Tag: Catherine West

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Argentina, (b) Indonesia, (c) Saudi Arabia and (d) Turkey on negotiating trade deals with the UK.

Greg Hands

Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are making and planning overseas visits to a wide range of markets, in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade. Through these discussions, we are working to ensure we take advantage of all the opportunities available to us, including through our future trading relationships. Alongside this activity, we are holding regular bilateral Ministerial dialogues on economics and trade, namely Joint Economic and Trade Committees (JETCOs), including with Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what overseas visits she has made since her appointment.

Priti Patel

The Secretary of State has visited a range of countries overseas since her appointment. Information on Ministerial Travel is published as part of DFID’s quarterly transparency return on www.gov.uk.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will take steps to implement recommendations from the UN report, entitled Ways to promote education and training in disarmament and non-proliferation at all levels of formal and informal education; if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Education to designate a focal point for disarmament and non-proliferation education; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan

Officials have been asked to review the report and its recommendations, consulting with officials in the Department for Education.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether apprentices are required to achieve a Level 1 qualification, including mathematics and English, in order (a) to be entered for an Intermediate Level Apprenticeship and (b) for entries to be in accordance with the Specification of Apprenticeships Standards for England.

Nick Boles

In order to maximise accessibility, there are no centrally set entry requirements to start an apprenticeship. However, as apprenticeships are jobs with training, individual employers may set their own entry requirements for a specific apprenticeship.

The government does set requirements relating to training and achievement in English and maths during apprenticeships. This is because English and maths are fundamental to career progression and access to further learning.

All apprenticeship frameworks must comply with the Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE). Under SASE, English and maths qualifications are a mandatory component of all Intermediate and Advanced apprenticeships. However, all adult apprentices are assessed for prior learning, and people who start an apprenticeship with current English and maths qualifications at the right level need not repeat these.

We are reforming apprenticeships to ensure that they are based on standards designed by employers.The government sets minimum requirements for apprenticeship standards, though employers are able to go further in the standards they design. They are able to specify a higher level of English and/or maths achievement or to specify a particular qualification or qualifications where this is needed for a particular occupation or sector. . The minimum requirements are – passing level 1 English and maths and taking the test for level 2 before taking the end-point assessment for an intermediate apprenticeship; and passing level 2 English and maths before taking the end-point assessment for an advanced or higher apprenticeship.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on potential links between the terrorist attacks in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Diyarbakir, Turkey, in January 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

This Department holds no information on potential links between the terrorist attack in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Diyabakir, Turkey, in January 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any person or body has sought disclosure of documents relevant to the decision to target Reyaad Khan by drone strike in Syria on 21 August 2015 for purposes related to the inquiry by the Intelligence and Security Committee into that matter.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) gave to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson) on Monday 25 January 2016, UIN23433.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of freedom of information requirements in Bermuda; and what plans he has to promote transparency in that territory.

James Duddridge

Freedom of information policy in Bermuda is the responsibility of the Government of Bermuda. The Public Access to Information Act 2010 (PATI) came fully into operation on 1 April 2014. It is similar in many respects to the UK’s Freedom of Information Act and provides for an Information Commissioner. The Governor believes that it has started well but the first appeals under the Act’s provisions are only now coming before the Commissioner.

Future developments in this area are a matter for the Government of Bermuda. I understand that legislation on data protection, the Personal Information Protection Act, is currently before the Bermuda House of Assembly, with provisions designed to meet EU data protection requirements and, again, similar to the UK Data Protection Act. The 2012 White Paper states our commitments on working with the governments of the Overseas Territories on improving transparency and accountability. We are supporting these governments in moving towards systems of open government through sharing best practice and capacity building. This is a devolved area of competence and it is for Territory governments to develop a system that meets their particular requirements and circumstances.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.

Mark Lancaster

Cleaning within the Ministry of Defence is undertaken through estate maintenance contracts and therefore information on the rates of pay for cleaners is held by a number of third parties and not by the Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.

Justin Tomlinson

Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions has outsourced the provision and maintenance for the majority of its estate to Telereal Trillium under a 20 year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract that expires on 31 March 2018.

Under the terms of the contract, Telereal Trillium provides fully-serviced accommodation, for which we pay an all-inclusive annual charge. Engie are Telereal Trillium’s cleaning service provider.

The Engie base rate of pay for all cleaners within the M25 is £9.15 (London Living Wage) which will increase to the new London Living Wage of £9.40 by May 2016.

The Engie base rate of pay for all cleaners outside the M25 is £6.70 (or the scale appropriate to their age) which will change in April 2016 to the National Living Wage of £7.20 (or the scale appropriate to their age).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Yemen since the recent airstrikes by the Saudi Military; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Saudi Arabia and the Coalition have played a crucial role in reversing the military advance of the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Saleh. Coalition and Government of Yemen military gains must now be used to drive forward the political process. We welcome the reports of calming along the Saudi/Yemen border and prisoner releases. A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the conflict. We are working closely with the UN to encourage parties to meet again and engage in good faith, without preconditions, and to respect future ceasefires.