Tag: 2016

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their representatives in any UK embassies are banned from making representations concerning capital punishment in any country or countries.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    No such bans exist. On the contrary, the pursuit of the abolition of the death penalty is part of what the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has called the “every day work” of our missions in countries which continue to implement the death penalty.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24211, which school sites have been approved or are being considered for disposal in the (a) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, (b) Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and (c) Greater Manchester Combined Authority areas.

    Edward Timpson

    The Secretary of State is currently considering two applications to dispose of school land in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

    Since February 2013, the Secretary of State has approved the following applications to dispose of school land from:

    Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council:

    • Mossley Hollins High School
    • New Charter Academy, Silver Springs Campus
    • Thomas Ashton Special School (Primary (Hyde) and Secondary Centre Sites)

    Greater Manchester Combined Authority:

    • Oldhams County Primary School
    • Millwood Primary Special School
    • Ewing School
    • Ambrose Barlow High School
    • Harrop Fold High School
    • Our Lady and the Lancashire Martyrs Primary School
    • Seedley Primary School
    • St Joseph High School
    • Tootal Drive Primary School
    • Bedford Hall Methodist Nursery
    • Ince St Mary’s Primary
    • Nicole Mere Primary School
    • Oakfield High School
    • Marland Fold School
    • Abraham Guest High School
    • North Chadderton School
    • South Chadderton School
    • Failsworth School
  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the average cost of floor space is at his Department’s office at (a) St Paul’s Place, Sheffield and (b) 1 Victoria Street, London.

    Joseph Johnson

    We have committed to making changes to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) by 2020 that will result in a more flexible Department, reduced headcount and far fewer delivery bodies.

    Our business needs to be designed in a way that works for this smaller workforce and more streamlined structures.

    To support this direction of travel, we are moving towards seven or so centres by 2020, supported by a regional footprint for those whose work needs to be at a local level.

    We want each of these centres to focus on a key business activity so that we can bring the relevant expertise together.

    We are proposing that one of these centres will be a combined BIS headquarters and policy centre in London, close to our Ministers.

    The average cost of floor space at each of the Department’s offices is:

    a) £483.64 per sqm at St Paul’s Place

    b) £686.20 per sqm at 1 Victoria Street

    The annual rent paid by BIS over the last 5 years is:

    Year

    (a) 1 Victoria Street

    (b) St Paul’s Place

    2015-16

    £11,004,000

    £209,304

    2014-15

    £11,004,000

    £209,304

    2013-14

    £11,004,000

    £209,304

    2012-13

    £11,004,000

    £209,304

    2011-12

    £11,004,000

    £209,304

    By the end of this reform programme in 2020, we will have fewer employees in London and BIS as a whole, and aim to save £350million in operating expenditure overall. The vast majority of employees within the BIS Group will continue to be based outside London.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he takes to monitor the economic effect of projects his Department has funded.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has taken a number of steps to embed systematic monitoring of our policies and programmes, including economic effects. The Department’s vision for monitoring and evaluation is outlined in our Evaluation Strategy, found on the GOV.UK website.

    In particular:

    1. For all new spending the Department ensures fit for purpose monitoring and evaluation plans are embedded before policy implementation.
    2. The Department publishes an updated summary of the monitoring and evaluation coverage for each policy area on an annual basis. The BIS Evaluation Plan 2016 was published in January and is the second annual publication of BIS’s evaluation coverage, also found on the GOV.UK website.

  • 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 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in his Department’s supply chain, other than direct suppliers, in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Small businesses are an important source of innovation and flexibility, as both direct and indirect suppliers, to meet our defence and security requirements. The estimated number of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) directly supplying the Ministry of Defence (MOD) during financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 is provided below. The figures for 2015-16 are not yet available.

    MOD Direct Expenditure with SMEs

    Estimated Number of SME Suppliers

    2013-14

    7,000

    2014-15

    5,400

    The MOD spent 19.4% (direct and indirect) of its procurement budget with SMEs in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. The MOD has a new 25% target for SME procurement spend by 2020.

    The information has been taken from the Department’s published Official Statistics on Trade, Industry and Contracts which summarises MOD contracting with industry. Further information about MOD expenditure with SMEs is available on the Gov.UK website at the respective links:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2015 and https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2014

    The MOD does not hold information on the number of SMEs providing indirect supplies through the supply chain.

    “

  • 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 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) exercises and (b) deployments the 77th Brigade has conducted in each of the last three years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Since 77th Brigade was formed in April 2015, 116 personnel have deployed on 30 exercises, the vast majority of which have been UK based; 20 personnel have deployed on four separate operations; and a further 23 personnel have deployed non-operationally as part of Short Term Training Teams to five countries.

  • Amanda Solloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Amanda Solloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential of the early years workforce strategy to increase recruitment and retention of early years teachers in (a) Derby North and (b) England.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government recognises the importance of the early years workforce in improving quality and delivering better outcomes for children. That is why we are committed to publishing an early years workforce strategy. The national strategy will set out how we will help to remove barriers to attracting, retaining and developing staff. As part of the strategy, we will look at the barriers to growing the body of graduates in the workforce in England.

    The Government currently delivers early years initial teacher training places in England. We fund eligible graduates to undertake the training, and provide student bursaries. Information about training routes is available on the Get into Teaching website, available at: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/

    “

  • James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cleverly on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the use of funding from the public purse provided to the Commonwealth Secretariat.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We support the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat, in particular around the promotion of democratic values and development. We expect the Secretariat to use any funding we provide efficiently and effectively in line with its agreed budget, financial procedures and priorities. In addition to being considered by external auditors, the Secretariat’s budget is assessed by the Commonwealth’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors at regular meetings. The UK is a member of both groups, represented by the UK’s Commonwealth Envoy.

    We are committed to supporting the Secretary General’s efforts to reform and revitalise the Commonwealth Secretariat and to working with her and our Commonwealth partners to strengthen the organisation.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what forecast he has made of the return on spending on preventative sexual and reproductive health spending in each of the next five years.

    Jane Ellison

    We have no plans to produce forecasts on the return on investment of spending on sexual health prevention services. Investment to prevent sexually transmitted infections, (including HIV) and unplanned pregnancies offers benefits to individuals, local economies, the National Health Service and wider society. Our Framework for Sexual Health Improvements includes the evidence and information to support local authorities to commission effective services.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to introduce (a) stricter regulations and (b) a ban on the use of snares.

    Rory Stewart

    In 2012 Defra published research on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales. Following publication of the report, officials worked with stakeholders to explore options in light of the report’s findings. We are considering options and will make an announcement in due course.