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Tag: 2016

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many seafarer (a) cadets and (b) ratings were trained by shipping companies operating in the UK in each year since 2000-01.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) does not collate figures for seafarer cadets and ratings who have been trained by shipping companies operating in the UK.

    However, the MCA does collate the number of new cadets, the number of cadets in training and the number of trainee watch ratings who start training each year and these can be found in the tables below.

    The figures in Table 1 show the number of cadets supported by the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme who started training in each year since 2000-01.

    Year

    Officer cadets currently in training

    Number of which are SMarT1 new entrants

    2000/01

    1020

    470

    2001/02

    1010

    450

    2002/03

    1000

    560

    2003/04

    1030

    660

    2004/05

    1050

    560

    2005/06

    1110

    570

    2006/07

    1430

    690

    2007/08

    1700

    850

    2008/09

    1800

    930

    2009/10

    1830

    750

    2010/11

    1840

    850

    2011/12

    1900

    900

    2012/13

    1990

    780

    2013/14

    1940

    790

    2014/15

    1920

    820

    Table 1: UK officer cadets under SMarT1 scheme (1999-2015)

    These figures are derived from SMarT returns for SMarT1 training and may include a small number of EU trainees resident in the UK. Numbers are rounded to nearest 10.

    The figures in Table 2 below show the number of watch rating trainees who have been supported by SMarT each year since 2011-12. The data held by the MCA for ratings training prior to 2011-12 includes concessionaire training and does not provide an accurate reflection of watch rating training.

    Year

    Watch Rating Trainees

    2011/12

    32

    2012/13

    13

    2013/14

    12

    2014/15

    4
  • 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 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking in cooperation with his international counterparts to pursue criminal responsibility of the leadership of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    The British Government supports the principle that there must be no impunity for those accused of human rights violations and that crimes against humanity are appropriately investigated.

    We will continue to work with members of the international community through multilateral fora, including the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council, to ensure the regime is held to account for its appalling human rights record.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations her Department has received from businesses on the inclusion of design technology within the EBacc qualification.

    Nick Gibb

    The consultation on implementing the EBacc closed on 29 January. We have received responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including businesses. The Government response, including a list of responding organisations, will be published in due course.

  • Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2016-04-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from business groups (a) opposing and (b) supporting his plans to require small businesses to submit quarterly digital tax returns; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government has committed to ensuring free software is available for those with the simplest affairs in order that businesses can meet the requirements of Making Tax Digital. In addition, many businesses are already using digital record-keeping tools to deal with their tax affairs.

    The Government has received a number of representations from individuals, businesses, professional bodies and the software industry about Making Tax Digital. Both I and officials from HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs have discussed the reforms with a wide range of professional bodies and advisory groups representing small businesses and the self-employed. Extensive consultation will take place throughout 2016.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the NHS will distinguish between sexuality and gender identity in the collection of data for people accessing Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services.

    Alistair Burt

    The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies dataset does not currently make the distinction between sexuality and gender identity. The dataset has two fields that may be of relevance to this question:

    Sexual orientation, which is the current sexual orientation of a person and has the following valid codes:

    1

    Heterosexual

    2

    Homosexual Gay/Lesbian

    3

    Bi-sexual

    4

    Person asked and does not know or is not sure

    9

    Unknown

    Z

    Not stated (Person asked but declined to provide a response)

    Gender, which is the current gender of a person. Note that the classification is phenotypical rather than genotypical; i.e. it does not provide codes for medical or scientific purposes. It has the following valid codes:

    0

    Not known

    1

    Male

    2

    Female

    9

    Not specified
  • Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce a smoothed discount rate for the purpose of pension fund valuation.

    Baroness Altmann

    Government consulted in 2013 on whether legislation should be introduced to allow the ‘smoothing’ of asset values and liabilities in funding valuations.

    Responses to the call for evidence indicated that there was no strong case for legislating to permit smoothing, with the overwhelming majority of respondents against this option. Respondents instead favoured greater use of the flexibilities within the existing legislation governing scheme funding.

    In its response to the call for evidence the Government advised that, given the views received, it did not intend to pursue the option of legislating to permit asset and liability smoothing, and that remains the Government’s position.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure residents in deprived areas have access to dental care.

    David Mowat

    NHS England has a legal duty to commission National Health Service dental services to meet the needs of the local population. NHS dental services are commissioned by NHS England through contracts with independent providers. These contracts are set based on the outcome of an oral health needs assessment undertaken in partnership with local authorities, which identifies the level of dental need for a particular community.

    NHS England is also working up plans to start testing new ways to improve children’s oral health in 10 high needs areas by innovative commissioning, focussed on encouraging take up of services that are available. The 10 high needs areas selected will be announced in November 2016.

  • Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4641), what assessment they have made of the compatibility of restricting children’s visits to their fathers in prison through the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme with children’s rights under (1) Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and (2) Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    Lord Faulks

    Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to attend the UN Open Ended Working Group on nuclear disarmament which takes place from 22 to 26 February.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK is not attending the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on nuclear disarmament in Geneva. The UK, along with the four other Non-Proliferation Treaty Nuclear Weapons States, voted against the resolution establishing the OEWG at the UN General Assembly First Committee. The Government believes that productive results can only be ensured through a consensus-based approach that takes into account the wider global security environment.

  • James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made in setting out and implementing a national strategy for areas of outstanding natural beauty; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) partnerships and conservation boards, along with National Park Authorities, are a vital part of the fabric of the nation. Whilst there are no current plans to either set out or implement a specific national strategy for AONBs, I recognise that they make a significant contribution to realising Defra’s wider ambitions for the natural environment, and they are engaged in our ongoing development of a 25 Year Plan for the Environment.