Tag: 2016

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Treasury ascertains that the funds of UK companies that operate in North Korea do not contribute to that country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme or its human rights violations.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for ensuring that financial sanctions, including those relating to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (North Korea), are properly understood, implemented and enforced in the United Kingdom.

    OFSI is not an investigative or prosecutorial body but reviews suspected breaches of financial sanctions and then passes information to law enforcement bodies who would determine whether an investigation and or prosecution is appropriate.

  • Peter Bottomley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Bottomley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bottomley on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether East Lancashire Hospitals Trust authorised Mr David Chang to say that the General Medical Council had ever given formal advice or a warning or decided on a sanction on Mr Aditya Agrawal.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    This is an employer and employee matter between the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Mr Aditya Agrawal respectively. The Department cannot comment on individual employment matters that are the responsibility of independent organisations, and that are subject to ongoing legal proceedings or on matters relating to individual clinical cases or other personal information. We understand that the cost to East Lancashire Trust of legal proceedings concerning Mr Agrawal is £296,848.42 to date, and that the Trust does not have insurance costs for legal awards in the event of the Trust or one of its employees being subject to legal action for defamation.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2016 to Question 44386, on Defence Business Services: Contracts, if he will consult current and former members of the armed forces before any decision is taken on the operation of the repatriation and burial of war casualties.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence currently has no plans to change the operation of repatriation and burial of war casualties. In the event of significant changes being proposed, Ministers, the single Services, Permanent Joint Headquarters and other interested parties would be consulted.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with (a) the Burundi Ambassador, (b) the Burundi government, (c) the UN and (d) the African Union.

    James Duddridge

    I spoke with the Burundian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Deo Sindayihebura, about violence and insecurity in Burundi on Thursday, 10th December. In the week commencing 14 December, I was in the region. On 17 December I discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with the Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe, and Major General Prime Niyongabo, Army Chief Of Staff.

    My visit to the region was focused on Burundi throughout. I had separate meetings with the Ugandan President Museveni and the Ugandan Foreign Minister Kutesa. Additionally, I spoke by phone with Defence Minister Kiyonga, the Ugandan nominated mediator, on 15 December. I met the Rwandan Foreign Minister Mushikiwabo on 16 December. These meetings were with key members of the African Union, who are looking to help find solutions to the situation. On 7 November, I spoke with Ibrahima Fall, AU Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, and Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security.

    I met with UN Humanitarian agencies including UNHCR, IOM, WFP, UNICEF whilst in Burundi. I also recently wrote to the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Conflict Prevention, Jamal Benomar, to make clear our concerns about Burundi and offer the UK Government’s support to him.

  • Geoffrey Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Geoffrey Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Robinson on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many small businesses have received financial assistance from (a) peer to peer lenders and (b) other sources in the last 12 months.

    Anna Soubry

    Recent figures from the peer-to-peer finance association show that their members had 225,000 loans outstanding in the third quarter of 2015 and that over half of these by value were to businesses. That is a 108,000 increase on the previous year. Other sources such as crowdfunding are growing equally fast, and lending to smaller businesses from the banks has been recovering strongly. 80% of loan and overdraft applications to SMEs were successful in the 18 months to Q3 2015 , up from 68% in Q4 2013 (SME Finance Monitor)

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    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.

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans that the toll level for Vehicle Category 1 and Vehicle Category 2 will be equal when the Severn Bridges return to public ownership.

    Andrew Jones

    The Chancellor announced at Budget 2015 that the Government will abolish Category 2 tolls (small goods vehicles and small buses) and include those vehicles in Category 1, to reduce costs for businesses once Severn River Crossings are in public ownership.

  • 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 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why there are no targets in the NHS for follow-up appointments after an initial consultant consultation.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The appropriate interval for follow up appointments will vary between different services or specialties, and between individual patients, depending on the severity of their condition. All follow up appointments (also known as planned, surveillance or recall appointments) should take place when clinically appropriate. NHS England’s guidance, Recording and reporting referral to treatment waiting times for consultant-led elective care is clear that when patients on planned lists are clinically ready for their care to commence and reach the date for their planned appointment they should either receive that appointment or be transferred to an active waiting list. At this point a waiting time clock will be started and their wait reported in the relevant statistical return. A copy of the guidance is attached.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the gender was of each person who has (a) applied and (b) made the shortlist for each Permanent Secretary appointment since January 2015.

    Matthew Hancock

    As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has recently said, we are considering methods by which we may publish information related to Permanent Secretary appointments in a way that doesn’t compromise individuals’ privacy.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41904, what mechanisms are in place to ensure her Department meets its positive obligation under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights to identify and take operational measures to protect victims of human trafficking held at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    No one who is found to be at risk of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment on return to their country will be deported from the UK. There are processes in place for those held in Immigration Removal Centres to claim asylum if they believe they are at risk of such treatment.

    Home Office staff working in all Immigration Removal Centres, including Yarl’s Wood, are trained as First Responders to identify signs that individuals may be potential victims of trafficking or slavery. Where an individual is identified as a potential victim, they will be referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for assessment.