have close relationships and mutual interests. In countries aspiring to join the EU, our bilateral focus will remain on strengthening stability, security, good governance and the economic fundamentals; and on building the resilience and capability to tackle global threats and challenges such as irregular migration and terrorism.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, on what trade deals his Department has begun the negotiation process; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    The Prime Minister has established the Department for International Trade to promote British trade across the world, and to ensure the UK takes advantage of all the opportunities open to us. We are actively engaging with a broad range of international partners to discuss our trading relationships. Earlier this week my rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade met with the Australian Minister for Trade and Investment and the Prime Minister had a number of productive discussions with partners at the G20 summit in Hangzhou. We will continue this engagement to best promote British trade, and to ensure that Britain becomes the global leader in free trade.