The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Attorney General, how much his Department received from the European Social Fund between 2007 and 2014; and how much his Department further received from the European Social Investment Fund from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.
Robert Buckland
The Law Officers’ Departments have not received any such funding.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34222, on the humanitarian situation in Madaya, what medical equipment has been removed from convoys by the Syrian regime.
Mr Desmond Swayne
It is unacceptable that medical items are being systematically removed from humanitarian convoys inside Syria, the vast majority by the Assad Regime. According to the UN, 80,000 medical treatments were excluded or removed from their convoys in February 2016 alone. Items removed include essential life-saving medical items such as surgical and anaesthetic supplies and blood bags. These are exactly the items that are vital to treat victims of bombings or shelling, as well as essential to treat accidental trauma and for Caesarean sections or some complicated deliveries. Other items such as diarrhoea kits, emergency health kits, antibiotics, and other medicines have been removed.
The UK continues to use our position in the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group to press for an end to the removal of medical equipment from convoys by the Regime, the evacuation of critical medical cases and regular access to healthcare for besieged populations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Inglewood on 2016-05-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what calculation they have made of the effect of leaving the EU single market on total UK tax revenue.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The Treasury has published rigorous and objective analysis on the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives in April 2016, and on the immediate economic impact of leaving the EU in May 2016.
From the short-run analysis, in 2017-18 the deterioration in receipts is £17.9 billion in the ‘shock scenario’ and is larger at £31.9 billion in the ‘severe shock scenario’.
The long-term economic analysis assesses the continued membership of the EU against three different alternatives. The analysis shows that after 15 years, even with savings from reduced contributions to the EU, receipts would be £20 billion a year lower in the central estimate of the European Economic Area alternative, £36 billion a year lower for the negotiated bilateral agreement alternative and £45 billion a year lower for the World Trade Organization alternative. These figures are expressed in terms of 2015 GDP in 2015 prices.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations her Department has received on the future of the school milk subsidy scheme since the outcome of the EU referendum.
George Eustice
Following the outcome of the EU Referendum we continue to receive views across the range of the Department’s responsibilities. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the EU and current EU funding arrangements will continue unchanged. The UK currently claims around £3.5 million a year under the current EU milk scheme, compared with the much larger nursery milk scheme for children under 5 which is funded by UK Health and Education departments, and is worth £67m a year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which devolution deals have been agreed between his Department and local authorities; when each such deal will come into force; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Percy
Devolution deals are a key part of our plan to support growth up and down the country as we build an economy that works for everyone.
The Government has agreed and announced nine ground-breaking devolution deals with areas all across the country: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, West of England, Cornwall, Greater Lincolnshire & East Anglia, all of which need to provide local consent before final orders are laid.
The Government is working with local areas to bring forward the secondary legislation necessary to deliver devolution deal commitments by establishing and conferring powers on local institutions. This includes orders to create elected mayors, who will provide a single point of accountability for residents and a powerful voice for local areas, boosting their profile and helping to attract investment.
The Government will never impose a devolution deal on an area. Government is clear that this is a locally led process and will work with areas to negotiate and deliver deals which are right for them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the performance of Capita in the recruitment programme to the Regular and the Reserve Forces; what progress has been made in such recruitment; and if he will make a statement.
Penny Mordaunt
Since March 2013 the Army has been delivering its recruiting operations with Capita through the Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP). Both the Army and Capita are investing to improve recruiting performance, and over 14,000 Regular and Reserve personnel have joined in the last 12 months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) provide information to and (b) consult the (i) local community and (ii) local authority on plans to establish a reception centre for asylum seekers in Goytre.
James Brokenshire
My officials intend to provide further information to the local authority shortly. This will build on the information which has already been provided and will include any plans for consultation.
Should the COMPASS provider elect to progress this option, we will work with the Local Authority to ensure that the appropriate consultation with the statutory agencies and local community is undertaken.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in her Department.
Karen Bradley
The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out the role of special advisers and describes the range of activities they may undertake. Copies of the Code of Conduct are available in the Libraries of the House and on-line at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468340/CODE_OF_CONDUCT_FOR_SPECIAL_ADVISERS_-_15_OCTOBER_2015_FINAL.pdf
The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Heappey on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to help support research into the Zika virus.
Joseph Johnson
In February we allocated £1 million from the Government’s Global Challenges Research Fund to help urgently tackle the Zika virus; the Medical Research Council (MRC) received over 100 applications for support through its Rapid Response Initiative. To meet this demand, in March we committed up to an additional £2 million, with a further £1 million from the Wellcome Trust, bringing the total that was available up to a maximum of £4 million of funding.
Today, the MRC has announced that it has allocated c. £3.2 million of this funding to tackle the emerging and unknown threats of this virus. Our commitment to protect the science budget in real terms to the end of the Parliament means we can react quickly to help tackle these life-threatening global challenges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms his Department has put in place for responding to allegations that a competent harbour authority has not acted in conformity with the provisions of the Pilotage Act 1987.
Mr Robert Goodwill
It is a Competent Harbour Authority which has the statutory duty to determine what pilotage services need to be provided to secure the safety of navigation of vessels operating in their waters. Where a ruling on the legality of its actions is needed, that is a matter for the court rather than the Department.