The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish its Life Changes Strategy.
Damian Hinds
The Prime Minister is clear that tackling poverty and disadvantage, and delivering real social reform, is a priority for this Government and we will be coming back to the House with a number of announcements over the coming months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what account his Department plans to take of the closure of steel plants in 2015 in the strategic defence and security review process.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Strategic Defence and Security Review will be a comprehensive review of our defence and security capabilities.
Separately, the Cabinet Office are leading a cross-Government Steel Procurement Working Group on which the Ministry of Defence is represented. The Government has published new guidelines for Departments to apply to major projects when sourcing and buying steel directly. Departments will be encouraged to take into account social impacts of competing suppliers when placing contracts directly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to improve the environment as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.
James Wharton
The Northern Powerhouse is about bringing together northern cities and regions to maximise the potential of the North and help drive UK economic growth.
We will do this by investing in science and technology, transport, digital and innovation, culture and tourism across the region, alongside devolving power to give the North a powerful new voice, investment and decision-making powers to meet these ambitions. Improving the environment could be a consideration in how we take forward these investments and activities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether contractors have housed asylum seekers in properties with doors that are all uniform or nearly uniform in colour in regions other than the North East.
James Brokenshire
Home Office officials are working closely with our housing providers to ensure that asylum seeker accommodation is not easily identifiable. I am not aware of a uniform door colour being the practice in any other region. My officials have also spoken to our housing providers to tell them that such a practice is not acceptable.
I was first made aware of this issue when The Times contacted the Home Office in mid-January. G4S has investigated correspondence and discussions on the issue of external door colour in the North East and has confirmed that it was raised in 2012 by a Middlesbrough local councillor and was considered by the G4S audit and assurance team, no complaints from asylum seekers relating to this matter were found and a response was issued.
As I said to the House on 20 January, I instructed officials to look into this issue as a matter of urgency and I expect that the audit will be concluded on the Home Office side very shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the Government’s timetable is for introducing measures to place a duty on larger employers to publish information about bonuses paid to men and women as part of their gender pay gap reporting.
Caroline Dinenage
Eliminating the gender pay gap is a key priority for this government. We will shortly seek views on the draft regulations requiring large private and voluntary sector employers in Great Britain to publish information about differences in the pay and bonuses paid to male and female employees. The government wants to commence these regulations at the earliest opportunity. We have also pledged to extend these requirements to the public sector. Public bodies will be covered by different regulations, following a further consultation that we will issue soon.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to address inequalities in cancer incidence across England resulting from smoking.
Jane Ellison
We know that smoking causes over a quarter of cancer deaths in the United Kingdom and that these deaths disproportionally occur in the poorest areas and most vulnerable populations.
The Government has committed to publishing a new tobacco control plan to further reduce the prevalence of smoking in England. Addressing the health inequality caused by smoking will be one of the key priorities underpinning this strategy and we are working with partners across the system to embed locally, the success we have had reducing prevalence nationally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Civil Aviation Authority’s proposal to increase the fee for holding aerial displays on the viability of the aerial display industry.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Civil Aviation Authority has consulted publicly on proposed air display and low flying permission charges. After this consultation, the Civil Aviation Authority would need to consult the Secretary of State, before making the scheme. When the Civil Aviation Authority consults the Secretary of State on any scheme, he will consider that scheme, including considering possible impacts on the viability of the aerial display industry.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The Department for Education was not directly in receipt of programme funding from the European Social Fund. The European Social Fund programme for England that operated from 2007 to 2013 (extended to 2015) did, however, include monies for young people aged 14-19 who were not in education, employment or training or who were at risk of being so. This funding was administered initially by the Learning and Skills Council. From 2010 to July 2015, the funds have been administered by the Skills Funding Agency on behalf of the Young People’s Learning Agency and then on behalf of the Education Funding Agency. Given the nature of this European Social Fund programme operated by arm’s length bodies across a number of departments, without in depth analysis it is not possible to attribute funding for the period requested to particular departments. Such information will, however, be available in the Skills Funding Agency’s evaluation of the programme which will be published later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the UK’s membership of the EU to the Government’s aims of tackling terrorist and criminal networks.
James Brokenshire
Terrorism and serious organised crime are global threats that cross national borders. Our unique relationship with the EU gives UK law enforcement access to EU tools and instruments that help keep people safe and tackle serious and organised crime, but also mean we are not obliged to participate in new measures when we do not judge them to be in the national interest.
The tools and instruments that the UK participates in include Europol, an EU agency which supports cross-border police operations and intelligence sharing, and can assist in the identification of terrorist threats; the European Arrest Warrant, which allows swift extradition between EU countries of individuals accused or convicted of a criminal offence; and the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), which enables law enforcement agencies around the EU to share live alerts, for example, for missing people and stolen vehicles. The UK is also in the process of implementing Prum, which will give us access to fingerprint and DNA data from other member states.
Since 2004, using the European Arrest Warrant, over 1,000 individuals accused or convicted of a criminal offence have faced justice in UK courts and over 7,000 have been extradited from the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to commemorate the First World War in 2016.
David Evennett
Since the Prime Minister set out plans for the Centenary in October 2012 the Government has delivered highly successful commemorative events for the start of the First World War and the Gallipoli Campaign.
In May 2016, commemorative events will be held for the Battle of Jutland, and in July 2016, we will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by holding national events at the Thiepval Memorial in France, at Manchester Cathedral, and at Heaton Park. In addition, a national vigil will be held in June at Westminster Abbey, and there will also be vigils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Season Two of the 14-18 NOW culture programme has been announced and this – together with Centenary Partnership events, Heritage Lottery funded projects and local commemorative activity – will ensure people right across the UK have the opportunity to participate in commemorative events.
Other centenary activities such as the UK Tour of the “poppies” and the national repair and conservation of War memorials also continue, more details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary
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