The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions on the demolition of Palestinian homes.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We have not had any discussions with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what projection his Department has made of the annual spend on the contracted-out element of back to work support for the forthcoming Work and Health Programme; and how that spend compares with the annual spend on the current Work Programme and Work Choice.
Priti Patel
We are currently working on the design of the new Work and Health programme and we will publish the design and funding in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take following their consultation on the EBacc.
Lord Nash
The consultation closed on 29 January. We are currently considering the responses and plan to publish the government response in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate she has made of the (a) annual contribution to the economy of food production and (b) number of people employed in the food production industry.
George Eustice
The latest provisional data shows that in 2014 the whole food chain from farming to retail and catering was worth £108 billion to National Gross Value Added, and employed 3.8 million people. Within this, farming contributed £10.7 billion Gross Value Added and employed 440 thousand people, and food and drink manufacturing contributed £26.9 billion Gross Value Added and employed 410 thousand people. These statistics are derived from the Aggregate Agricultural Accounts by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Annual Business Survey and the Labour Force Survey by the Office for National Statistics.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much compensation was paid from the public purse to Chagossians; on what dates such compensation payments were made; and how many families were so compensated.
James Duddridge
The UK Government has paid out around £21m at current prices. This comprises two sums. An initial figure of £650,000 which the UK Government paid in 1973 to the Government of Mauritius towards the resettlement of those removed from the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965. This was disbursed with accrued interest in 1977 and 1978 to 595 families. Furthermore, in 1982 the UK Government paid over a further £4m pursuant to an agreement with the Government of Mauritius which had established the Ilois Trust Fund Board to distribute the money for the benefit of the Chagossians. The government of Mauritius had also contributed some land to the Trust Fund and the government of India contributed £1m to it. At least 1,344 Chagossians received compensation through the Trust Fund, which was largely paid out between 1982 and 1984, with a final disbursement in 1987. The Government does not hold information about those it has not compensated.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lucas on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the reported decision by the BBC to discontinue the BBC Food website, and other services that digitally repurpose content that the BBC has already paid for, is in accordance with its vision of the future of the BBC.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Decisions in relation to the BBC’s online content are a matter for the BBC which is editorially independent of the Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-12.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials of his Department are paid a private secretary allowance.
Ben Gummer
There are currently 39 members of staff who are in receipt of a private secretary allowance. Staff at Band B2 or above who currently work in the Private Office of a Director General, Permanent Secretary or Minister are entitled to receive the Private Office allowance. There is no further guidance on the allowance. The authorisation process is robustly enforced within the department, with accountability resting with the Head of Private Office Group.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens are known to have been (a) detained and (b) delayed when entering Israel in the past 12 months.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
According to Israeli figures 129 000 British nationals have visited Israel since 1 January 2016, and 50 British nationals have been refused entry into Israel through Ben-Gurion Airport. Of these, 25 sought assistance from the British Embassy. A further 65 British nationals have been refused entry at the Allenby Bridge.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what proportion of his Department’s Named Day Questions have been answered on the named day since September 2015.
Joseph Johnson
Between 1 September 2015 and 27 January 2016 the Department received 441 questions for answer on a named day. Of these 250, or 57%, were answered on that named day.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, under the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, a claimant receiving Employment and Support Allowance prior to April 2017 who had to re-apply after April 2017 due to a change in their condition would have their benefit reduced to the level of Jobseeker’s Allowance if they were found to be entitled to the work-related activity component.
Lord Freud
The changes as introduced to the House of Commons on 9th July 2015 would mean that existing claimants, whether in the work-related activity group or the support group, who undergo a work capability assessment after April 2017 and are placed in, or remain in, the work-related activity group, will continue to receive the work-related activity component.