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Tag: 2016

  • Sarah Champion – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Champion – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that all frontline professionals receive adequate training to pursue the steps outlined in multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation.

    Karen Bradley

    Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls.

    The Government is clear that tackling FGM needs a coordinated response from a range of professionals, including teachers, health professionals, social workers and police which is why on 1 April we published updated multi-agency guidance on FGM which we have put on a statutory footing to support compliance. To support professionals to take the steps outlined in the guidance, including receiving adequate training, we have made available free FGM e-learning for all professionals. To date, the course has been completed by over 30,000 people. Our FGM Unit is providing outreach support to local areas and working to raise awareness of resources available to professionals, including training, best practice examples and information on legislation and policy.

    In addition, the Department of Health’s £3 million FGM Prevention Programme is focused on improving the response of NHS to FGM, and through its Innovation programme, the Department for Education is funding the Local Government Association and Barnardo’s to develop a centre of excellence and outreach to support local authorities.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on his Department’s plans for electrification of the Midland Main Line.

    Claire Perry

    The Midland Main Line programme will deliver electrification of the Midland Main Line from Bedford to Kettering and Corby by 2019 and from Kettering to Nottingham and Sheffield via Derby by 2023. Following the vote taken by the British people for the UK to leave the European Union on 23 June their will must be respected and delivered. The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain’s future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister. In the meantime, the Department continues working to deliver the Government agenda, including the above electrification programme.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps the Government plans to take to protect the property ownership rights of UK citizens who own property in the EU after the UK has left the EU who (a) use the property primarily to rent out to others for holidays, (b) are the sole users, for holiday purposes and (c) are the sole users, and live there permanently.

    Mr Robin Walker

    At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people, including those living in other EU countries or who own property in the EU. It is already the case that all Member States are bound by Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights which obliges them to respect property rights.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise with the EU the issue of (a) the dismissal by the General Court of the EU of first listing challenges brought by individuals on the EU’s targeted human rights sanctions list and (b) imposing such sanctions on North Korea’s suspected human rights violations.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We welcome the EU General Court’s dismissal of challenges brought by individuals listed for violating human rights in Iran. The human rights situation in Iran remains a matter of serious concern. We are also deeply concerned by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) appalling human rights record. We will continue to consider a broad range of policy options whenever we discuss the DPRK with other EU member states. The EU already has autonomous measures against the DPRK in place which complement and enforce UN sanctions, targeting the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Any new measures or sanctions regime introduced at the EU level must clearly improve the human rights situation. They must also satisfy our ability to defend the legality of the decision.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans the Government has to ensure comparable treatment in respect of (a) immunity from prosecution and (b) prosecution for former service personnel who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and for former members of paramilitary and terrorist organisations during that period.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Criminal investigations and prosecutions throughout the United Kingdom are matters for the police and prosecuting authorities acting independently of the Government and politicians. If there is considered to be evidence or intelligence of involvement in crime, individuals will be investigated by the police. That applies equally to everyone, without fear or favour.

    As I made clear in my response to Lady Justice Hallett’s report on the so-called ‘On-the-Runs’ scheme established by the former Labour Government there is no immunity from prosecution for terrorists in Northern Ireland. This Government believes in the rule of law and we would not countenance amnesties or immunity from prosecution.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of food poverty or insecurity that is caused by state benefits being used for purposes other than to provide necessities.

    Lord Freud

    There has been no such assessment.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision to offer a £100 million aid package which will be implemented under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa set up to tackle instability and the causes of migration.

    Baroness Verma

    Migration within and from Africa is a major development issue. It needs to be addressed in part by tackling instability and the root causes of migration. At the Valletta Summit the European Union agreed a new €1.8 billion Trust Fund focussing on four main areas linked to development priorities identified by the host governments in Africa: i) promoting greater economic and employment opportunities; ii) strengthening resilience of communities and in particular the most vulnerable, as well as refugees and displaced people iii) improved migration management in countries of origin and transit; and, iv) improved governance and conflict prevention, and reduction of forced displacement and irregular migration.

    The Trust Fund is composed of three windows, one for the Horn of Africa, one for the Sahel and one for North Africa. The proposed work of the Trust Fund complements DFID’s own approach in these regions. The UK is represented by DFID on each of the EU Trust Fund window’s Operating Committees and on the overall board of the Trust Fund. DFID, the FCO and Home Office officials work as one team to coordinate engagement with EU Trust Fund. The UK is playing a full role in shaping the Trust Fund’s strategy and we work hard to ensure that the funding is well spent and that proposed projects deliver maximum value for money.

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent representations her Department has made to the Israeli government on the demolition of Palestinian homes and property funded by the UK.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK remains extremely concerned at the large increase in demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the start of 2016, compared to the monthly average in 2015, and continues to raise this with the Israeli authorities. Demolitions and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering, are harmful to the peace process, and in all but the most exceptional of cases are contrary to international humanitarian law. The UK supports the Norwegian Refugee Council to provide legal aid to Palestinian communities that are at risk of displacement.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the next Triennial Review of gaming machine stakes and prizes will address all such stakes and prizes.

    Tracey Crouch

    As previously stated in the House of Commons, Government is reviewing the situation and I hope to announce details of a review in due course.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 19 September (HL1467), how much they will pay Ecorys for the production of their report evaluating the Troubled Families Programme; and whether that fee will be reduced in the light of the reported problems with methodology and the consequent delay in the completion and publication of that report.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The evaluation, published on 17 October, comprises several different strands including longitudinal case studies in twenty local authorities, in-depth longitudinal research with families, a face-to-face survey of over 800 families, an impact study using national administrative datasets, the development of a cost savings calculator for local authorities, and a local monitoring system for all local authorities to record family problems. The total value of these strands amount to £1.16 Million (0.2 per cent of the total programme budget).