Tag: 2016

Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote seafood as a healthy British food.

George Eustice

Such matters fall primarily to the Non-Departmental Public Body Seafish, which is funded by an industry levy. Seafish has developed ‘Fish is the Dish’, an online campaign which encourages UK consumers to eat more seafood for a healthier diet. The campaign’s digital channels target consumers with health messaging about the nutritional benefits of seafood, including zinc, selenium, iron, omega-3 and vitamin D. The campaign highlights how more seafood can easily be incorporated into the diet.

Seafish’s ‘#superfishoil’ campaign champions seafood as the best source of omega-3, using innovative and creative communications to raise awareness of seafood’s unique nutritional benefits. This work is supported by Heart Research UK, as well as the wider seafood industry, which has access to a marketing toolkit to help promote the health benefits of eating seafood.

Health also plays an important part in the annual ‘Seafood Week’ campaign, which generates extensive cross-supply chain support. A new Seafish project looking at the nutritional make-up of fish and chips will help further inform healthy eating choices.

01/01/2023

Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on academy conversions.

Edward Timpson

There have been 4897 academy conversions during the current and preceding five financial years. During the same period, the department has spent £323 million to support schools to become academies.

Further details are in the table below:

Financial Year	Academy Conversions	Costs
2015-16 (April 15 – January 16)	530	£17m
2014-15	899	£48m
2013-14	964	£59m
2012-13	1079	£65m
2011-12	1165	£67m
2010-11	260	£67m
Total	4897	£323m

01/01/2023

David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to provide young offenders with (a) rehabilitation and (b) education to reduce the likelihood of them reoffending.

Andrew Selous

Although youth crime is down, reoffending rates are far too high and the care and supervision of young offenders in custody is not good enough.

That is why the Justice Secretary has asked Charlie Taylor to conduct a review of youth justice. He will report back later this year with recommendations on how to improve the treatment of young people in our care.

01/01/2023

Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Tugendhat on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of his Department’s properties classified as void have been empty for over 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt

The number and locations of properties classified as void as of 24 May 2016 are shown in the table below:

County	Voids
ABERDEENSHIRE	5
ANGUS	20
ARGYLL AND BUTE	237
AVON	42
AYRSHIRE	21
BEDFORDSHIRE	194
BERKS	276
BUCKS	183
CAITHNESS	1
CAMBS	373
CHESHIRE	50
CLWYD	1
CORNWALL	46
*COUNTY ANTRIM	647
*COUNTY DOWN	397
COUNTY DURHAM	16
CUMBRIA	14
DEVON	202
DORSET	151
DUMBARTON	4
DUMFRIES	3
DURHAM	8
DYFED	45
EAST SUSSEX	2
EAST YORKSHIRE	4
EDINBURGH	169
ESSEX	155
FIFE	221
GLOUCESTERSHIRE	88
GWENT	45
GWYNEDD	53
**HANTS	1074
HEREFORDSHIRE	8
HERTS	176
INVERNESS-SHIRE	58
ISLE OF BENBECULA	3
KENT	483
LANCASHIRE	86
LEICESTERSHIRE	162
LINCOLNSHIRE	294
LONDON	86
MIDDLESEX	163
MIDLOTHIAN	43
MORAY	121
NORFOLK	209
NORTH LANARKSHIRE	4
NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE	3
NORTH YORKS	522
NORTHUMBERLAND	67
NOTTINGHAM	58
ORKNEY ISLANDS	1
OXON	361
OXON	1
PEMBROKE	4
PERTH	3
POWYS	64
RENFREWSHIRE	26
ROSS AND CROMARTY	1
SHETLAND ISLANDS	1
SHROPSHIRE	223
SOMERSET	90
SOUTH GLAMORGAN	111
SOUTH YORKS	2
ST ANDREWS	3
STAFFORDSHIRE	83
STIRLING	1
SUFFOLK	281
SURREY	222
SWINDON, WILTS	19
TYNE AND WEAR	12
WARWICKSHIRE	69
WEST MIDLANDS	9
WEST SUSSEX	14
WEST YORKS	2
***WILTS	1294
YORKSHIRE	29
(blank)
Total Voids	10219

Of these properties 4623 were vacant for more than 12 months.

*The majority of void properties in Northern Ireland are awaiting demolition while 59 have been gifted to the NI Executive.

**Void properties in Hants have been retained due to short term Ministry of Defence requirements and plans have been made to release many of these for disposal.

***In the Wiltshire region a number of properties remain void to accommodate Army personnel returning to the area from Germany as a result of the Army Basing Programme.

01/01/2023

Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department’s plans are for the Office for Life Sciences; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

The Office for Life Sciences was established in 2011 to support the development and adoption of 21st century health and life sciences technology, delivering the improved patient outcomes and increasing wider growth and prosperity. This agenda remains a core part of the Government’s plans for a comprehensive industrial strategy and for transforming health and care.

01/01/2023
William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the level of VAT imposed on women’s sanitary products; and what assessment she has made of the impact of that policy on equalities issues.

Caroline Dinenage

The Government made a legal commitment to apply a zero rate of VAT to women’s sanitary products as soon as we are legally able in this year’s Finance Act, which received Royal Assent on 16 September 2016. While we remain in the EU, we will continue to fulfil our obligations to it, including applying EU law on VAT. The Minister has therefore had no further discussions on this issue.

01/01/2023
John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints have been made to the DVLA about the issuing of private parking tickets in the last year; how many such complaints have been upheld; and how many companies have been barred from access to the DVLA data base in that period.

Andrew Jones

In 2015, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) received 59 complaints about 23 different private parking companies about concerns arising from the issue of a private parking ticket.

Six private parking companies were suspended from requesting DVLA data in 2015.

01/01/2023
Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Defence the possibility of using RAF pilots to assist in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. For example, by the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had delivered almost 20 million food rations; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people. In addition, we have provided ongoing support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria.

The Department for International Development works closely with the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office as part of a whole of government response to the Syria crisis. When it comes to helping Syrians in besieged and hard-to-reach areas, we do not rule anything out but at this time air drops are not the most appropriate way of getting help to those in need.

Alongside this, our efforts will continue whether through supporting a political solution to deal with the root cause of the crisis or through humanitarian efforts, which provide immediate, life-saving relief. A key moment is the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’ conference in London, which we will co-host this week.

01/01/2023
Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there are sufficient safeguards to respect individual privacy in place in respect of intelligence gathered by GCHQ.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

GCHQ’s intelligence gathering powers are authorised under legislation, including the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014, and the Intelligence Services Act 1994. Its work, including its respect for privacy, is scrutinised by the Intelligence and Security Committee, the Interception of Communications Commissioner and the Intelligence Services Commissioner.

01/01/2023
Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 29389, on how many occasions and on what dates since the Convention on Cluster Munitions came into force the Government has (a) raised the issue of the use of cluster munitions with Saudi Arabia and (b) encouraged Saudi Arabia to accede to that Convention.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of reports of the alleged use of Cluster Munitions by the Coalition in Yemen. We have raised this issue with the Saudi Arabian authorities and, in line with our obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, continue to encourage Saudi Arabia, as a non-party to the Convention, to accede to it.

01/01/2023