Tag: Andy Slaughter

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects his Department’s Propriety and Ethics team’s investigation into the activity of civil servants to report.

Mike Penning

As I said to the House on 14 March, the rules around former civil servants taking up employment in the private sector are made very clear when they leave the Department. Under no circumstance should they exploit privileged access to government contracts or sensitive information which could be used to influence the outcome of commercial competitions. The investigation has now reported and found that it was unlikely any intellectual property belonging to, or confidential information relating to, the MoJ or NOMS was compromised as a result of former staff gaining employment with TDPi. Nevertheless, we have strengthened internal procedures and increased awareness of the Business Appointment Rules within the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) so as to make departing civil servants and their new employers aware of their obligations under the Rules. My officials have written to TDPi reminding them of their obligations under the Civil Service Code.

Over the last six months, we have improved our commercial capability, more than doubling the senior commercial experts monitoring work with the private sector. The investigation found no evidence of improper culture or general lack of professionalism in relation to how NOMS staff interact with suppliers or contractors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials in (a) her Department and (b) the College of Policing have travelled to Saudi Arabia to discuss the British police force training given to the Saudi Arabian police force in the last three years.

Mike Penning

We are rightly proud of the British model of policing by consent and of the high level of skill and expertise across policing in this country. The College of Policing, which is independent of Government, ensures that respect for human rights and dignity is integral to each programme it delivers.

Course developers and trainers are required to include a bespoke human rights and ethical decision-making element in each course. Before undertaking any international work, the College refers to the International Policing Assistance Board (IPAB), which assesses all requests against British values and interests. IPAB comprises policing representatives and those from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Home Office, Ministry of Defence, Department for International Development and devolved administrations.

The College always acts in accordance with HM Treasury’s guidelines on ‘Managing Public Money’, which includes guidance on commercial charging rates. The Home Office do not keep records on the travel of College of Policing officials.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many sightings of unidentified flying objects have been reported in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning

The Ministry of Defence does not maintain a central record of the number of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings reported, following the closure of the UFO Desk in 2009.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children are born each year in England with Duchenne muscular dystrophy; how many people are living with this condition; and how many such people do receive Translarna.

David Mowat

Information on how many children are born each year in England with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is not collected. However, it is estimated that there are around 2,500 people living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the United Kingdom.

Following the recommendation made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in April 2016 and the announcement made by NHS England on 7 July, Translarna is now routinely commissioned for those individuals who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy and meet the relevant clinical criteria. Currently, there are approximately 50 patients receiving Translarna.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to help protect 16 and 17 year olds who are victims of child sexual exploitation.

Karen Bradley

Tackling child sexual exploitation is a top priority for this Government. We have prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat in the Strategic Policing Requirement, setting a clear expectation on police forces to collaborate across force boundaries, to safeguard children, to share intelligence and to share best practice.

Significant progress has been made since the launch of the “Tackling CSE” report in March 2015. We have delivered the vast majority of a £7 million funding programme to support non statutory organisations that have experienced a surge in demand on their services. This funding is to support the victims and survivors of sexual abuse, including children of all ages.

Furthermore, £1.6 million has been provided over four years (April 2012 – March 2016) for 13 Young People’s Advocates providing direct and dedicated support to young people who have been victims, or are at risk of, sexual and domestic violence and/or sexual exploitation. Funding of £1.72 million per year has also been committed to part fund 87 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers posts until March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Freshfields Brukhaus Deringer has received in legal fees from the public purse since 2010.

Harriett Baldwin

Legal fees paid to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in the last five financial years are as follows in the table below.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons he intends to close; and what consultation is taking place or is planned to take place on those closures.

Andrew Selous

No decisions have yet been made on which prisons will be closed. After the announcement of a closure, the Ministry of Justice will work actively with stakeholders to ensure that we manage the local impact of a prison closure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has made to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with regards to the Calais refugee camp.

James Brokenshire

The management of the migrant camps in Calais is the responsibility of the French Government. This includes decisions on whether to involve any particular organisation in the camps’ management.

The UK Government notes however the welcome given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the joint declaration to address the issues in Calais signed by the UK and France on 20 August 2015. The UNHCR welcomed the plan to move migrants away from Calais to suitable facilities elsewhere in France and the effort to identify those vulnerable to trafficking, particularly women and children. Both Governments agree with the UNHCR that Calais is a symptom of the wider migration issue facing Europe, which must be addressed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statement of 1 December 2014, HC Deb, 46W, what assessment he has made of the performance of the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than arrests being made at night.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

On 2 June, the Minister of State, my noble Friend, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE met the Israeli Military Advocate General and discussed the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than be arrested at night. We understand that the scheme has functioned well and has been used in a significant proportion of arrests. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv continue to push for further progress on the issue of children held in military detention with Israeli officials. On 23 November, an official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met Israel’s Chief Prosecutor and discussed the issue of child detention and on 27 August, our Ambassador to Tel Aviv lobbied the Israeli Military Advocate General on Children in Detention where the issue of child detention was also discussed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many magistrates’ courts opened in each local justice area in each year since 2010.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The tables below show magistrates’ courts that have opened since 2010. Each of these new courts replaced multiple smaller facilities, providing modern and efficient premises in place of buildings which were unfit for purpose.

It is not possible to present the above sites by their local justice areas as many local justice area boundaries change over time.