Tag: Dawn Butler

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s timeline on its cycling and walking investment strategy, published in December 2015, what progress it has made on its obligation of being ready to announce its funding plans for investment in cycling and walking by the end of winter 2015-16.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Infrastructure Act 2015 does not place an obligation on Government to publish plans for investing in cycling and walking at any specific time. However, in December my Department published “Setting the first Cycling and Walking Strategy” which set out our proposed timescales for publication, including our intention to publish a Statement of Funds Available. My officials are currently working on the first Strategy, to be published in draft in spring 2016, which will contain information on financial resources as well as our ambition, objectives and actions for delivery.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether a decision has been reached on the composition of the UK delegation to the World Humanitarian Summit in May.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The final decision on who will be in the delegation will be taken nearer the time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring before the House legislative proposals on requiring bus companies to instal audio-visual technology to aid visually impaired passengers.

Andrew Jones

I know that accessible on-board information can give a range of passengers the confidence to use bus services, safe in the knowledge that they will know when to alight.

Previously, the systems to provide such information have been expensive to fit and maintain, but I understand that new technology may make it more affordable.

We are currently considering the most appropriate next steps, but in the meantime I encourage bus operators to consider the benefits of better, more accessible information for all their customers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what formal guidance the Government has issued to departments on equality impact assessments.

Caroline Dinenage

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in the Equality Act 2010 ensures that public bodies take account of equality and consider the potential impact of decisions on groups with protected characteristics. All bodies exercising public functions are subject to the PSED and need to understand the impact of their policies and services on people with different protected characteristics, and be able to provide evidence that this has been taken into account during the decision-making process. However, the legislation does not prescribe how this information needs to be recorded and it is not a statutory requirement in England to prepare or publish information in a particular form, such as an Equality Impact Assessment.

The Government Equalities Office has published a quick-start guide on the PSED and has circulated PSED guidance across Whitehall. It also provides advice to other departments on their legal obligations by delivering workshops and presentations to staff. A range of guidance on the PSED is also available from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to aid agencies and international partners to prepare Syrian refugee camps for winter.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have pledged over £1.1 billion to date, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US.

DFID is supporting 11 implementing partners to prepare and respond to the onset of winter across Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. This financial year, we have provided £221 million to these 11 partners to support their emergency programmes, of which £12.9 million has been committed for specific winter response activities such as the provision of warm clothing, thermal blankets, fuel and cash to support thousands of vulnerable families across the region.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will undertake an urgent and comprehensive review into British arms export licences to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK Government is satisfied that export licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licencing criteria. The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. The Government routinely keeps factors relevant to the licensing of arms exports under active review, and Ministers are consulted in the event of any significant changes in the circumstances relating to UK-licensed exports to ensure that licences comply with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Since the outset of the conflict in Yemen the Government has kept all extant licences and new licensing to Saudi Arabia under continuous review, and has exercised special caution and vigilance in granting new licences for exports to Saudi Arabia, handling each on a case-by-case basis. The conflict in Yemen is being monitored closely, and that monitoring is taken into account as part of the careful risk assessment for exports to Saudi Arabia.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the scale of human rights abuses against the Oromo people in Ethiopia; and what representations he has made to his Ethiopian counterpart on that issue.

James Duddridge

The UK Government is deeply concerned about the handling of protests in Oromia and the reported number of deaths, including many students. I raised these concerns with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Dr. Tedros at the African Union Summit in January, stressing the importance of exercising restraint and addressing the root causes of the protests. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) also raised the issue with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 21 January at the World Economic Forum. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission are currently undertaking an investigation into the allegations, and our Ambassador has stressed the need for transparency and that any members of the security forces who are found to have used excessive force be held to account.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what consultation the Oil and Gas Authority has undertaken on nuclear decommissioning; and whether that authority is subject to the Cabinet Office’s Consultation Principles, published in January 2016.

Andrea Leadsom

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is responsible for decommissioning and clean-up of UK’s nuclear legacy sites. The Oil and Gas Authority has no remit for nuclear decommissioning. ­

All OGA consultations will consider the Cabinet Office’s consultation principles where relevant.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many equality impact assessments government departments carried out in each year between 2010 and 2016.

Caroline Dinenage

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in the Equality Act 2010 ensures that public bodies take account of equality and consider the potential impact of decisions on groups with protected characteristics. All bodies exercising public functions who are subject to the PSED need to understand the impact of their policies and services on people with different protected characteristics and be able to provide evidence that this has been taken into account during the decision-making process. However, the legislation does not prescribe how this information needs to be recorded and it is not a statutory requirement in England to prepare or publish information in a particular form, such as an Equality Impact Assessment.

The Government Equalities Office does not therefore keep records of how many equality impact assessments are carried out by Departments; in any case, this information would not give an indication of the extent to which equality issues have been considered under the PSED.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to review his Department’s advice against all but essential travel to Tunisia.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We keep our travel advice for Tunisia under regular review, taking into account the current terrorist threat and the Tunisian capacity to deter and respond to that threat. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) discussed the issue with the Tunisian government when he visited on 27 November.