Tag: 2016

  • Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Football Association on recent corruption scandals.

    Tracey Crouch

    Both the Secretary of State and I spoke to the FA following the recent allegations made by the Daily Telegraph, and they confirmed they are working across football to investigate. It is important that the FA demonstrates good governance of their sport, and that includes dealing effectively with those that look to tarnish its reputation. All the evidence presented to them must be investigated fully and the Government stands ready to assist in any way we can.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what core and non-core contributions were made by the Department for International Development to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Marie Stopes International, and Women and Children First (UK) in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

    Earl of Courtown

    The UK provides support to a range of Civil Society Organisations to help deliver our commitments across a range of priority areas. This includes policy around universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, working to save lives from Malaria and ending preventable child and maternal deaths. This supports the UK national interest by leading to a healthier, more prosperous world.

    DFID made core contributions of £543 million in 2013/14 and £285 million in 2014/15 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

    The International Planned Parenthood Federation directly received core funding of £8.6 million per year during 2013/14 and 2014/15 through a Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA) but were not in receipt of any other funding during the same period. During financial year 2013/14 and 2014/15, Marie Stopes International (MSI) directly received core funding through a PPA of £4.35 million per year, In addition, MSI directly received other non-core funding of approximately £12.5 million in 2013/14 and £13.4 million in 2014/15.

    DFID works with MSI and IPPF to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to modern family planning methods, to give women in developing countries the reproductive health choices they want and need.

    Women and Children First UK received funding of £177,638 in 2014/15 through the Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF) which was a demand-led fund to support small and medium sized Civil Society Organisations (CSOs to reduce poverty through service delivery, livelihoods, empowerment, accountability and peace, security and justice.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when in January 2016 the decision to issue compulsory redundancy notices to 152 HM Revenue and Customs staff was made.

    Mr David Gauke

    Approval to proceed to compulsory redundancy for 152 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff was received from Civil Service Resourcing and the Cabinet Office following consultation with the departmental trade unions and a period of reflection. It was endorsed by HMRC’s Executive Committee and the final decision was taken by the Chief Executive on 28 January 2016.

    The 152 people affected are based in around 50 locations across the UK. HMRC is continuing to seek redeployment solutions for all those who wish it to do so.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) commercial and (b) other economic benefits of the expansion of HMNB Clyde to the surrounding towns and communities.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    It is Ministry of Defence policy not to provide a breakdown by geographical or economic area of the potential commercial and economic benefits of Government expenditure. By 2020 Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde will become home to all the Royal Navy’s submarines. This will create a single integrated submarine operating base at HMNB Clyde with 8,200 personnel employed there by 2022. This will generate substantial local economic activity.

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

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the review from Keele University, published in the Journal of Ecology, warning that almost all ash trees in Europe will be wiped out due to the fungal disease ash dieback and the emerald ash borer beetle, and what plans they have to tackle these twin problems.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We are committed to protecting our country from tree pests and diseases and we want to ensure that the ash tree continues to have a place in our environment. To support this we have invested over £21 million in tree health research.

    Natural tolerance to ash dieback does exist and the UK is leading research to identify resistant strains. Ash trees have a wide genetic diversity and potential for greater levels of resistance compared to other tree species affected by diseases.

    There have been no findings of emerald ash borer anywhere in the EU. We have identified this pest as a threat, have introduced restrictions to protect against its introduction and are screening native populations of ash trees grown abroad for resistance.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet’s Economic Affairs (Airports) sub-committee has met in 2016.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    In line with previous answers on this topic, information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when and how often they meet, and which Ministers have attended, is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) attract, recruit and retain high-quality police officers and (b) offer such officers career development.

    Mike Penning

    The Government?s reforms to policing are designed to create a more capable, flexible and professional workforce. Central to these reforms was the establishment of the College of Policing as the professional body for policing, charged with setting standards and further professionalising the police.

    Recruitment to the police is managed within a national application, assessment and selection framework maintained by the College. Within this remit the College is delivering a number of major pieces of work including a review of initial police recruitment, proposals for a new police educational qualification framework and implementing the recommendations of its 2014 Leadership Review.

    These reforms, along with innovative schemes such as Direct Entry and Police Now, focus on recognising and developing the skills of existing officers, as well as ensuring that policing can continue to attract the brightest and best new recruits.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times her Department has used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (i) work was undertaken and (ii) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.

    Matt Hancock

    DCMS has not used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils from white working class backgrounds in (a) selective, (b) non-selective and (c) state boarding schools achieved the highest value added scores in the most recent academic year.

    Nick Gibb

    Information is provided for white pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals. This is an indicator of economic deprivation which is available for 2014/15 and has frequently been used to approximate the ‘white working class’.

    Pupils at the end of key stage 4 in fully selective schools and in boarding schools in 2014/15 are compared with those at the end of key stage 4 in all other state-funded mainstream schools. Pupils in Further Education Sector Institutions are excluded from this analysis. It should be noted that a small number of comprehensive schools use an element of selection in their admissions at the secondary phase.

    The proportion of such pupils with a Best 8 Value Added score greater than the national average from each school type is given. The table below shows figures for 2014/15, the latest year for which information is available, for a) selective schools, b) non-selective schools and c) boarding schools.

    White pupils known to be eligible for free school meals

    Selective schools

    Non-selective schools

    Boarding schools

    Proportion with a Best 8 Value Added score greater than the national average

    61.6%

    36.5%

    35.6%
  • Lord Lingfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lingfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lingfield on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, charities with a turnover of less than £250,000 per annum will be subject to freedom of information requests.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Government will announce its intentions about the development of the Freedom of Information Act once it has received and considered the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information’s recommendations.