Tag: 2016

  • Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the effect on the preparedness of complainants to report rape of the use of complainants’ previous sexual history in evidence in rape trials; and if she will make a statement.

    Sarah Newton

    This Government has made protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence a key priority.

    The most recent Crime Statistics published on 20 October by the Office for National Statistics show that police recorded rape increased by 16% (to 36,438) in the year ending July 2016 compared with the previous year. The ONS state that the increases are believed to result from an improvement in the recording of sexual offences by the police and an increased willingness of victims to come forward and report these crimes to the police. In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service annual Violence Against Women and Girls Report, published in September 2016, shows the highest volumes ever recorded of charged defendants, prosecutions and convictions for rape.

    We welcome the fact that more victims of rape are coming forward and reporting these crimes to the police. Victims must have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing that they will get the support they need to go through the criminal justice process and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.

    Section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 places a statutory restriction on introduction of evidence and questioning of complainants about their sexual history. Section 41 was introduced to protect complainants in proceedings for sexual offences, introducing a presumption that such evidence and questioning will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many requests for arms export licences to Saudi Arabia (a) have been made, (b) were rejected by the Export Control Organisation (ECO), (c) were granted by the ECO and (d) were revoked after being granted in each year since 2009-10.

    Anna Soubry

    a) The number of Saudi Arabian arms export licences submitted for processing, per calendar year since 2009, is as follows:

    Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

    Number of Applications 118 148 143 158 161 167 203

    b-d) Information on arms export licences are published as Official Statistics in the quarterly and annual reports on Strategic Export Controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view at GOV.UK.

    The most recently published information covers the period until 30 June 2015. Information covering 1 July to 30 September 2015 will be published on 19 January 2016 and information covering 1 October to 31 December 2015 will be published on 19 April 2016.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has met relevant bodies to discuss the issue of the arms trade and development since giving evidence to the International Development Committee on 27 January 2016.

    Justine Greening

    I did not provide evidence to the International Development Committee on 27 January.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people aged under 18 have been placed under an Alcohol Treatment Requirement in each year since 2010.

    Andrew Selous

    None. This is because the Alcohol Treatment Requirement only applies to adults as part of the community order or suspended sentence order.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the UK economy has benefited from defence technology research and development.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As stated in National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cmd 9161), the UK conducts world-class innovation across all the major commercial technology sectors with national security applications, including aerospace, biotechnology and medical sciences, big data, cyber security, satellites, robotics and advanced materials.

    The defence and security industries make a major contribution to our prosperity. In the UK they employ over 215,000 people, predominantly highly skilled, and support a further 150,000, as well as 6,500 apprentices. In 2014, both industries had a collective turnover of over £30 billion, including defence and security export orders worth £11.9 billion.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has for consultation on proposed reforms to the UK’s human rights framework in the devolved regions; and what the form, timing and content of such consultation will be.

    Dominic Raab

    This Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. We will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation for a Bill of Rights and we will set out our proposals in due course.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from Sustainability and Transformation Plan leadership teams on the deadline for delivery of Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

    George Freeman

    Footprints were asked to make a submission by 15 April focusing on the critical decisions needed to drive sustainability and transformation. The next checkpoint will be on 30 June, when each footprint will submit the next draft of their plans. These will form the basis of a conversation with each of the 44 footprints. We are not aware of any representations on this deadline.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HM Revenue and Customs paid into the public purse from receipts from its 0845 telephone helpline number in each year before 2014; and what those funds so received were spent on.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs did not receive any revenue from 0845 telephone helpline numbers.

  • David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library the correspondence she had with Judge Goddard asking for her to appear before the Home Office committee after her resignation as chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.

    Sarah Newton

    On 6 October 2016, Mark Sedwill, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, wrote to Dame Lowell Goddard, former chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, to pass on a request from the Home Affairs Select Committee that she appear before the Committee. The Committee has published the text of this letter on its website.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on improving the quality of sex and relationship education in schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE).

    SRE is compulsory in maintained secondary schools. Primary schools can choose to teach SRE in an age-appropriate way. All schools providing SRE, including academies and primary schools, must have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000).

    While the Secretary of State regularly discusses such matters with her colleagues, there have been no formal meetings recently about improving the quality of sex and relationship education in schools.