The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 15358, what recent progress has been made on the review into the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates.
George Eustice
We are continuing to consider which aspects of the current Code of Practice might need revisiting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the result of the EU referendum on the timetable for a decision on Heathrow expansion.
Mr John Hayes
The Prime Minister will begin the negotiation for Britain’s future relationship with Europe and will also take the decision about when to trigger article 50 and start the formal process of leaving the EU. The Prime Minister has been clear that article 50 will not be triggered before the end of the year.
The Government is committed to delivering the important infrastructure projects the country needs, including delivering runway capacity on the timetable set out by the Airports Commission. The Government are giving high priority to this issue and the decision will be made shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-10-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that the United Nations Population Fund’s activities helping women and girls to achieve their potential continue in 2017 and beyond.
Lord Bates
The Department for International Development (DFID) strongly values the unique role the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) plays in protecting and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Through our funding commitment of £20 million for 2016/2017, as well as our annual funding to the UNFPA Family Planning Supplies Programme, we will continue to closely monitor the impact and results of the UNFPA to ensure its work reaches and benefits the poorest and most vulnerable women and girls, particularly in fragile states and humanitarian settings. The UNFPA Supplies programme plays an essential role in this. DFID continues to work closely with UNFPA to ensure the programme is reforming and providing access to family planning commodities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-01-11.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the previously published Carbon Price Support rates of £30t/CO2 in 2020 and £70t/CO2 in 2030, at 2009 prices, remain in place.
Damian Hinds
CPS rates have been capped at £18/tCO2 until 2019/20. An announcement on the rates beyond 2019/20 will be made in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of torture in Sri Lanka.
Mr Hugo Swire
Her Majesty’s Government takes very seriously any allegations of torture or other forms of ill-treatment, in Sri Lanka as in other countries. I raised concerns, highlighted by recent NGO reports on allegations of ongoing torture in Sri Lanka, with both the government and civil society when I visited Sri Lanka in January. British High Commission officials in Colombo are also in regular contact with local human rights organisations in Sri Lanka.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the applicability of that Department’s anti-sock puppet clause pilot scheme to other departments.
Matthew Hancock
Cabinet Office officials undertook several discussions with DCLG on this matter. The discussions were varied, extensive and frequent, and covered both development and implementation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long after being found to be ineligible for employment and support allowance as a result of a work capability assessment can an individual submit a new claim.
Priti Patel
An individual can submit a new claim for Employment and Support Allowance at any time after being found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-04-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount which the soft drinks industry levy will raise for public expenditure in Scotland.
Damian Hinds
The soft drinks industry levy is part of the government’s strategy to tackle childhood obesity. It is aimed at encouraging producers to reformulate their product mix and move consumers towards lower sugar alternatives.
The levy is expected to raise £520 million in the first year across the UK; the OBR expect that this number will fall over time as producers reformulate their product mix and consumption of high sugar drinks decreases. In England, the revenue will be used to double the primary school PE and sport premium; provide funding to give 25% of secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day to offer a wider range of activities for pupils; and fund the expansion of breakfast clubs in up to 1,600 schools.
As stated at Budget 2016, the Barnett Formula will continue to be applied to spending on these new initiatives in the normal way.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department provided to the delegation to Iran led by the Rt. hon. Member for Gordon and the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire in December 2015.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The visit of the Rt Hon. Member for Gordon (Mr Salmond) and the Member for Ochil and South Perthshire (Ms Ahmed-Sheikh) to Tehran in December 2015 was organised and paid for entirely by the Scottish National Party and the Iranian authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided some logistical support and Mr Salmond was briefed by the British Chargé d’affaires in Tehran on his arrival.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been disbursed from the public purse in legal fees for solicitors, parliamentary agents, barristers and their staff who have been working on behalf of HS2 Ltd.
Andrew Jones
The Department has appointed a joint team of solicitors/parliamentary agents from Winckworth Sherwood and Eversheds LLP to provide support in relation to the HS2 Phase 1 hybrid Bill. The current spend on this contract is £9,594,124.36.
The Department has also appointed a joint team of solicitors/parliamentary agents from Winckworth Sherwood and Eversheds LLP to support the preparation of the HS2 Phase 2a hybrid Bill, which is expected to be deposited in 2017. The current spend on this contract is £146,265.10.
The Department continues to instruct a team of barristers to support the HS2 project. Each barrister is remunerated at agreed government hourly rates. The spend on these barristers for the period from 2013 to the present is £2,219,872.30.
All figures are correct up to 5 September 2016 and are exclusive of VAT.
Since approximately 2010, the Department has also instructed a number of barristers on other HS2 related work, primarily litigation. These barristers will have been remunerated at agreed government hourly rates, but unfortunately it would involve disproportionate cost for the Department to provide precise figures.