Tag: Greg Mulholland

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Dutch government ahead of the publication of the Programme of the Netherlands Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Mr David Lidington

Reflecting the strength of the UK-Netherlands relationships, my Ministerial colleagues and I hold regular meetings with our Dutch counterparts to discuss a range of issues, including their current Presidency of the Council of the EU.

I discussed their Presidency programme with Foreign Minister Bert Koenders and Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plassechaert during my visit to The Hague in November 2015, alongside a number of shared EU priorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the Asian Restaurant Skills Board.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Asian Restaurant Skills Board is an independent industry-led initiative set up to promote the opportunities that the Asian cuisine industry offers for exciting and rewarding careers, increasing social mobility and celebrating the importance of Asian cuisine in modern Britain. DCLG has worked closely with the Board, helping it to promote the industry through a publicity campaign and raise funding for four degree-level scholarships in Asian Cuisine at the University of West London.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received from charities and families on the effectiveness of the operation of the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.

Caroline Dinenage

One piece of Ministerial correspondence has been received in the last six months concerning the family of a deceased person affected by the 1976 Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of weapons confiscated at each UK prison for each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous

Data on the confiscation of all types of weapons for the period requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. I refer the Hon Member to PQ24706, which contains data on firearms, and PQ24558, which contains data on knives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much per capita Arts Council England is spending in each region in 2015-16.

Mr Edward Vaizey

In May, Arts Council England (ACE) announced they will increase the percentage of Lottery funding distributed outside London from 70% to 75% by the end of 2018; and invest over £35 million in the Ambition for Excellence fund – over £31 million of which will be spent outside London. There continues to be a shift in spending on National Portfolio funding away from London. In London, £26.02 is spent per head in 2015/16 – compared with £29.74 in 2009/10, when the Hon Member’s constituents in Yorkshire received £8.00 per head, compared with £10.93 this year.

The table outlines ACE investment by region, and spend per head in 2015/16:

2015-16 YTD	TOTAL	Spend per head
East	£35,558,838	£5.91
East Midlands	£28,393,349	£6.12
London	£222,182,958	£26.02
North East	£34,153,682	£13.04
North West	£65,878,044	£9.24
South East	£45,263,359	£5.10
South West	£45,805,668	£8.45
West Midlands	£70,442,158	£12.33
Yorkshire	£58,586,846	£10.93

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the actual or potential conflicts of interest declared by the Pubs Code Adjudicator, Mr Paul Newby, prior to his appointment.

Anna Soubry

The appointment panel satisfied itself there were no conflicts of interest when they made recommendations to Ministers. In due course and as is usual practice, the Adjudicator’s office will publish a register of interests.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2016 to Question 30689, when his Department plans to publish the declaration of actual or potential conflicts of interest made by Paul Newby for the role of Pubs Code Adjudicator.

Anna Soubry

The appointment panel satisfied itself there were no conflicts of interest when they made recommendations to ministers in relation to the appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

The Department does not intend to publish any information provided by candidates during this appointment process.

In due course and as is usual practice, the Adjudicator’s office will publish a register of interests.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-08.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) Post Transaction Valuation and (b) Pay As You Earn healthcare requests were made to HM Revenue and Customs’ Shares and Assets Valuation team in (i) the 2015-16 tax year and (ii) previous tax years for which figures are available.

Mr David Gauke

The figures below show the requests received by HM Revenue and Customs Shares and Assets Valuation in the last four tax years. Figures are also given for the total number of Post Transaction Valuation checks and those relating to the recently withdrawn income tax checks.

	PAYE healthcheck	Total Post Transaction Valuation Check	Income Tax Post Transaction Valuation Check
2015-16	39	1441	558
2014-15	48	1517	586
2013-14	69	1502	606
2012-13	71	1792	727

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34222, on the humanitarian situation in Madaya, what estimate she has made of the number of civilian deaths due to blocked medical evacuations.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK condemns the blockage of medical evacuations from hard to reach and besieged areas inside Syria, which has led to unnecessary death and suffering. In March 2016, for example, three children and a young man in Madaya and al-Wa’er died after having their evacuations rejected by the parties restricting access to these towns. Access to healthcare and medical treatment is a fundamental human right protected under international law.

Some progress is being made. For example, we are pleased by UN reports that nearly 500 people were evacuated for medical reasons from besieged areas on 20 April.

However, more needs to be done to provide for all those in need in Syria. The UK is pressing for an end to the removal of medical equipment from convoys by the regime, the evacuation of critical medical cases and regular access to healthcare for besieged populations. We will continue to use our position in the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group to draw attention to the atrocities being carried out in Syria and press for urgent action, while maintaining the pressure for a political settlement to bring the suffering of the Syrian people to an end.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance is issued to family court judges on Parental Alienation syndrome and implacable hostility.

Caroline Dinenage

Guidance on Parental Alienation Syndrome is not issued to family court judges as the ‘syndrome’ is not recognised as such by many professionals in this country.

The Children Act 1989 contains adequate provisions to protect against the effects of parental alienation or implacable hostility. These include the requirement for the court to ascertain the wishes and feelings of a child who is the subject of a parental dispute, commensurate with that child’s age and level of understanding and the power to request Cafcass to prepare a welfare report into any matters relevant to the child or the family.

Cafcass practitioners are aware of the potential for children to be influenced or alienated by parental views and are alert to this possibility throughout the case.