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Tag: 2016

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their reasons for not imposing human rights sanctions against designated North Korean persons suspected of mass human rights violations and crimes against humanity.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to have discussions with international partners about ways to increase the pressure on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to improve its appalling human rights record. We are currently discussing a response to the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme at the UN Security Council. We are also discussing a further resolution on DPRK human rights at the UN General Assembly Third Committee to maintain the focus of international attention on their appalling human rights record.

    We will always consider the full range of measures at our disposal and carefully consider the impact and benefits of sanctions measures before they are imposed. These considerations include our ability to defend the legality of the sanctions should they be challenged under EU law and the likelihood of achieving our objective of a denuclearised DPRK which abides by international norms and respects the human rights of its citizens.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many evasion referrals to the HM Revenue and Customs Evasion Referral Team were made by the taskforces established to crack down on tax evasion and tax avoidance in each tax year since 2012-13; and how many such referrals were adopted as working cases by the HM Revenue and Customs (a) Criminal Investigation, (b) Specialist Investigation and (c) Local Compliance Fraud business unit.

    Mr David Gauke

    Local Compliance Fraud merged with Specialist Investigation in 2015/16. Later that year Specialist Investigation then merged with Criminal Investigation to form one directorate, the Fraud Investigation Service (FIS). The figures for referrals to FIS are in the following table:

    Year

    Taskforce Referrals Made

    Adopted by FIS

    2012/13

    336

    52

    2013/14

    598

    145

    2014/15

    596

    276

    The referrals are made by HMRC officers when they suspect or discover evasion. The process is designed to escalate this type of case to a specialist team for review. If the case is not adopted by one of these teams it is returned to the referring officer to continue the investigation.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to negotiate an extradition treaty with Pakistan.

    James Brokenshire

    Between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2015 there were no extraditions from Pakistan to the UK.

    There is no bilateral extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan and, unless a multilateral convention applies, extradition is on the basis of reciprocity.

    The Government will neither confirm nor deny whether it is considering or is involved in negotiations with a particular country regarding an extradition treaty.

  • Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the growth of the red squirrel population.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government is committed to protecting and expanding red squirrel populations and tackling the threats that grey squirrels pose to them.

    Since December 2014 the Forestry Commission has been undertaking a number of actions to protect red squirrels from the impact of grey squirrels resulting from an updated grey squirrel action plan for England. These have included measures to control grey squirrels in red squirrel areas, through forestry options under Countryside Stewardship and the previous English Woodland Grant Scheme.

    Additionally, the Government participates in and supports Red Squirrels Northern England, a partnership project between the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, Natural England, the Forestry Commission and the Wildlife Trusts, which is helping to protect and expand the biggest population of red squirrels left in England.

    We are also working together with a range of stakeholders under the UK Squirrel Accord, which aims to promote partnership working to increase public awareness and support for action to protect red squirrels and woodlands from grey squirrels.

  • Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Pow on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which coal mining projects are being supported by UK Export Finance.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Export Finance is currently providing support to five coal mining projects, as follows:

    Exporter name

    Buyer name

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Mechel Mining OAO

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

    Joy Global (UK) Ltd

    Siberian Coal & Energy Company

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Russian government on the Arctic.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK has not recently discussed the Arctic bilaterally with the Russian government. The UK is a State Observer at the Arctic Council, of which the Russian Federation is a full member. The UK participates in all Arctic Council meetings, including the most recent senior official meeting in March 2016.

  • Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gill Furniss on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister of 11 May 2016, Official Report, column 627, when she plans to decide whether to launch an independent panel hearing into the policing of the miners’ strike at Orgreave in 1984.

    Mrs Theresa May

    I am currently considering a submission from the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign on the need for an inquiry into the events at Orgreave and will set out the Government’s position in due course.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 year olds there were in Leeds in the most recent year for which information is available; and what estimate he has made of how many people there will be in each of those age groups in that city in each of the next five years.

    Chris Skidmore

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of fitness testing of children in school.

    Lord Nash

    We want all pupils to be healthy and more physically active, with the Government’s recent Childhood Obesity Plan setting out an ambition that young people should be active for at least 60 minutes every day, as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer.

    Since 2013, the Government has provided over £450million of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to PE and Sport. We know this funding is making a difference, with 87% of primary schools reporting that the quality of PE teaching has increased since the introduction of the premium. The majority of schools have also introduced new sports in both curricular PE (74%) and extra-curricular sport (77%) since the premium was introduced. But we know there is more to do, which is why revenue from the soft drinks industry levy will be used to double the primary PE and sport premium to £320million a year from September 2017.

    Through the Sport Strategy, we have also extended the remit of Sport England, to cover children aged 5 and above, outside of school. Sport England’s new strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ sets out a new £40million investment into projects that offer opportunities for families with children to get active and play sport together outside of school.

    In relation to fitness testing, it is up to schools to determine how best they deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum. We are considering how we can track levels of physical activity in schools to help support children to have healthy and active lives and will be providing schools with further guidance and best practice examples to help deliver this.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Council of Economic Advisers (a) last met and (b) will next meet.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Members of the Government’s Council of Economic Advisers meet every day to discuss the design and formation of government policy. Details of the Council’s membership and remuneration are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs-december-2015. The Council operates from HM Treasury. Running costs cannot be disaggregated from the department’s budget.

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