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Tag: Alex Cunningham

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) junior entry and (b) standard entry soldiers enlisted in the Army in 2012-13; and how many such people left before completing Phase 2 training.

    Anna Soubry

    The minimum age for enlisting in the Army is 16 and those between the ages of 16 and 17, or in some cases 17.5, are trained as Junior Entry. The remainder are trained as Standard Entry. Those who commenced training in either the Junior Entry or Senior Entry cohorts in 2012-13, and of those who subsequently discharged prior to completing Phase 2 training are shown in the following table:

    2012-13

    Enlisted

    Discharged

    Junior Entry

    1,550

    290

    Standard Entry

    7,810

    1,750

    Individuals may withdraw or be discharged for a number of reasons, including medical and fitness factors, disciplinary reasons, or voluntary withdrawal. Personnel under 18 have a statutory right to discharge from the Armed Forces if they wish to leave.

    Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in ‘5′ have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 809W, on Army: length of service, on how many soldiers in each regiment or corps the figures are based.

    Anna Soubry

    The average strength by Regiment or Corps is shown in the following table.

    Regiment/Corps Regiment/Corps Average Strength

    Household Cavalry & Royal Armoured Corps 1,860

    Royal Artillery 2,210

    Royal Engineers 2,830

    Royal Signals 1,830

    Infantry 8,700

    Army Air Corps 370

    Royal Logistic Corps 4,560

    Royal Army Medical Corps 560

    Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 2,670

    Adjutant General’s Corps (Provost) 400

    Adjutant General’s Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) 870

    Royal Army Veterinary Corps 80

    Small Arms School Corps 20

    Royal Army Dental Corps 60

    Intelligence Corps 240

    Royal Army Physical Training Corps 110

    Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps 140

    Corps of Army Music 180

    Senior Soldier Continuity Posts (Long Service) 140

    Source: Defence Statistics (Army)

    Notes/Caveats:

    The figures are based on the outflow of Army personnel between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2013.

    Underlying outflow figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers advocates will have during the pilot advocate scheme.

    Karen Bradley

    In January 2014 the Home Office announced proposals to trial specialist,
    independent advocates for trafficked children which is due to begin this
    summer. This trial forms part of the Government’s work to eradicate modern day
    slavery and as such there are no plans for this trial to be extended to
    unaccompanied children.

    The Child Trafficking Advocate will be fully independent from the local
    authority, but will need to work with the existing structures around the Child
    Trafficking Victim, such as children’s services, education, criminal justice
    system and immigration system.

    The advocate role is intended to deliver the best outcomes for children. The
    advocate’s role will include the following activities but this is not an
    exhaustive list and we expect the advocate to respond to the specific needs of
    the child.

    • being a consistent point of contact for the Child Trafficking Victim;
    • assisting the local authority to assess the needs of the Child Trafficking
    Victim as a victim of trafficking, thereby promoting the safety and wellbeing
    of the Child Trafficking Victim (in particular in light of the risk of
    re-trafficking);
    • making recommendations for referrals to other services (e.g. mental health
    services) to ensure the Child Trafficking Victim receives educational, medical,
    practical and legal support they need and deserve;
    • accompanying the Child Trafficking Victim to certain meetings – e.g. with an
    immigration lawyer;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in any age assessment process;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in overcoming language and cultural
    barriers;
    • supporting witnesses through the criminal justice system;
    • supporting looked after children and children in need through the care
    system, in particular in safety planning, age assessment and future planning;
    • assisting the local authority to plan for the Child Trafficking Victim’s
    future and receive any compensation that they may be entitled to;
    • helping prevent the Child Trafficking Victim from facing further exploitation
    or harm from traffickers (and the risks of going missing);
    • providing advice on immigration, criminal justice and welfare matters to the
    Child Trafficking Victim and arranging effective legal representation;
    • involvement in the key decisions relating to the Child Trafficking Victim
    (but final decisions would remain the responsibility of the local authority or
    Home Office, where relevant).

    The Home Office is commissioning an independent evaluation of the trial which
    will report six months after the trial commences. The evaluation will include
    the terms of reference for the trial.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is giving to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict for the campaign to eradicate the recruitment of children by government armed forces by 2016.

