The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people receiving jobseekers allowance were reported as having failed to turn up for job interviews in the last year.
Priti Patel
This information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in identifying the most geologically suitable site for the future storage of nuclear waste.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The 2014 Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper set out three initial actions for Government and the developer (Radioactive Waste Management) to provide greater clarity on issues such as geology, development impacts and community representation.
In April 2016 Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) published National Geological Screening Guidance which sets out how they intend to bring together, present and provide authoritative and existing information on UK geology relevant to the long term safety of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).
RWM are applying this Guidance and have started gathering existing information on the UK’s geology which will help communities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland better understand their potential suitability to host a GDF. It will not, however, determine if a particular location, region or area can definitively host a GDF.
Formal engagement between the developer and potential host communities will start in 2017 once the Government and RWM have delivered the initial actions, including the national geological screening outputs. Good progress is being made in the short term with a clear long term goal of delivering safe and secure final disposal of all our radioactive waste.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry on 2016-07-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh about human rights violations against Hindus and bringing to justice those responsible for the destruction of temples and other places of worship.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Our assessment is that the rise in extremist attacks has increased pressure on religious minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh.
The former Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), most recently talked to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh about the importance of countering extremism in the margins of the G7 meeting in Japan on 27 May. The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised this with Foreign Minister Ali on 5 July. The British High Commissioner regularly discusses these issues with Bangladesh government ministers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of NHS England’s clinical policy prioritisation process for specialised services on the provision of treatment to patients in the devolved nations; and if he will make a statement.
David Mowat
As health is a devolved function, it is for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to make decisions about how they prioritise funding for specialised treatments. NHS England’s clinical policy prioritisation process relates solely to the direct commissioning responsibilities of NHS England and predominantly affects patients in England.
However, NHS England works closely with the three devolved nations, particularly through the Rare Diseases Advisory Group (of which the three devolved nations are members), whose function is to provide advice to NHS England and the devolved nations on the commissioning of highly specialised services. The devolved nations are also observers on the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group, which advises NHS England on which specialised services should be prioritised for funding.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on how many occasions (a) knives, (b) guns and (c) other offensive weapons were found in schools and colleges in each London borough in (i) 2010 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.
Nick Gibb
The Department does not hold information on the number of occasions knives, guns or other offensive weapons have been found in schools and colleges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of Bovine TB there have been in Somerset in each of the last four years.
George Eustice
The latest National Statistics on the incidence and prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Cattle in Great Britain were published on 10 February 2016. These include detailed statistics at county level as at the end of November 2015 and can be found on GOV.UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Government has spent on specialist BAME domestic violence services in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16 to date.
Karen Bradley
The Government is committed to tackling domestic violence in all its forms and is determined to ensure all victims, including those from black and minority ethnic communities, have access to appropriate support.
The previous Government provided £40 million of dedicated funding for domestic and sexual violence services between 2011 and 2015 equating to £10 million per year. This funding was extended until April 2016, supplemented by an additional £10 million for refuges, and a £3.5 million fund to boost the provision of domestic violence services including refuges. This funding supported all victims of domestic abuse, including victims from black and minority ethnic communities.
A new Violence Against Women and Girls strategy published on 8 March 2016 sets out how the Government will support local authorities in implementing tailored services for victims who experience different forms of discrimination or additional barriers to accessing support. This includes women from black and minority ethnic communities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools have been found to have paid the head teacher at such schools more than the publicly disclosed salary in each of the last three years.
Nick Gibb
Academy trusts are subject to a more rigorous accountability regime than other types of schools, including the production of annual audited accounts that allow us to identify and act upon irregularity more quickly.
The Education Funding Agency has found one instance of where the head teacher has been paid more than the publicly disclosed salary in each of the last 3 years. The additional payments were in respect of chief executive or accounting officer responsibilities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding its decision to refuse to renew permits for Palestinian stone quarries on private land in Area C, while approving permits for 11 quarries under Israeli ownership in the same area.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
While we have not discussed this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we remain concerned about the restrictions the Israel’s planning system places on Palestinian communities. We regularly call on the Israeli authorities to offer an accessible legal route to construction for Palestinian communities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2016-07-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provisions are being made at HM Prison Berwyn to meet the reasonable requirements of Welsh-speaking prisoners.
Lord Keen of Elie
It is a requirement that all staff at HMP Berwyn must show an understanding of the importance of the Welsh language.
All prisoners at HMP Berwyn will have access to welsh speaking staff and all material will be bilingual. To help support this, we are currently arranging courses for our staff to ensure they have a good understanding of Wales and working in the Welsh context, which includes a section on language.