Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to safeguard access to the Interreg programme of interregional cooperation projects (a) until and (b) after the UK leaves the EU.

Andrew Percy

The Chancellor’s statement of 3 October 2016 explains that UK participants in European Structural and Investment Fund projects who have funding agreements signed after the Autumn Statement but before the UK leaves the EU will have their funding guaranteed, so long as they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. UK participants will not see a funding shortfall.

Leaving the EU means that we will want to decide how we deliver the policy objectives currently delivered by EU-funded programmes. We will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any on-going funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.

The source of ERDF funding is provided by the overall contributions made by each EU Member State. The United Kingdom currently makes a contribution to the EU, net of what it receives in return.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of primary schools signed up to (a) Centre for Education and Monitoring, Durham University, (b) Early Excellence, (c) GL Assessment, (d) Hodder Education, (e) National Foundation for Educational Research and (f) Speech Link as baseline assessment providers by 30 April 2015; and which schemes were subsequently approved by her Department.

Nick Gibb

A full break down of suppliers which were removed from the approved list has not been provided because of potential commercial sensitivities for the suppliers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2015 to Question 15636, if he will make it his policy to collect data on which local areas are providing take-home naloxone for opioid overdose in people who use drugs; whether he plans to monitor the effects of provision of naloxone and instances of drug-related deaths; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning substance misuse services, using the public health grant, to meet that need. Public Health England (PHE) supports local authorities in this work and has provided advice on naloxone provision to commissioners and service providers for them to use in planning naloxone supply. PHE is providing support to areas with higher than average death rates.

PHE is engaged in ongoing monitoring and analysis of drug-related deaths based on data collected by the Office for National Statistics, including matching with treatment data. PHE is investigating the use of this data to assess the impact of increased naloxone availability following the legislative change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on the level of atmospheric carbon concentration required to prevent harmful ocean acidification; what assessment she has made of the effect of ocean acidification under atmospheric carbon concentration scenarios used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on (a) marine species and (b) coastal populations; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

Defra and DECC have together supported the UK Ocean Acidification Programme to better understand the impacts of climate change on our seas.

Although we are still awaiting the final summary report, outputs from the programme point to a complex range of effects on marine species and ecosystems resulting from the interplay between acidification and temperature increase. The economic effects on coastal populations are uncertain at this point though preliminary work indicates they are likely to be increasingly negative as the century progresses.

However, by reducing emissions in line with the stringent emissions scenario produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Representative Concentration Pathway 2.6) which is consistent with keeping mean global temperature increase below 2°C, we would significantly increase the options for protection, adaptation and repair of the ocean.

This is why the UK Government is seeking ambitious global action on climate change this month in Paris to protect our oceans in the future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 26 September 2014 to Question 209770 asked by the hon. Member for Moray, how much his Department has spent on studies on whether to refurbish or replace the existing Trident warhead design to date.

Michael Fallon

As of the end of the last financial year (March 2015), the Ministry of Defence had spent £80 million on technology studies to support refurbishment of the current system and explore options for a potential future warhead, and £5.5 million on studies to support the decision whether to refurbish or replace the existing warhead.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for (i) off-shore tax evasion, (ii) in-shore tax evasion, (iii) tax credit fraud, (iv) VAT fraud, (v) smuggling and (vi) other tax-related offences in each financial year since 2010-11.

Mr David Gauke

The information is not held in the format requested. HM Revenue and Customs’ centrally held data records the primary reason for the court case. The central data does not separately identify smuggling cases or use the term ‘in-shore evasion’ when recording the number of prosecutions or convictions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what feasibility studies or other assessments of basic income schemes have been carried out by HM Treasury officials since 1990; and if he will place copies of any such studies or assessments in the Library.

Damian Hinds

The government keeps all tax and welfare policies under review. HM Treasury does not at present have any plans to produce or publish any research on or assessment of basic income schemes.

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 the Government has carried out in relation to UK aid and security assistance programmes to Saudi Arabia in the last two years.

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 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to update guidance on the implementation of the Dublin III Regulations to ensure that unaccompanied children in Calais and Dunkirk can be united swiftly with their family in the UK.

Karen Bradley

The UK government supports the Dublin III principles and welcomes the swift processing of asylum claims made in Calais. For migrants to be processed under Dublin III they must first claim asylum in France. The UK government will consider any request made by the French asylum authorities under the Dublin Regulation to take responsibility for an asylum applicant in France because they have close family in the UK.

To ensure that the provisions of the Dublin Regulation are used efficiently and effectively in both countries, a joint contact group has been established in line with the commitment in the Joint Declaration. The UK has held regular discussions with French Interior Ministry colleagues, including visits to Calais and Dunkirk to examine the processes and the information made available to migrants.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many single destitute asylum seekers were granted accommodation and support under section 4 of the Immigration and Nationality Act in the last year because they were (a) unable to leave the UK due to medical reasons and (b) taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK; and how many such applications were made within 21 days of that person’s appeal rights being exhausted.

James Brokenshire

Our records indicate that a total of 105 destitute asylum seekers were granted accommodation and support under section 4 of the Immigration and Nationality Act in the last year (2015) due to pregnancy, medical reasons or because they were taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK.

A full breakdown of categories is given below:

(a) unable to leave the UK due to medical reasons – 42 (including 6 due to late pregnancy)

(b) taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK – 63

(c) how many of these applications were made within 21 days of that person’s appeal rights being exhausted:

– Medical – 1

– Steps to Leave – 5

This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.