Tag: Helen Goodman

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding the Government has committed to provide to (a) projects and (b) the government in Bahrain in each financial year from 2015-16 to 2019-20.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We support Bahrain’s ambitious reform programmes and will provide in the region of £2.1 million of funding in support of projects aimed at strengthening human rights and the rule of law in 2015-16. The allocations for subsequent financial years to 2019/20 have not yet been agreed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of how many museums and galleries charged for entry in (a) 2005 and (b) 2010; and what estimate his Department has made of how many museums and galleries plan to introduce such charges in 2016.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Thanks to an excellent Spending Review settlement in November 2015 – the Government is honouring its manifesto commitment to keep entry to the permanent collections of our national museums free.

Through the Arts Council England, DCMS is increasing funding for major partner museums to £22.6 million to enable greater regional spending. In addition to this, regional museums can bid for funds from ACE’s £10 million per year Resilience Fund. We are also investing millions of pounds to boost local and regional museums – for example, £5 million towards a new South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum and £2.5 million to the Manchester Museum of Science andIndustry.

Spend on DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries was £389.7 million in 2014/15. In 2005 spend was £397.4 million and in 2010 it was £474.7 million. The Heritage Lottery Fund is also a major source of support to museums. To date, HLF has supported a total of 38,000 projects with £6.6 billion across the UK with around one third of this being allocated to museums, including support for capital projects, acquisitions and skills development.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which of the countries listed in the Human Rights and Democracy Report have been highlighted as lacking respect for conscientious objection; and what representations he has made to his counterpart in each such country on this matter.

Mr David Lidington

The UK Government recognises that conscientious objection can be regarded as a human right under Article 18 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights. The UK co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on conscientious objection to military service in 2013. It is important that all states live up to their international obligations to protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The UK Government does not specifically monitor respect for conscientious objection in individual countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many people in supported housing specifically designated for (a) disabled people, (b) victims of domestic violence, (c) people with substance misuse problems and (d) others will be affected by the change in housing benefit to the Shared Accommodation Rate.

Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-03-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people he assumed would use the Lifetime ISA in order to estimate the cost to the Exchequer of that policy.

Harriett Baldwin

The Lifetime ISA is a voluntary product. For further information on the costing of this policy, please see page 9 of the Budget 2015 Policy Costings document: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508147/PU1912_Policy_Costings_FINAL3.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Chinese government on the safety of British journalists working in China.

Mr Hugo Swire

We remain concerned by the harassment and detention of journalists in China. We continue to urge the Chinese authorities to respect and protect freedom of expression and association, in line with its constitution and the international frameworks to which China is a party. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised this issue with the Chinese Foreign Minister earlier this year. Specifically, he expressed his disappointment at the unacceptable treatment of journalists, including those from the UK, outside the court during the trial of Pu Zhiqiang. I raised the same issue with Vice Minister Cheng Fengxiang, of the Chinese Communist Party International Liaison Department, in December 2015. The latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights report highlights further concerns over the treatment of some journalists in China (including foreign journalists).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for claimants of universal credit to receive their first payment.

Damian Hinds

The information you have requested is not currently quality assured for release.

We hope to be able to release data on this later this year after it has been quality assured.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Natura 2000 scheme will be continued.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Whilst we are still a member of the EU we will continue to implement the Habitats and Birds Directives, including management of the Natura 2000 network of European sites.

We are committed to protecting vulnerable species and habitats and to being the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than that in which we found it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with officials of the Egyptian government on the killings in Rabaa in June 2013.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK Government was deeply concerned by the clearance of the sit-ins on 14 August 2013, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protestors and a number of police officers. We raised our concerns with the Egyptian Government at the highest levels, as well as in the EU Foreign Affairs Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council. The then Foreign Secretary, Lord Hague of Richmond, issued a statement at the time of the violence, in which he condemned the use of force in clearing protests in Egypt and called on the security forces to act with restraint. I personally raised this issue with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on 9 September 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to begin the ratification process of the December 2015 Paris Agreement.

Mr Nick Hurd

An explanatory memorandum initiating the UK’s domestic approval of the Agreement was laid on 7^th October 2016 with a view to completing the domestic procedures that will enable ratification before the end of the year.