Tag: 2016

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the Forced Marriage Unit defines historic victims.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There is no formal definition of historic victim for the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), which considers every case individually and advises accordingly. The support that the FMU offers includes providing advice and support to victims of forced marriage, as well as to professionals dealing with cases, via a public helpline and email address. This advice will include safety planning to prevent forced marriages (both in the UK and abroad), supporting victims attempting to escape forced marriages or to return from overseas, and in extreme circumstances organising the rescue of victims held against their will overseas. Where the FMU is not the appropriate service to provide advice, for example on matters of immigration status, divorce, child custody or other legal issues, victims and professionals will be signposted to partner organisations.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, approximately how many (a) British and (b) non-British nationals are employed cleaning the Westminster estate of his Department.

    Mark Lancaster

    This information is not held by the Ministry of Defence. Cleaning staff are provided through a Private Finance Initiative Contract with Modus

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what wholesale price and carbon price forecast scenarios her Department uses when forecasting total projected expenditure of the Levy Control Framework.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The assumptions on wholesale prices used in the LCF projections are consistent with the wholesale fossil fuel, electricity, and carbon prices scenarios published as part of the updated Energy and Emissions Projections in November this year, and are set out in Annex M available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/477625/Annex-m-price-growth-assumptions.xls

    “

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions vehicle owners have been fined for failing to pay for their vehicle tax since October 2014.

    Andrew Jones

    Since October 2014, 916,558 fines and penalties have been issued to keepers of vehicles that have been identified as being unlicensed.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to supporting health and wellbeing by encouraging health promotion and the adoption of healthier lifestyles for all our staff.

    The Department’s wellbeing strategy is based around three key strands:

    Preventing Problems

    The Department runs ‘fit for work’ activities, promoting and supporting health lifestyles, and ‘healthy work’ activities, ensuring wellbeing is not threatened by negative working environments.

    Reacting to Problems

    As an organisation, we take action to help those experiencing poor health or wellbeing, and support them in returning to work as soon as possible.

    Measuring Wellbeing in BIS

    We monitor progress in the Department in improving health and wellbeing, for example through monitoring turnover, and the results from People Surveys.

    The Department provides a number of facilities for staff, including but not limited to childcare vouchers to support parents and guardians, a mediation service to manage stressful situations, and flexible working options.

  • Sarah Champion – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Champion – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to strengthen its data collection strategy to help combat human trafficking.

    Karen Bradley

    We are strengthening data collection on human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery in several ways. In the Modern Slavery Act we introduced a duty on named public authorities to notify the Home Office every time they have reasonable grounds to believe they have encountered a victim of modern slavery.

    These notifications can be anonymous so that data is collected even if the potential victim does not want to engage with the authorities. We are reviewing the National Referral Mechanism form, so that it better captures key data about potential victims and perpetrators. Polaris and Unseen UK are working with other NGOs and law enforcement to launch an enhanced modern slavery helpline later this year which will capture more data and help to shine a light on the scale and nature of this appalling crime.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33638, whether his Department has recently requested any advice from the European Commission on the compliance with state aid rules of awarding Public Service Obligation subsidies that specify airports both origin and destination.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    We have not requested any advice from the European Commission on the compliance with state aid rules of awarding Public Service Obligation subsidies that specify both airports’ origin and destination.

  • Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Birmingham City Council has corporately decided to place their children’s social care services into an arms-length trust; when this decision was made; whether all such services will become the responsibility of the trust; and what papers relating to any such decision are in the public domain.

    Lord Nash

    On 24 May 2016 Birmingham City Council announced its intention to create a trust to deliver its children’s social care functions. No decisions have yet been taken on the form or scope of any future delivery model, including the services it may be responsible for, and so no papers are currently publically available. Formal decisions will need to be taken in due course by the Cabinet of Birmingham City Council and the Secretary of State for Education.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will initiate an open tender process for the activities previously contracted through an annual grant to Action on Smoking and Health before he awards any further such grants.

    Nicola Blackwood

    A grant of £160,000 has been awarded to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) for financial year 2016/17 and a copy of the signed award letter, including the detailed deliverables of the grant, is attached.

    Grants made under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 can be made in a number of ways. The grant awarded to ASH has been assessed as most appropriate for the non-competed route.

    The Department received a complaint about the deliverables of the 2015/16 grant awarded to ASH in June this year. The Department responded to the complainant, confirming it was satisfied that none of the deliverables were in breach of the provisions of Section 64.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reports of disturbances to military wrecks designated as protected sites under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 were received by the Ministry of Defence Police in each of the last six years.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) has carried out the following investigations (taking “disturbances” to mean thefts or alleged thefts and not limited to shipwrecks) under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986:

    YEAR

    2010

    1

    2011

    6

    2012

    1

    2013

    0

    2014

    0

    2015

    1

    The MDP has not received any information related to the illegal salvage of material from HMS Warrior.

    By invoking the principle of Sovereign Immunity, and by designating specific vessels under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 and the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, we endeavour to protect these important sites where we are able. Where we have definitive evidence of desecration of these sites, we will take appropriate action. However, it should be appreciated that, given the large number of Royal Navy wrecks around the world and the vast area they cover, there are limitations on what can be achieved with regard to protection.