    Mark Simmonds

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides funding of £150,000 over three years (January 2013-December 2015) to the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) for Children and Armed Conflict. These funds strengthen the UN SRSG’s capacity to monitor violations committed against children in situations of concern, in line with UNSC Resolutions 1612, 1882, 1998 on children and armed conflict and including countries covered by the UN SRSG’s campaign, such as Burma and South Sudan.

    Children and Armed Conflict is an important personal priority. I am leading a campaign to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers and to protect children from becoming victims of sexual violence in five priority countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Chad and Burma. I have raised the issue with a number of leaders, including most recently with the Somali President during a visit in April.

    The UN SRSG will take part in the End Sexual Violence in Conflict Summit, from 10-13 June in London, where she will join a Ministerial roundtable that I am hosting on Children and Armed Conflict.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the pilot advocate scheme will begin.

    Karen Bradley

    In January 2014 the Home Office announced proposals to trial specialist,
    independent advocates for trafficked children which is due to begin this
    summer. This trial forms part of the Government’s work to eradicate modern day
    slavery and as such there are no plans for this trial to be extended to
    unaccompanied children.

    The Child Trafficking Advocate will be fully independent from the local
    authority, but will need to work with the existing structures around the Child
    Trafficking Victim, such as children’s services, education, criminal justice
    system and immigration system.

    The advocate role is intended to deliver the best outcomes for children. The
    advocate’s role will include the following activities but this is not an
    exhaustive list and we expect the advocate to respond to the specific needs of
    the child.

    • being a consistent point of contact for the Child Trafficking Victim;
    • assisting the local authority to assess the needs of the Child Trafficking
    Victim as a victim of trafficking, thereby promoting the safety and wellbeing
    of the Child Trafficking Victim (in particular in light of the risk of
    re-trafficking);
    • making recommendations for referrals to other services (e.g. mental health
    services) to ensure the Child Trafficking Victim receives educational, medical,
    practical and legal support they need and deserve;
    • accompanying the Child Trafficking Victim to certain meetings – e.g. with an
    immigration lawyer;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in any age assessment process;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in overcoming language and cultural
    barriers;
    • supporting witnesses through the criminal justice system;
    • supporting looked after children and children in need through the care
    system, in particular in safety planning, age assessment and future planning;
    • assisting the local authority to plan for the Child Trafficking Victim’s
    future and receive any compensation that they may be entitled to;
    • helping prevent the Child Trafficking Victim from facing further exploitation
    or harm from traffickers (and the risks of going missing);
    • providing advice on immigration, criminal justice and welfare matters to the
    Child Trafficking Victim and arranging effective legal representation;
    • involvement in the key decisions relating to the Child Trafficking Victim
    (but final decisions would remain the responsibility of the local authority or
    Home Office, where relevant).

    The Home Office is commissioning an independent evaluation of the trial which
    will report six months after the trial commences. The evaluation will include
    the terms of reference for the trial.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that the funding of infrastructure projects in the Jordan Valley is not dependent on approval from the Israeli government.

    Justine Greening

    We continue to believe the best approach to development in Area C is to engage constructively with Israel to help Palestinian communities to plan and build for their future without fear of demolition. We consistently emphasise the need for unfettered humanitarian provision, including necessary infrastructure.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the terms of reference for the trial advocate scheme.

    Karen Bradley

    In January 2014 the Home Office announced proposals to trial specialist,
    independent advocates for trafficked children which is due to begin this
    summer. This trial forms part of the Government’s work to eradicate modern day
    slavery and as such there are no plans for this trial to be extended to
    unaccompanied children.

    The Child Trafficking Advocate will be fully independent from the local
    authority, but will need to work with the existing structures around the Child
    Trafficking Victim, such as children’s services, education, criminal justice
    system and immigration system.

    The advocate role is intended to deliver the best outcomes for children. The
    advocate’s role will include the following activities but this is not an
    exhaustive list and we expect the advocate to respond to the specific needs of
    the child.

