Tag: Emily Thornberry

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) regular RAF personnel and (b) RAF volunteer reserves have been deployed to (i) Iraq since September 2014 and (ii) Syria since December 2015.

Penny Mordaunt

The number of individual Regular RAF personnel who have been deployed to Iraq for a period greater than 24 hours at any point between 1 September 2014 and 31 January 2016 was 470.

There were fewer than 5 RAF Volunteer Reserve personnel who have been deployed to Iraq for a period greater than 24 hours at any point between 1 September 2014 and 31 January 2016.

There were no RAF personnel deployed to Syria between 1 December 2015 and 31 January 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions his Department’s cyber strike capability was used in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.

Penny Mordaunt

We continue to develop the ability of our Armed Forces to deploy a broad range of offensive cyber capabilities as an integrated part of military operations. As with other sensitive defence capabilities, we do not reveal specific details in order to safeguard national security. As we have previously made clear in the context of the war powers convention, we do not propose to define the circumstances in which we would consult Parliament about the use of particular military capabilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Joint Intelligence Committee has revised its estimate of the number of non-extremist opposition fighters in Syria since 2 December 2015.

Mr Oliver Letwin

The JIC regularly assess the numbers involved in fighting in Syria and their loyalties. The JIC has concluded that non-extremist opposition numbers have held up despite recent pressure. Numbers in groups fighting Daesh are likely to have increased.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedures his Department has in place to monitor any changes in the estimated cost of the Successor submarine programme subsequent to the publication of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

Greg Hands

The Treasury maintains a regular and frequent dialogue with the Ministry of Defence over the costs of all significant elements of defence spending, including the Successor programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to facilitate the start of negotiations on the proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in the last 12 months.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK continues to push for the early start of negotiations, without preconditions, on a Fissile Material Cut off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmament (CD). In order to help unblock the current impasse, earlier this year we submitted a draft proposal to establish a formal working group and an associated programme of work for the duration of the CD’s 2016 session, which includes provision for FMCT issues to be included.

We also supported the resolution at last year’s UN General Assembly First Committee on issues surrounding an FMCT and we continue to work with partners in the CD to press Pakistan to start negotiations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 May 2016 to Question 36136, what additional financial contributions his Department has made to projects in support of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in each of the last six years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

In addition to the financial contribution the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has made directly to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, set out in answer to Question 36136, the FCO has supported a range of projects relating to the objectives of the treaty, these include conferences on issues related to the treaty, work in support of making progress towards a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone, and support for the universal ratification and implementation of International Atomic Energy Agency verification standards in nuclear non-proliferation. These projects total:

FY 10/11 = £139,084

FY 11/12 = £416,884.08

FY 12/13 = £580,895.57

FY 13/14 = £313,106.97

FY 14/15 = £325,297.80

FY 15/16 = £222,158.92

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department’s press release Hancock: Every young person should be earning or learning from April 2017, published 17 August 2015, (a) what the evidential basis is for the effectiveness of each of the proposals of the Earn or Learn taskforce referred to in that press notice; (b) what he plans the criteria for referral to the three-week programme referred to in that press notice to be; (c) by what measures the success of that programme will be assessed; (d) when he plans for contracts for that programme to be put out to tender; (e) if he will launch a consultation on the design of such contracts; (f) what additional funding he plans to make available for skills training for programme participants lacking basic qualifications; (g) how much his Department has set aside to fund that programme; and (h) whether he plans for funding for skills training to be ring-fenced within the overall grant made to providers.

Priti Patel

The Youth Obligationfor 18-21 year olds includes a 3 week intensive activity programme at the start of the claim to Universal Credit. The detailed policy design is still under development.

All spending decisions on skills training for 2016-17 and beyond will be taken as part of the Spending Review, which is due to be concluded in November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of its total budget each local authority Adult Social Services department in England spent on employment support services in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mr Marcus Jones

Information on expenditure by local authorities in England on employment support services is not held centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much and what proportion of its budget each clinical commissioning group in England has spent on employment support services in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Alistair Burt

NHS England has advised that this information is not collected centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who are in receipt of employment and support allowance in (a) the work-related activity group and (b) the support group were initially assessed by a work capability assessment as being fit for work.

Priti Patel

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.