The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings at official level her Department has had with the Department for International Trade in which her Department’s budget was discussed.
Rory Stewart
We hold regular meetings with colleagues across Whitehall including with the Department for International Trade.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any approach has been made to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority regarding the possibility of performing spindle-chromosome complex transfer in the UK; and if so, when any such approaches were made and by whom.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that no such approach has been made to the Authority.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.
Mr Robert Goodwill
There are 15 defibrillators provided in the buildings managed by the Department for Transport.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the section of the Belfast Agreement 1998 entitled Human Rights, in the subsection Comparable Steps by the Irish Government, what is their interpretation of the meaning of the statement that that government will bring forward measures to ensure at least an equivalent level of protection of human rights as will pertain in Northern Ireland”; how that commitment is monitored; and what changes the government of the Republic of Ireland reported to them as a result of that commitment.”
Lord Dunlop
The Belfast Agreement commits the Irish Government to ensuring an equivalent level of protection for human rights in Ireland to that established in Northern Ireland by the Agreement. As a result of this commitment, the Irish Government established the Irish Human Rights Commission, which in November 2014 merged with the Equality Authority to form the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The UK and Irish Governments meet regularly both at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concerns including matters relating to the implementation of the Belfast Agreement in each jurisdiction. These include matters relating to human rights in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding for 2016-17 her Department has allocated to (a) Ofsted and (b) the Care Quality Commission to support their inspection of the effectiveness of local areas in fulfilling their new special educational needs and disabilities duties.
Edward Timpson
For the financial year 2016-17, the department has allocated £1,057,675 of funding to Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, in order to meet the costs of their inspections of local areas’ effectiveness in fulfilling their new special educational needs and disabilities duties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.19 of the report, Overview of Tax Legislation and Rates, published on 16 March 2016, which technologies his Department is considering (a) adding and (b) removing from the list of qualifying technologies for the first-year allowance scheme for energy-saving and environmentally-beneficial technologies.
Damian Hinds
At Budget 2016, the Government announced changes to 100 percent enhanced capital allowances for energy-saving and environmentally-beneficial (water-efficient) technologies.
Each autumn, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consult manufacturers and suppliers. DECC and Defra then recommend to Treasury Ministers updates to the schemes.
Details of the changes will be set out in Treasury Order 2001/2541 for energy and 2003/2076 for water in the next few months. As is routine, an impact assessment will be published alongside the Order.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-27.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with which countries the UK has negotiated bilateral tax conventions; and how many of those conventions contain tax evasion information-sharing agreements in a similar form to Article 26 of the Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital, published by the OECD.
Mr David Gauke
The UK has double taxation agreements (DTA) in force with 127 countries and territories. They all contain provisions governing the exchange of information.
In addition, the UK has 24 bilateral tax information exchange agreements. Fifteen of these agreements are with countries with which the UK does not have a DTA. The UK exchanges information with other EU Member States under the Administration and Cooperation Directive (EU Directive 2011/16/EU). The UK is also one of 94 signatories to the OECD/Council of Europe Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-09.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the socio-demographic characteristics of users visiting the gov.uk website.
Matthew Hancock
GOV.UK does not collect socio-demographic data of users.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Garnier on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to mark Anti-Slavery Day and to acknowledge the work of non-governmental organisations, local authorities and people involved in tackling slavery; and if she will make a statement.
Sarah Newton
Local authorities, Non-Governmental Organisations and the statutory agencies all make a vital contribution to the fight against modern slavery. Various events will mark Anti-Slavery Day and I will announce my own plans in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bowness on 2016-10-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to preserve the mutual recognition of disabled persons’ Blue Badges throughout the UK and EU in their negotiations to leave the EU.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications of preserving the mutual recognition of disabled persons’ Blue Badges throughout the UK and EU. Until we leave, EU law still applies, so EU rules in this area will continue to apply in the UK, alongside national rules.