    • being a consistent point of contact for the Child Trafficking Victim;
    • assisting the local authority to assess the needs of the Child Trafficking
    Victim as a victim of trafficking, thereby promoting the safety and wellbeing
    of the Child Trafficking Victim (in particular in light of the risk of
    re-trafficking);
    • making recommendations for referrals to other services (e.g. mental health
    services) to ensure the Child Trafficking Victim receives educational, medical,
    practical and legal support they need and deserve;
    • accompanying the Child Trafficking Victim to certain meetings – e.g. with an
    immigration lawyer;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in any age assessment process;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in overcoming language and cultural
    barriers;
    • supporting witnesses through the criminal justice system;
    • supporting looked after children and children in need through the care
    system, in particular in safety planning, age assessment and future planning;
    • assisting the local authority to plan for the Child Trafficking Victim’s
    future and receive any compensation that they may be entitled to;
    • helping prevent the Child Trafficking Victim from facing further exploitation
    or harm from traffickers (and the risks of going missing);
    • providing advice on immigration, criminal justice and welfare matters to the
    Child Trafficking Victim and arranging effective legal representation;
    • involvement in the key decisions relating to the Child Trafficking Victim
    (but final decisions would remain the responsibility of the local authority or
    Home Office, where relevant).

    The Home Office is commissioning an independent evaluation of the trial which
    will report six months after the trial commences. The evaluation will include
    the terms of reference for the trial.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many members of the armed forces have been recruited into teacher roles under the Troops to Teachers initiative to date.

    Mr David Laws

    The Troops to Teachers undergraduate programme is a new programme, which started in January 2014. 41 service leavers joined the Troops to Teachers programme in January 2014. Recruitment is almost complete for the second cohort of the programme and more service leavers will start their training in September 2014. The first successful graduates of the programme will be employed as teachers, subject to achieving Qualified Teacher Status and a degree, in 2016.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will consider extending the trial advocate scheme to unaccompanied children.

    Karen Bradley

    In January 2014 the Home Office announced proposals to trial specialist,
    independent advocates for trafficked children which is due to begin this
    summer. This trial forms part of the Government’s work to eradicate modern day
    slavery and as such there are no plans for this trial to be extended to
    unaccompanied children.

    The Child Trafficking Advocate will be fully independent from the local
    authority, but will need to work with the existing structures around the Child
    Trafficking Victim, such as children’s services, education, criminal justice
    system and immigration system.

    The advocate role is intended to deliver the best outcomes for children. The
    advocate’s role will include the following activities but this is not an
    exhaustive list and we expect the advocate to respond to the specific needs of
    the child.

    • being a consistent point of contact for the Child Trafficking Victim;
    • assisting the local authority to assess the needs of the Child Trafficking
    Victim as a victim of trafficking, thereby promoting the safety and wellbeing
    of the Child Trafficking Victim (in particular in light of the risk of
    re-trafficking);
    • making recommendations for referrals to other services (e.g. mental health
    services) to ensure the Child Trafficking Victim receives educational, medical,
    practical and legal support they need and deserve;
    • accompanying the Child Trafficking Victim to certain meetings – e.g. with an
    immigration lawyer;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in any age assessment process;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in overcoming language and cultural
    barriers;
    • supporting witnesses through the criminal justice system;
    • supporting looked after children and children in need through the care
    system, in particular in safety planning, age assessment and future planning;
    • assisting the local authority to plan for the Child Trafficking Victim’s
    future and receive any compensation that they may be entitled to;
    • helping prevent the Child Trafficking Victim from facing further exploitation
    or harm from traffickers (and the risks of going missing);
    • providing advice on immigration, criminal justice and welfare matters to the
    Child Trafficking Victim and arranging effective legal representation;
    • involvement in the key decisions relating to the Child Trafficking Victim
    (but final decisions would remain the responsibility of the local authority or
    Home Office, where relevant).

    The Home Office is commissioning an independent evaluation of the trial which
    will report six months after the trial commences. The evaluation will include
    the terms of reference for the trial.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on the question of who retains ownership of the land in cases where freehold interest in local authority land is granted to an academy trust.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    When community schools convert to academies, the freehold is retained by the local authority and a lease is granted to the academy trust. In some circumstances, where the school governors or supporting foundation already hold the freehold, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may allow publicly-funded school land to be transferred to an academy trust, which will have satisfied the Secretary of State as to its ability to operate a state-funded school.

    There are strict rules protecting publicly funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in published guidance, which is available online:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

    A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.

    The Department does not hold information about the average value of land used for academies on a freehold or leasehold basis. Information about the number of academies that occupy land on a leasehold and freehold basis is not held centrally.

    “