Tag: Andrew Rosindell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he intends to lay before the House a Statutory Instrument to reflect the establishment of the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees; and if he will make statement.

Anna Soubry

It is our intention to change legislation to reflect the establishment of the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees. The Armed Forces Bill 2015 represents the most likely opportunity to make the change through primary legislation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues to the police to ensure that riots are stopped as quickly as possible.

Mike Penning

The Home Office has not issued any such guidance. The management of public order is an operational matter for the police. Guidance on public order policing is contained in the police’s Authorised Professional Practice.

In July 2012, the Home Secretary issued the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR).

This sets out the strategic threats that are of such gravity as to be of national importance or can only be countered effectively and efficiently through national policing capabilities. Public order is one of these threats. Chief Constables are required to have regard to the SPR when exercising their responsibilities. Police and Crime Commissioners are required to hold Chief Constables to account for the delivery of the SPR and should have regard to the SPR when producing their police and crime plans.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that service personnel are effectively reintegrated into society following active service duty.

Anna Soubry

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has robust measures in place to prepare our Service personnel for civilian life. As Lord Ashcroft highlighted in his recent review of transition arrangements, the vast majority of Service leavers make a successful transition.

All Service leavers are entitled to resettlement assistance from the Ministry of Defence funded Career Transition Partnership (CTP). We work with all industry sectors to offer Service leavers a range of employment options through the creation of partnerships with major organisations such as BAE Systems, Jaguar, Siemens and Google. The CTP helped 85% of Service leavers find sustainable employment within six months of leaving the Armed Forces in 2013-14.

The MOD supports a range of schemes to help Service leavers secure appropriate accommodation, and provides briefings on housing and finance. The £200 million Forces Help to Buy scheme began on 1 April 2014, meaning that Servicemen and women can now borrow up to 50% of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000, interest free, providing a boost to those needing to find a deposit to buy their own home. In February 2014, LIBOR funding of £40 million was announced to support charities which assist veterans with housing needs. Projects are expected to include hostels and half-way houses for veterans, supported housing for the wounded, injured and sick, and long-term care homes.

The Veterans UK Helpline can provide advice on a wide range of issues, including healthcare, accommodation, training and benefits. The helpline can be reached on 0808 1914 218.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect civil liberties whilst tackling Islamic extremism across the UK.

James Brokenshire

The government is committed to disrupting extremism and we use the full force of the law to do so, including proscribing groups concerned in terrorism, prosecuting the perpetrators of hate crime and excluding preachers of hate from the UK. We also remain committed to protecting fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of speech. That is why it is vital that we challenge those extremist ideas that also form part of a terrorist ideology, and threaten these freedoms. Central to this is challenging those behaviours and views which run counter to our shared values, which include freedom of speech, democracy, the rule of law, equality of opportunity and treatment, and the rights of all men and women to live free from persecution of any kind.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools promote British values.

Mr Nick Gibb

Academies, free schools and independent schools are already required to encourage pupils to respect fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

On 23 June, we launched a consultation on proposed revised standards, which will strengthen this position by requiring these schools actively to promote these values. We expect to have the new standards in place for the start of the next academic year.

We also plan to issue guidance to maintained schools on promoting fundamental British values, and to ask Ofsted to reinforce those expectations through changes to the inspection framework for maintained schools, academies and free schools.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on the VSO ICS programme in each year since 2010.

Lynne Featherstone

DFID spending on the International Citizen Service (ICS) programme since 2010 is as follows:

2010/11: £1,860,025

2011/12: £4,849.043

2012/13: £21,999,068

2013/14: £19,863,471

2014/15: £4,262,167 (to date)

All of the spending in 2010/11, 2011/12 and £2,135,397 in 2012/13 was on the ICS pilot scheme with the remainder being the current contracted programme.

All of this information is published on the development tracker website http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many people are signed off work as a result of depression.

Mike Penning

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information on the number of people taking sickness absence from work as a result of depression.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote alternatives to university to young people.

Mr Edward Timpson

We want it to become the norm for young people to choose between an apprenticeship or university as equally prestigious routes to their career. We have placed a duty on schools to provide independent careers guidance for pupils in years 8-13 on the full range of options, including apprenticeships. We have published statutory guidance requiring schools to ensure that other providers, such as further education colleges, have the opportunity to inform pupils about their offer. The guidance also states that schools should offer pupils the opportunity to develop the entrepreneurial skills necessary for self-employment.

The guidance is published online at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-for-young-people-in-schools

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK aid spending is used in the manner intended.

Lynne Featherstone

DFID has rigorous internal systems and processes to ensure that its aid reaches the intended beneficiaries and delivers results. A business case is mandatory for all new funding proposals, and all cases over five million pounds are approved at ministerial level. Once a programme is underway a formal review is required annually and at completion, which assesses and records whether funds have been used for their intended purposes and the results that have been delivered. Assurance that our aid money is being used for the intended purposes is gained form a number of independent providers including Internal Audit Department.

DFID has commissioned a package of reforms to further improve programme leadership, processes and capability and strengthen our oversight of spending.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to help people with autism find appropriate work.

Mike Penning

The Government has contributed significantly to the development of the ‘Rethink Autism’ strategy, owned by the Department of Health.

DWP is an active member of the Autism Programme Board and is working closely with colleagues from across government to address a number of key commitments that support the employment of people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions including Asperger’s Syndrome and associated Hidden Impairment Conditions.

DWP is working with an extensive range of partner organisations and the Hidden Impairment National Group (HING), which the Minister has agreed to sponsor.