The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Mensa warhead assembly and disassembly facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield to begin operation.
Michael Fallon
Project Mensa was approved in May 2011 with an in-service date between 2016 and 2020.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Overseas Security and Justice Assessment assessments carried out by the Government in relation to UK aid and security assistance programmes to Saudi Arabia in the last two years have (a) required and (b) not required mitigating measures.
Penny Mordaunt
In the past two years the MOD has conducted three Overseas Security and Justice Assessments in relation to security assistance programmes with Saudi Arabia. Such engagement encompasses Defence Exercises, Defence Training in Saudi Arabia, Defence training in the UK (or a third party country), High Level International Engagement, UK personnel conducting long-term capacity building (Loan Service Teams/British Military Mission) and Working level International Engagement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken or plans to take to build the capacity of communities to (a) engage with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and (b) hold their governments to account for engagement on that issue.
Mr Nick Hurd
The UK is the third largest donor of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, pledging up to £1 billion between 2014 and 2016, subject to a 10% donor share cap. This is improving the lives of millions of people, saving approximately 580,000 lives by preventing 8.4m new malaria, HIV and TB infections.
The Global Fund encourages active participation of communities at all levels, from grant design, implementation and oversight at country level through country coordination mechanisms, to the Global Fund Board.
DFID is a founding supporter and pledged up to £9m to the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund. We are also amongst the top five funders of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) which was created in 1996 to respond to the growing HIV/AIDS crisis. Both of these are critical in building the capacity of networks of inadequately served communities to engage with the Global Fund and hold governments to account.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to extend the remit of the Child Maintenance Group to cover the investigation of cases in which a non-resident parent has failed to declare income to HM Revenue and Customs.
Priti Patel
The Child Maintenance Group (CMG) is currently developing a referral criteria for cases where the non-resident parent has either not declared information to HMRC or, where the information received from HMRC is challenged by the parent with care or where it seems entirely improbable by the caseworker. The criteria will seek to ensure that there is some tangible substance to the allegation that will enable the Financial Investigations Unit to act proportionately. Once the criteria are approved, it will be available to all CMG caseworkers to identify cases for investigation. CMG are committed to having these enhanced processes in place to trial and evaluate, within the next two months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the Farnborough International Airshow due to take place in July 2016.
Mr Philip Dunne
Farnborough International Air Show is an important event which supports UK defence industry seeking to trade internationally and offers valuable defence engagement opportunities with our allies and partners. The support to the Farnborough International Air Show 2016 will be delivered through the course of normal departmental business and in-line with existing budgetary provisions. Any additional costs will be recouped in line with standard practices.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans the Government has for parliamentary scrutiny of the EU-Canada trade agreement; and whether the Government will bring that agreement to the House for a vote.
Anna Soubry
We expect that the EU–Canada Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) will be a “mixed” agreement, covering areas of both EU and Member State competence. In that case, it will be subject to agreement by each EU Member State, the EU Council and the European Parliament. As part of this process the agreement will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny before it is ratified by the UK. The complete draft text of the agreement would be laid before Parliament for at least 21 sitting days during which time MPs and Lords may debate the treaty in either or both Houses and vote against the proposed ratification. For the parts of the agreement within UK competence, the proposals for a Council decision on signature and, subsequently, conclusion will be subject to scrutiny in both Houses of the UK Parliament. In practice EU trade agreements which contain a mixture of EU and Member State competence are agreed by consensus, this means the UK must agree before the treaty can fully come into force.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding for children and young people with special educational needs was allocated to East Sussex local authority area through the dedicated schools grant in each of the last three years.
Mr Sam Gyimah
Funding for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) is allocated to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), which includes both funding to be delegated to mainstream schools, and funding for the additional costs associated with educating children and young people with high needs.
The Department does not allocate specific amounts of funding for children and young people with SEN within the funding allocated to local authorities for their mainstream schools. Schools are funded through a formula set by their local authority, and local authorities are required to delegate funds to a level that enables schools to meet the additional costs of pupils with SEN, up to £6,000 per annum. For those pupils whose additional support costs more than £6,000 the local authority pays top-up funding to the schools from their high needs budget.
East Sussex County Council’s high needs allocation, within the dedicated schools grant, in each of the last three years was as follows:
2015-16: £44.06 million
2014-15: £42.82 million
2013-14: £40.94 million
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy that the Natura 2000 network of protected conservation areas in the UK will (a) continue to have the same level or stronger protection than they now have under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and (b) remain part of the Emerald Network under the Bern Convention regardless of the outcome of the UK’s negotiations to leave the EU.
Rory Stewart
Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for our environment remain in place.
Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.
The Government will wish to consider the Impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including for the UK’s Natura 2000 and other protected sites, We have a manifesto commitment to produce a 25 Year Plan for the Environment. We all now have an opportunity to consider our long-term vision for the environment following the referendum vote.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the combined total financial penalty was for non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage imposed on the 197 employers who were named and shamed by his Department for such non-compliance on 11 August 2016.
Margot James
The Government is committed to cracking down on employers who break National Minimum Wage law. In addition to the repayment of arrears to workers, named employers are subject to financial penalties.
The total financial penalties for employers named for non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage on 11 August 2016 was £254,953.04.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to lay draft regulations on the conduct of the regional mayoral elections planned for May 2017.
Andrew Percy
An Order for the conduct of combined authority mayoral elections will be laid before Parliament after the Conference Recess.