Tag: 2016

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2016 to Question 30801, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend section 136 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to introduce a requirement on local authorities to ensure that home-schooled children are being educated to the same standard as schooled children.

    Edward Timpson

    The standard to which home schooled children have to be educated is already the same as for those attending school. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 requires parents to ensure that a child of compulsory school age receives full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitudes, either by regular attendance at school, or otherwise. ‘Education otherwise than at school’ includes elective home education, and therefore, although methods may differ, the overall requirement is the same.

    Section 136 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 deals with the inspection of local authorities by Ofsted and would not be an appropriate method for imposing a new duty on them.

  • Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naz Shah on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department takes to limit the effect on service users of contracts with sub-contractors being terminated early due to the provider being at risk of failure.

    Nick Boles

    Where a subcontractor is impacted by the Skills Funding Agency’s (SFA) decision to terminate a provider contract, the SFA ensures that the learners can remain in their programme of learning either through the subcontractor or through a transfer to another provider depending on the circumstances of the termination. However, the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) does not terminate contracts on the grounds of a provider being ‘at risk of failure’.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy that any children who would have been entitled to free school meals under the previous system retain that entitlement under the new eligibility criteria under universal credit.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We will continue to ensure that children from the poorest families benefit from a free school meal. My Department is continuing to work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to consider eligibility criteria for free school meals following the introduction of Universal Credit. In the meantime, any child in a family in receipt of Universal Credit will continue to be entitled to free school meals.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many officials in his Department are working on climate change policy; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Department leads on the Government’s clear commitment to tackle climate change. Many teams deliver against multiple cross cutting objectives

    Consequently, it is not possible to give an exact figure of the number of staff involved in this work. However, the Government has been clear in the need to meet our remission reduction targets while keeping our energy supply secure and low cost.

  • Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-24.

    To ask the Attorney General, what recent steps the Serious Fraud Office has taken to prevent serious fraud and other economic crimes.

    Robert Buckland

    Over the past two years the Serious Fraud Office has secured:

    • the first contested convictions for rate rigging,
    • its first contested conviction of a corporate for offences involving bribery of foreign officials,
    • the first two Deferred Prosecution Agreements in the UK, and
    • the first conviction of a corporate for an offence under s7 of the Bribery Act.
  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it remains their policy to work towards the global abolition of the death penalty; if so, why they have not renewed their previous Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty (2010–15); and why Saudi Arabia was not included on the list of priority countries in that strategy.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    There has been no change in the British Government’s policy of working towards global abolition of the death penalty.

    This Government pursues human rights in their universality – a more ambitious and coherent approach than focusing on a small number of single issues. Our commitment to the Rules Based International Order underpins this work, including through bilateral and multilateral support to global efforts to abolish the death penalty. Because of our wider focus, we do not intend to publish a new strategy specific to the death penalty; but on 18 January we published a strategy for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, which shows how work to abolish the death penalty is important under all three of the strategy’s new themes. The FCO’s death penalty-related work will also be covered in future instalments of the FCO’s Annual Human Rights Report.

    With regard to Saudi Arabia, the criteria used in 2010 to draw up the list of priority countries within the “HMG Strategy for the Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-2015” are set out in that document. A copy of the Strategy is available in the Library of the House. The previous Government decided that available resources should be focused on countries ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue about capital punishment and open to the idea of reform. Many of the countries prioritised in 2010 have implemented reforms in the intervening five years.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the operational capacity of the (a) Royal Navy and (b) RAF to extend military operations against ISIL/Daesh beyond Syria and Iraq.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The future operational capacities of the UK Armed Forces are set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review. Should there be a requirement for new military operations against Daesh beyond Syria and Iraq, these would need to be balanced against the commitments at the time and the capabilities available.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent GPs were employed in general practices in Mid Sussex constituency in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14.

    Alistair Burt

    The information is shown in the following table.

    Total general practitioners (GPs) in selected area, full time equivalents 2009-2014:

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    West Sussex Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT)

    Total GPs

    556

    556

    558

    550

    GPs (excluding registrars)

    469

    455

    462

    474

    GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)

    462

    452

    460

    472

    GP Provider

    355

    344

    352

    357

    GP Other

    107

    108

    108

    115

    GP Registrar

    86

    101

    96

    76

    GP Retainer

    7

    4

    2

    3

    East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT

    Total GPs

    236

    240

    243

    242

    GPs (excluding registrars)

    213

    213

    219

    220

    GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)

    208

    211

    217

    218

    GP Provider

    179

    173

    173

    173

    GP Other

    29

    38

    43

    45

    GP Registrar

    22

    27

    25

    21

    GP Retainer

    5

    2

    2

    2

    NHS High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

    Total GPs

    115

    110

    GPs (excluding registrars)

    110

    110

    GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)

    109

    109

    GP Provider

    80

    78

    GP Other

    29

    31

    GP Registrar

    5

    1

    GP Retainer

    0

    0

    NHS Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG

    Total GPs

    134

    135

    GPs (excluding registrars)

    130

    132

    GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)

    129

    131

    GP Provider

    95

    94

    GP Other

    33

    37

    GP Registrar

    4

    3

    GP Retainer

    1

    1

    Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

    Notes:

    1. Data as at 30 September in each year.
    2. NHS Workforce figures are not available by constituency. Mid Sussex constituency was contained within and serviced by East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT and West Sussex Teaching PCT from 2009-2012 and NHS High Weald Lewes Havens CCG and NHS Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG from 2013 onwards. These trusts are not geographically co-terminus and thus the figures are not comparable over a time series.
  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of human rights workers being (a) summoned for questioning, (b) banned from travelling and (c) subject to attempts to freeze their personal funds and family assets by the Egyptian authorities.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We are concerned about the decreasing space for civil society to operate in Egypt, including for Non Government Organisations (NGOs). Human rights defenders have been subject to measures including questioning, travel bans and judicial applications for asset freezing against individuals and their families. I refer you to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Sate for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) on 22 March. UK officials have raised our concerns with representatives from the Egyptian Government in both Cairo and London.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 6.7 of the UK national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing, published in October 2015, how many money laundering cases investigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had funds initially moved through (a) banks, (b) money service businesses and (c) each other item on HMRC’s database in each year since 2009-10.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs does not record data on its money laundering investigations in this way.