The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the cost to the public purse is of the airport at St Helena.
Rory Stewart
In 2011 DFID approved an allocation of £285.5 million for the airport at St Helena.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46317, whether he plans to review the terms of those trade deals.
Greg Hands
The Government is currently reviewing its trade policy as the UK prepares to leave the EU. This offers us an opportunity to forge a new role for ourselves in the world: to negotiate, in time, our own trade agreements and to be a positive and powerful force for free trade. We already enjoy excellent trading relationships with our Commonwealth partners and we are committed to strengthening these further.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Prime Minister, what overseas visits she has made since her appointment.
Mrs Theresa May
Details of Ministerial overseas travel is published quarterly and is available on the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to which destinations (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have taken flights as part of their official duties since his appointment as Foreign Secretary.
Sir Alan Duncan
The details of overseas visits undertaken by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers, including the mode of transport used, are published in quarterly returns, which are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/minister-data
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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 Trailblazer Apprenticeships Standards.
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 International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure children receive education and protection in conflict zones.
Mr Nick Hurd
DFID supports international efforts in conflict-affected and fragile countries to assist children and reduce their risks of violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. This work is in partnership with mandated protection agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and UNICEF, as well as non-governmental organisations.
DFID aims to improve learning outcomes, to reach all children in fragile states, and to keep girls in school. DFID supports children overseas to go to school and continue learning even when they are forced from their homes and this includes our flagship £355 million Girls’ Education Challenge that will enable up to 1 million more of the world’s most marginalised girls to benefit from an education of sufficient quality and transform their lives. In addition, DFID is supporting improvements to how the international community provides education in emergencies, including support for the ‘No Lost Generation’ Initiative to provide over 251,000 Syrian children with formal and informal education inside Syria and in the region, allowing them to catch up on lost learning time and sit public school examinations.
Education and protection will be key themes of the Syria Conference co-hosted by the UK in early February and the protection and education of children affected by natural disasters and conflicts will be addressed at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of high inflation in Malawi.
Mr Nick Hurd
Malawi has one of the highest rates of inflation in Africa: double digit inflation is commonplace. High inflation, alongside high fiscal deficits, debt and interest rates, are lowering business confidence and crowding out private investment. Social services are being delivered from a constrained budget with high levels of government borrowing. Poor harvests in 2015 and poor rainfall due to the ongoing El Nino are affecting the national economy and Malawi is now facing its worst food insecurity crisis in a decade. The UK and international partners are responding.
DFID Malawi works closely with other development partners, in particular the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to monitor the macroeconomic situation in Malawi. The IMF’s Article IV Consultation in December 2015 concluded that “an appropriately tight fiscal policy is needed to support monetary policy actions aimed at placing inflation on a downward trajectory.” DFID is working with the World Bank to inform the Government of Malawi’s next Development Strategy.
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 representations he had made to his counterparts in (a) the US, (b) China, (c) France and (d) Russia on the recent ballistic missile launched by North Korea.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s satellite launch of 7 February, which used ballistic missile technology in clear violation of a number of UN Security Council Resolutions. We are working closely with our international counterparts, including permanent members of the UN Security Council, to ensure significant and substantive measures are agreed in response to the DPRK’s repeated provocations. In addition, we continue to work with international partners to ensure existing Resolutions are implemented effectively.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in her Department.
Nick Gibb
The hourly rate of pay for cleaners working in buildings managed by the Department for Education is between £7.85 and £9.15 depending on location and duration of tenure.
The Government Equality Office is based within buildings managed by the Department for Education, and therefore the same rates apply.
From 1 April 2016, the rate of pay will be increased to the 2016 Living Wage Foundation rates.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his North Korean counterpart on the reported recent execution of Ri Yong-gil in that country.
Mr Hugo Swire
We are aware of reports of the execution of General Ri Yong-gil, the Chief of Staff of the Korean People’s Army, on Wednesday 10 February 2016. Due to the closed nature of the regime in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), we cannot verify the accuracy of these reports. The UK, working with the EU and Japan, has ensured that annual UN resolutions consistently call on the DPRK to end its use of the death penalty and adhere to international standards on judicial procedures. We also use our diplomatic relations to raise our concerns directly with North Korea officials in London and Pyongyang.