Tag: 2016

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Amber Rudd

    The Department’s purchasing policies support the Government’s commitment to do all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts, in line with our current international obligations and guidance issued by the Crown Commercial Service.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with with Guy Verhofstadt on the UK’s exit from the EU.

    Mr David Jones

    The Prime Minister has been clear we will not give a running commentary on Brexit negotiations. We will ensure that we engage closely with all relevant interlocutors.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the inquiry announced by her Department on 20 January 2016 into the housing of asylum seekers in the north-east of England to report its findings.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office officials are working closely with our housing providers to ensure that asylum seeker accommodation is not easily identifiable. I am not aware of a uniform door colour being the practice in any other region. My officials have also spoken to our housing providers to tell them that such a practice is not acceptable.

    I was first made aware of this issue when The Times contacted the Home Office in mid-January. G4S has investigated correspondence and discussions on the issue of external door colour in the North East and has confirmed that it was raised in 2012 by a Middlesbrough local councillor and was considered by the G4S audit and assurance team, no complaints from asylum seekers relating to this matter were found and a response was issued.

    As I said to the House on 20 January, I instructed officials to look into this issue as a matter of urgency and I expect that the audit will be concluded on the Home Office side very shortly.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money is being spent by NHS Improvement on a re-design of that organisation.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The forecast spend for the design of NHS Improvement is £800,000. This includes the development of a single organisational structure and new operating model to better support the National Health Service to drive improvements.

  • Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 1 March (HL6250), what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of training provided by the UK to Burmese Army soldiers.

    Earl Howe

    I refer to my previous answer, which stated that we do not provide combat training to the Burmese Army. We do, however, provide educational training to the Burmese military and Burmese civil servants. In 2015 this included the Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context and Strategic Leadership programmes, both delivered by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in partnership with Cranfield University. In addition, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst delivered a Psychology of Leadership programme in Burma, and we have also provided English language training. We have not undertaken any formal assessment process of this educational training.

    I refer to my previous answer, which stated that we do not provide combat training to the Burmese Army. We do, however, provide educational training to the Burmese military and Burmese civil servants. In 2015 this included the Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context and Strategic Leadership programmes, both delivered by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in partnership with Cranfield University. In addition, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst delivered a Psychology of Leadership programme in Burma, and we have also provided English language training. We have not undertaken any formal assessment process of this educational training.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to lay before Parliament the results of the 30-month review required under Section 141 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 of the effect of the Child Support Fees Regulations 2014.

    Priti Patel

    The department has a statutory obligation to complete the 30 month review of the impacts of charging by 31 December 2016.

    Outcomes of the review are expected to be published in spring 2017.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice his Department provides to employers on how to respond when advised by an employee that the Department for Work and Pensions has determined that their universal credit award has been affected by that employer’s incorrect PAYE real time information submission.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions continually monitor the quality of Real Time Information. Where a claimant disputes the earnings details used in the Universal Credit calculation, in the first instance the employer will work with the employee to understand the cause of the discrepancy and put it right. If HMRC need to be involved then they will contact the employer to identify the cause of the error and, if appropriate, arrange for the returns to be corrected, as well as working with the employer to ensure errors do not re-occur.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received from his European counterparts since the outcome of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and I have been holding, and will continue to hold, discussions with our EU counterparts since the referendum and the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) attended the European Council meeting on 29 June to explain the decision the British people have taken.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of accident and emergency services at Burnley Hospital.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    No such assessments have been made. The provision of accident and emergency (A&E) services at the Royal Blackburn Hospital is a matter for the local National Health Service. The NHS in East Lancashire has established an A&E delivery board to oversee system performance and the effective delivery of urgent and emergency care locally.

    Ministers consult weekly with NHS Improvement and the Care Quality Commission about A&E performance.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on how many occasions her Department has been notified by external consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials in each of the last two years.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID is not aware of any notifications from external consultants, or other third parties, of breaches to its Information Security Management Controls in the past two years.