Tag: 2016

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Alevi community in Turkey has the right to exercise freedom of religious expression; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    We have noted the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling and regularly discuss issues concerning freedom of religion and belief, including those of the Alevi community, with our Turkish interlocutors. We will continue to do so. The Turkish government continues to improve protections for all religious minorities in Turkey. We welcome the continuing implementation of the Law on Foundations which has seen a number of properties returned to minority community foundations or the payment of compensation. As we highlighted to Turkey through the 2015 UN Universal Periodic Review of human rights, we would like to see Turkey implement legislation that increases protection of the rights of persons belonging to all minority religious groups, including the status of their places of worship.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government provides to the Kurdistan regional government related to the provision of education and language training in that region.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK is working with the Kurdistan Regional Government to promote education and language training, particularly through the work of the British Council. Working with institutions across the Kurdistan Region, the British Council is supporting projects to develop skills and build capacity in various sectors including in the vocational education sector. The British Council is also providing online English language opportunities for Kurdish learners and English training for educators. Some of this support is specifically targeted to assist refugees and host communities. We also support further education through our Chevening programme.

    Since June 2014, the UK has committed £129.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq. The UK is the largest contributor to the UN’s Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, which has funded education projects for the most vulnerable displaced Iraqi children, amongst other programmes.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46532, what constitutes the extra support her Department will provide for 19 to 24 year old care leavers; and if she will provide extra support for ex-offenders.

    Robert Halfon

    Under the apprenticeship funding proposals published in August, we set out plans to pay employers and training providers £1,000 each when they train an apprentice aged 19-24 years old who was formerly in care, to help with the extra costs of providing support. We invited feedback on our proposals and the final funding policy for apprenticeships in England from May 2017 will be published shortly.

  • Lord Whitty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Whitty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Whitty on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are undertaking, both nationally and internationally, to reverse the global decline in the bee population.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Government is committed to supporting pollinators, including bees, through the National Pollinator Strategy for England. This is an exciting 10 year plan, with comprehensive action to protect pollinators on farmland and across towns, cities and the countryside.

    In November 2015 Defra published an implementation plan highlighting significant progress in the first year of the strategy, delivered through collaboration between government and non-government partners. This includes £900 million Defra has made available for the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, launched in July 2015. For the first time ever this contains dedicated management options for pollinators as part of the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package.

    We have been working to raise public awareness and engagement, holding the first Pollinator Awareness Week in July 2015. This promotes our Bees’ Needs Call to Action, setting out simple actions that any individual or business can take to provide food and shelter for pollinators.

    Internationally, Defra hosted two successful events on pollinators at the Milan Expo in July 2015, and following this is working with academics to explore opportunities to build on the innovative work the UK is doing for bees. The UK is also an active member of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), with UK experts contributing to the IPBES assessment of the state of knowledge on pollinators, the reasons for their decline and the policy options to protect them. The final report of this assessment will be considered and approved by Governments at the 4th IPBES Plenary Meeting in February 2016.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on the future size and power of the armed forces.

    Michael Fallon

    By 2025 we will have a highly capable expeditionary force of around 50,000. Joint Force 2025 will enable our Armed Forces to project power, deploy quickly and for longer periods and make the best use of new technology. We are investing in our front line by spending £178 billion over the next decade on equipment. We have committed to protecting the size of the Armed Forces by increasing the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force by a total of 700 personnel and not reducing the Army below 82,000.

  • 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 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of their review of the cost of wound dressings to the NHS, they will ensure that clinical expertise is a full component part of the process in order to ensure that the outcome is clinically effective as well as cost-effective.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The review of wound dressings by a dedicated working group resulted in the development of a number of clinical specifications for wound care products.

    In order to progress this work, from April 2016 a new NHS Clinical Evaluation Team will be put in place. The Clinical Evaluation Team will assess wound care products through a comprehensive evaluation process, which will have extensive engagement with NHS clinical staff. Included in the process will be tissue viability and infection control nurses, clinical procurement specialists, doctors, nurses and midwives along with medicine management practitioners from community trusts.

    The project’s remit is to review clinical products to identify those that enable high quality patient care whilst delivering the best outcomes for the NHS. The secondary consideration will be to identify products that could be procured more effectively through combined NHS buying power, to deliver greater overall value for money.

    The Clinical Evaluation Team is made up of practising clinicians.

    The project will therefore undertake assessments of the total costs and benefits of any recommendations to the overall NHS.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire who will pay less inheritance tax as a result of the proposed changes to inheritance tax thresholds planned to be introduced from 2017.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government has made no specific estimates of the number of people who will pay less Inheritance Tax in either Ashfield constituency or Nottinghamshire as a result of the reforms to Inheritance Tax that will be introduced from April 2017.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan.

    James Duddridge

    The UK Government is not directly involved in the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan. However, the British Council has previously sought to increase the awareness and appreciation of Sudan’s cultural heritage, including its cultural sites, amongst Sudanese youth. In addition, the British Museum has long-been involved in the archaeology of Sudan, including the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan, often with the support of the British Council.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were employed by NHS Protect at each Civil Service pay grade in each year since 2010.

    George Freeman

    NHS Protect co-ordinates anti-crime work in the National Health Service in England. This not only includes investigations and prosecutions but also managing information and intelligence and, wherever possible, ensuring crime is deterred and prevented.

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Number of NHS Protect prosecutions

    105

    41

    18

    7

    16

    9

    Note:

    1. Not all prosecutions relate to cases where the investigation commenced in the year shown as complex investigations may take more than one year to conclude and, if appropriate, prosecute.

    NHS Protect staff are employed on NHS Agenda for Change terms and conditions and the following table shows the number of NHS Protect staff by NHS pay scales.

    Number of NHS Protect staff by grade

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Band 3

    3

    2

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Band 4

    22

    17

    13

    15

    16

    15

    Band 5

    23

    34

    28

    30

    30

    30

    Band 6

    11

    0

    0

    1

    1

    2

    Band 7

    106

    87

    78

    78

    85

    81

    Band 8a

    30

    32

    34

    34

    35

    30

    Band 8b

    13

    10

    11

    10

    10

    10

    Band 8c

    6

    5

    6

    6

    6

    3

    Band 8d

    1

    1

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Band 9

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Associates

    1

    1

    1

    2

    1

    1

    Total

    217

    190

    173

    178

    186

    174

    Note:

    1. Associates are clinical specialists employed to provide advice and guidance in their area of expertise.
  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36104, whether the Government (a) received a copy of Saudi Arabia’s inquiry into alleged breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen and (b) has encouraged Saudi Arabia to publish any findings of their investigations.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Saudi led Coalition Joint Investigations Assessment Team (JIAT) announced the outcome of eight investigations on 4 August. The outcome of these investigations are available to the public.