Tag: 2016

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38596, on beach huts: Christchurch, and with reference to the Guardian report of 15 April 2016, entitled Dorset residents angry over TV showing beach hut competition, whether Natural England is comfortable with the idea of the development of residential beach chalets on Highcliffe clifftop.

    Rory Stewart

    Natural England has not yet assessed the SSSI consent application received on 7 June. Until Natural England has done this it cannot comment further.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to have targets for BAME representation in the Senior Civil Service.

    Ben Gummer

    The use of stretching goals for BAME representation as well as other protected characteristics are being considered as a way to support and facilitate the increase of senior representation of underrepresented groups within the Civil Service.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what resources she has made available to ensure that Article 16 of the Tuberculosis (England) Order 2014 is enforced.

    George Eustice

    Article 16 of the Tuberculosis (England) Order 2014 concerns the requirement of herd owners to comply with cleansing and disinfection of premises following removal of TB reactors.

    APHA inspectors carry out spot checks on a proportion of Bovine Tuberculosis breakdown farms every year to ensure compliance with these statutory cleansing and disinfection requirements.

    APHA employs 208 vets and 137 animal health officers who may be involved in the administration and enforcement of these measures as part of their field duties

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients are receiving nivolumab for locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer in (a) England and (b) Strangford; and when NICE plans to complete its appraisal of that drug.

    George Freeman

    NHS England has advised that it understands that the manufacturer of nivolumab (Opdivo), Bristol-Myers Squibb, received 73 registrations for nivolumab for locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme before the scientific opinion expired in July 2015. A geographical breakdown of this figure is not available.

    NHS England does not currently fund nivolumab for metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer and has advised that its funding position will be determined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s final technology appraisal guidance which is expected in May 2016. Further information is available at:

    www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-tag506

  • 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 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for how many days (a) HMS Daring, (b) HMS Dauntless, (c) HMS Diamond, (d) HMS Dragon, (e) HMS Defender and (f) HMS Duncan underwent (i) planned maintenance and (ii) repair work in each of the last six years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The amount spent on Maintenance and Repair for the six Type 45 Destroyers is detailed in the table below rounded to the nearest half million:

    Name of Ship

    In-Service Date

    Maintenance/Repair

    Cost (£ million)

    HMS DARING

    July 2010

    Programmed Maintenance

    £7

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    £4.5

    HMS DAUNTLESS

    November 2010

    Programmed Maintenance

    £4.5

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    £4.5

    HMS DIAMOND

    July 2011

    Programmed Maintenance

    £9.5

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    £3.5

    HMS DRAGON

    April 2012

    Programmed Maintenance

    £7

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    £2

    HMS DEFENDER

    March 2013

    Programmed Maintenance

    £2

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    £3

    HMS DUNCAN

    December 2013

    Programmed Maintenance

    £1.5

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    £2

    The table below reflects the number of planned maintenance days per ship over the six year period. Repair work on individual ship systems takes place during both planned maintenance periods and operational deployments and data relating to the number of days’ worth of repair work is not collected. Unprogrammed work/repair figures shown cover the extension of maintenance periods.

    Name of Ship

    In-Service Date

    Maintenance/ Repair

    Duration

    HMS DARING

    July 2010

    Programmed Maintenance

    360

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    105

    HMS DAUNTLESS

    November 2010

    Programmed Maintenance

    215

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    20

    HMS DIAMOND

    July 2011

    Programmed Maintenance

    350

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    0

    HMS DRAGON

    April 2012

    Programmed Maintenance

    250

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    0

    HMS DEFENDER

    March 2013

    Programmed Maintenance

    100

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    0

    HMS DUNCAN

    December 2013

    Programmed Maintenance

    130

    Unprogrammed Work/Repair

    0

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many such suits were settled out of court before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements have cost the public purse since 2010.

    Jane Ellison

    When the Human Rights Act came into force, no specific arrangements were put in place by the then government to record cases in the way requested. Furthermore, litigants in civil cases can rely on arguments based wholly or partly on the Human Rights Act 1998. In some cases, the Act is relied on in addition to other claims. Neither Government Legal Department records nor the County and High Courts case management systems distinguish between cases where the Act is invoked and cases where it is not. As a result, there are not currently data published which distinguish between cases where the Human Rights Act was or was not invoked. To obtain the information requested would involve a thorough review of all paper case files since 2010. To undergo this review would incur a disproportionate cost.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to conduct an impact assessment on the local economy of Cumbernauld of the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld office.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.

    HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much production work by (a) value and (b) numbers of jobs has been undertaken by employees in the UK on UK defence contracts placed with US defence companies in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not currently collate information on how much production or support work is undertaken in the UK or US on UK defence contracts, either by value or number of jobs. A comprehensive breakdown of which MOD contracts placed over the last five years are with UK or US suppliers is also not held centrally.

    The MOD routinely publishes statistics on contracts it places on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/defence-trade-and-industry-index. This includes an overall estimate of MOD expenditure for work undertaken in the UK and lists all organisations with which we have spent £5 million or more in the financial year. These statistics include expenditure with US companies.

    The MOD does not collate information centrally on the value of production work undertaken in the UK on contracts placed by the US Department of Defense.

  • 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 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many representations he has made to his (a) Yemeni and (b) Saudi Arabian counterpart in each of the last twelve months on the conflict in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) is in regular contact with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Al Jubeir regarding the situation in Yemen. During his recent tour of the Gulf, the Foreign Secretary held constructive discussions with all six GCC countries, underlining the UK’s commitment to finding a peaceful resolution and working in partnership with key regional actors to achieve this. I also regularly engage with the UN Special Envoy for Yemen and President Hadi to encourage commitment to the political process and the UK Special Envoy to Yemen, Sir Alan Duncan, visited the region in April and May to deliver messages to key Yemeni and regional interlocutors. Yemen remains a top priority for the UK Government and we are committed to working towards a durable peace.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to provide employment and social enterprise opportunities for (a) the homeless and (b) those at risk of homelessness in (i) the West Midlands and (ii) Birmingham, Northfield constituency.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The government is committed to preventing and reducing homelessness. We have increased central government funding for homelessness programmes to £139 million over the Spending Review period. We have also maintained and protected homelessness prevention funding for local government, totalling £315 million by 2019/20. One person without a home is one too many, and we are clear that more needs to be done to ensure that support is available for some of the most vulnerable in society.

    We recognise that employment and social enterprise opportunities are key factors to help people avoid homelessness and secure a sustainable place to live and build personal resilience. That is why we have invested £15 million to improve outcomes for young people through the Fair Chance Fund. This funding is turning around the lives of around 1,900 18 to 25 year olds with complex and overlapping needs, by supporting them into accommodation, education, training and employment. Young people are being supported by seven projects across the country including in Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Walsall and Wyre Forest and the majority of projects are funded by social investment. We will build our learning on this to our £10 million Social Impact Bond for people with complex and multiple needs. In addition we have funded a £40 million Platform for Life programme, providing affordable shared accommodation for homeless young people, so that they have a stable platform for work.

    Moreover, we are actively working across government and through our local partners to help vulnerable people find a job and get into training. STRIVE, a joint pilot project with BEIS, DCLG and DWP, is helping homeless people into jobs by improving their basic English, maths and IT skills and is being delivered by Crisis and St Mungo’s. We are continuing to drive cross government action through the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness which is making sure that homelessness is an integral part of every department’s planning and that policies are joined up.