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Tag: 2016

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to ensure that existing secondary schools in areas where a new school is planned do not suffer from inappropriate competition for places or other disadvantages.

    Lord Nash

    The Department for Education’s published document ‘Free schools applications: criteria for assessment’ sets out the criteria which will be used to assess proposals to establish new free schools. This document is attached.

    Prior to the school opening, the Secretary of State considers the impact the new school will have on all schools in the area in which the institution is proposed.

  • Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Docherty-Hughes on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assist those fleeing repression in Venezuela.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    This Government shares international concerns about the situation in Venezuela. Inflation and shortages of food and medicine are having a significant impact on ordinary Venezuelans, with many traveling temporarily across the border with Colombia to purchase basic goods.

    Earlier this year 60 Venezuelan non-governmental organisations called on the Venezuelan Government to accept humanitarian aid, highlighting the reported scarcity of 80% of medicines and medical supplies.

    We continue to encourage constructive dialogue between the Venezuelan Government and opposition political parties. We have raised our concerns over the deteriorating situation in the country directly with Venezuelan Ministers, urging respect for human rights and democratic values. We continue to encourage the Government to change its stance on humanitarian aid.

    Our Embassy in Caracas promotes human rights, democracy and good governance. In April, Venezuela was designated a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights priority country for 2016/17. This allows us to expand our work, collaborating with both Venezuelan and international partners, including using British Overseas Development funding, to help resolve issues around food and medicine shortages.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of dental treatment available to armed forces personnel.

    Mark Lancaster

    Delivering high quality dental care is fundamental to the health and deployability of the Armed Forces. Examinations and treatment provided by Defence Primary Healthcare are delivered against detailed standards that differentiate military dentistry from other oral healthcare systems. All care is subject to a comprehensive assurance regime, externally validated by the Care Quality Commission, and a system exists to centrally capture patient complaints, suggestions and compliments, all pursuant to quality improvement.

    We are committed to improving dental care further. A Strategic Oral Health Needs Assessment has recently been undertaken that will lead to an improved distribution of dental clinical capacity. It will also act as the precursor to a revised Armed Forces’ Oral Health Strategy. Other improvements we are making include a three year pilot to assess how dental therapists can contribute to the oral health outcomes required by Defence.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many mobile pumps the Environment Agency owns.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency owns a total of 245 mobile pumping units which can be deployed to respond to flooding incidents.

    During the flooding in December 2015, 425 mobile pumping assets owned and held by responding organisations, including the Fire Services and the Environment Agency, were identified as being available to Strategic Coordination Groups (Gold Controls).

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons use animals as part of their rehabilitation schemes; and which animals are used in such schemes.

    Andrew Selous

    This information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated to projects which are primarily aimed at Eritrean nationals in the last three years; and in which countries such projects are based.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    As a member of the European Development Fund Committee (EDF) my Department scrutinises all EDF programming. The National Indicative Programme (NIP) for Eritrea under EDF 11 was considered at the Committee on the 17th of November 2015 and received a positive opinion. Prior to that DFID officials worked with other member states to secure a joint EU and member state approach to linking implementation of the NIP with successful dialogue on human rights.

    We continue to monitor this, both in country and in Brussels, alongside other member states.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-03-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 3.63 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 and paragraph 2.16 of the Budget 2016, for what reasons the funding to support women’s charities equivalent to the annual VAT raised on sanitary products has changed from £15 million to £12 million.

    Mr David Gauke

    As announced at Autumn Statement 2015, the Tampon Tax Fund is a £15 million annual fund to support women’s charities, equivalent to the amount of VAT raised on sanitary products. The Chancellor announced initial donations at Autumn Statement totalling £5m. Further grants totalling £12 million have been announced at this Budget.

    The Government has introduced legislation in the Finance Bill to enable the zero rate of VAT for women’s sanitary products.

  • Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to maintain the ability of London taxi drivers exclusively to ply for hire.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government is responsible for the legislative structure within which local licensing authorities deliver the licensing regime for taxis and private hire vehicles. Enforcement of the licensing regime, including ensuring that private hire vehicles do not illegally ply for hire, is therefore a matter for local licensing authorities and the police.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations in the recent report The Digital Powerhouse: The innovation potential of tech clusters in the North.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We are considering these recommendations and will respond in due course.

  • 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 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the patient said to have been discharged unsafely by Mr Agrawal, who the responsible consultant was; and on what grounds did East Lancashire Hospitals Trust believe that Mr Agrawal had discharged that patient when he had himself been excluded from the hospital in question.

    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.