Tag: 2016

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 6.55 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review 2015, what assessment he has made of the Royal Navy’s operational need for an additional two offshore patrol vessels; what estimate he has made of the total cost of each such vessel; and what estimate he has made of the size of crew required by each such vessel.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As outlined in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review 2015 (Cmd 9161), we will buy new River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to deliver a more modern and capable fleet. These ships will support our destroyers and frigates in delivering routine tasks and to enhance our contribution to maritime security and fisheries protection, working with the Border Force, Marine Management Organisation and other law enforcement organisations.

    We have begun the detailed work to take forward the plans to buy the new OPVs. The cost of each vessel and the size of the ships’ companies have yet to be determined.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on replacement of Vector protected patrol vehicles.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Vector was finally removed from service in 2015 and is currently awaiting disposal. Protected mobility capability is currently provided by a range of vehicles from the existing core fleet, including former Urgent Operational Requirement platforms retained in service following their return from Afghanistan. In the longer term, the Multi Role Vehicle (Protected) series of platforms will provide a light to medium protected vehicle capability.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in considering the future of the Human Rights Act 1998, what regard they will have to the findings of the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee as outlined in the letter of 17 March from the Convener of that Committee to the Lord Chancellor on the level of opposition from Scottish stakeholders to any repeal of the Act.

    Lord Faulks

    This Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. We will consider the devolution implications of our reforms and will continue to engage fully with stakeholders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with the devolved administrations, as we develop our proposals.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s consultation on enforcing guarantor loans, GC16/2, published in February 2016, whether his Department has received representations from the (a) Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and (b) any other organisation on the consistency of the FCA’s proposed interpretation of the word enforce in section 87(1)(e) of the Consumer Credit Act.

    Harriett Baldwin

    These are matters for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and relate to FCA Guidance Consultation (GC16/2) issued on the interpretation of provisions in the Consumer Credit Act 1974, regarding whether a default notice should be given to a guarantor before payment is taken from them when a borrower defaults. The FCA is currently considering responses to the consultation and will publish a response after considering the complex issues raised.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) direct and (b) other financial support his Department provides to the Afghan Mines Protection Force and (b) local police.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides policing assistance to Afghanistan via its £70m per annum contribution to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), which supports the payment of Afghan National Police salaries, via the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA), administered by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The FCO does not fund the Afghan Local Police.

    The UK also deploys security advisers to the Ministry of Interior, NATO, and EUPOL, the EU’s policing mission in Afghanistan. They do not provide support to the Afghan Local Police.

    The Department for International Development’s separate financial support to policing is aimed at capacity-building the Ministry of Interior and developing the Afghan National Police. The Afghan Public Protection Force is not a recipient of this support.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has undertaken or commissioned an environmental impact assessment of a construction phase for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015, and has since been undertaking a programme of further work to support a decision on a preferred scheme. The preferred scheme promoter would need to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment as part of any Development Consent application it makes.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of staff on the payroll of her Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.

    Caroline Dinenage

    All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

    Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

    More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. However, there are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.

  • Iain Wright – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Iain Wright – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make it its policy to collect data on the cause of death of individuals who have flowed off incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance and employment and support allowance whose date of death was at the same time; and if he will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    The Department has no plans to collect this data.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate she has made of the number of part-carcasses that are imported from New Zealand.

    George Eustice

    The attached table provides imports of meat from New Zealand for January to November 2015, according to HMRC trade statistics, broken down by 8 digit commodity code. This represents the most detailed level of data available.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.92 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, Cm 9161, what additional funding the Government intends to provide for investment in the Special Forces; and when that funding will be provided.

    Michael Fallon

    As the Prime Minister announced on 16 November 2015, there will be a £2 billion programme of new investment in the Special Forces over this Parliament.