Tag: Craig Whittaker

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve the UK’s economic ties with developing African economies.

Harriett Baldwin

Supporting Africa’s economic development is central to the government’s international agenda. This is highlighted in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 which states that:

Over the next five years, we aim to deepen the UK’s relationships with African countries significantly. To enable this, we will deliver a more strategic and coordinated government approach to Africa… We will continue to make substantial investments to promote greater economic growth and poverty reduction.

In parallel, the Department for International Development (DFID) has previously committed to spend around £1.8 billion of their budget on economic development by the end of the 2015/2016 fiscal year: almost double the level of two years ago. DFID is also working with business and new partners, including new partners in the UK, to support innovative and profitable solutions to Africa’s development challenges. For example, the recently launched Energy Access initiative aims to expand solar energy access across sub-Saharan Africa, by increasing investment in off-grid energy firms, promoting innovation and removing regulatory barriers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Atos assessments are carried out effectively for personal independence payment applications.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department has a number of mechanisms available to monitor and challenge Atos performance in carrying out assessments for Personal Independence Payment. These include a range of Management Information to inform performance against contractual Service Level Agreements relating to, for example, time taken to process claims and the quality of the assessment reports produced.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from Calderdale Council since 2010 on the level of the Revenue Support Grant.

Mr Marcus Jones

Calderdale Council have submitted a representation each year since 2010 as part of the annual consultation on the local government finance settlement.

The annual local government finance settlement sets out details of central government funding for local authorities, including Revenue Support Grant, as well as considering councils’ locally raised funds, and represents the main funding source for local authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Saudi Arabian government on tackling the spread of Daesh in the Middle East.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We regularly hold discussions with Saudi Arabia about the threat from Daesh. Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of international efforts to defeat Daesh and was one of the first countries to participate in air strikes against Daesh in Syria. The King and the religious establishment continue clearly and publicly to condemn Daesh and its poisonous ideology, and to emphasise that Daesh do not in any way represent the teachings of Islamic faith.

The Saudi Arabian Government is working to reduce the threat that religious extremists pose in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. It has a comprehensive set of laws in place to prevent terrorist financing, which it enforces vigorously. We welcome the recent announcement of the creation of the Islamic Military Coalition which, among other things, aims to help Islamic countries to counter the threat from terrorism. Regional and Arab countries are best placed to tackle extremism and confront Daesh on the ground.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the British armed forces are currently stationed in each of the UK’s overseas territories.

Penny Mordaunt

There are 2,570 British Service personnel permanently based in British Overseas Territories. This figure includes those based in the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, Gibraltar, the South Atlantic Islands and British Indian Ocean Territory (including Diego Garcia). It excludes those deployed on operations. The breakdown of these figures is shown below. The Ministry of Defence regularly publishes the location figures for both military and civilian personnel, which can be accessed on the GOV.UK website.

UK Overseas Territory	Number of Armed Forces Personnel Stationed
Cyprus (SBA)	2,290
Gibraltar	160
South Atlantic Islands	80
British Indian Ocean Territory (including Diego Garcia)	40
TOTAL	2,570

(Location of UK regular service and civilian personnel quarterly statistics – 1 January 2016)

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage Sudan and South Sudan to engage in dialogue to overcome disputes relating to the border between the two countries.

James Duddridge

I am concerned at the recent increase in tensions between Sudan and South Sudan. As part of our ongoing discussions with the governments of both countries, we have consistently stressed that dialogue is the only means of resolving the border-related disputes. We have also raised our concerns about recent tensions in the UN Security Council and continue to support the efforts of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel to encourage both sides to re-engage in negotiations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage recycling by local authorities.

Rory Stewart

I refer the hon Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Catherine West, on 8 June 2016, PQ UIN 38978.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted on variations in cancer survival rates between different (a) parts of the UK and (b) socio-economic groups.

David Mowat

Public Health England’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service has published data on variation in cancer survival linked with deprivation as part of its Routes to Diagnosis project. This covers 55 different cancers and shows that, on the whole, survival is poorer in more deprived populations. Full results are available at the following link:

www.ncin.org.uk/publications/routes_to_diagnosis

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential for job creation in renewable energy sectors in the next five years.

Mr Nick Hurd

The latest figures from the ONS suggest that, in 2014, 238,500 full-time equivalent employees were working directly in the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy sectors in the UK. This figure does not include additional jobs that have been created in the wider renewable energy supply chain.

The Low Carbon and Renewable Energy sectors will be at the heart of this Governments Industrial Strategy to support jobs and growth.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of enterprise zones in West Yorkshire.

Greg Hands

The Spending Review detailed new Enterprise Zones which will be established across England. This includes the Leeds City Region M62 Corridor Enterprise Zone in West Yorkshire.