Tag: Maria Eagle

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department’s budget arising from the Government’s decision not to automatically roll-out broadband to all households and businesses.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government’s plans to implement a broadband Universal Service Obligation will have no impact on the Department’s budget for the roll out of superfast broadband. The contracts we have put in place with Openreach mean that the more homes and businesses that sign up for superfast broadband, the more money Openreach has to return to local authorities to extend the roll out even further. So far, Openreach has confirmed more than £200 million of savings that can be reinvested, over and above the £1.7bn of public funding already allocated, and we expect more funding to be confirmed in due course. We will be reinvesting that funding to extend superfast broadband to as many additional rural homes and businesses as possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has of future provision of post-16 education provision in Knowsley Metropolitan Borough; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Halfon

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough is included in the Liverpool City Region (LCR) area review, and is represented on the steering group by the LCR Combined Authority. The first meeting of the steering group was held on 12 May, and we expect the review to conclude in October 2016. The LCR review will include an assessment of post-16 education in each of the local authorities covered by the review, including Knowsley Metropolitan Borough.

Area reviews are aimed at delivering a further education system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with colleagues in other Departments about the national security implications of Chinese state involvement in the UK’s domestic nuclear operations.

Michael Fallon

I have regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues on national security matters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to make any further changes to the definition of defence expenditure in calculating the proportion of GDP spent on defence in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

Michael Fallon

The NATO definition of defence expenditure is outlined in NATO guidance. NATO determines when changes to that guidance are required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many locally-employed Afghan interpreters who worked alongside the British Army have (a) approached the Government for help and (b) been resettled in the UK under his Department’s intimidation policy.

Penny Mordaunt

Since June 2013 around 330 locally employed staff have approached our dedicated team in Kabul for assistance under the Government’s Intimidation Policy. As the Intimidation Policy is open to all staff, regardless of their role, not all of these staff are interpreters: they carried out a variety of roles in support of our operation in Afghanistan. All cases are investigated thoroughly by experienced and trained police officers, in the majority the risk can be successfully mitigated in country, through provision of bespoke security advice and guidance to the former staff member. We consider relocation to the UK if it is assessed the individual would not be safe if they remained in Afghanistan. We have offered financial support to over 30 staff to move to a new location within Afghanistan to maintain their safety, and one former staff member has been relocated to the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many locally employed Afghan interpreters who worked alongside the British Army have (a) approached the Government for help under the ex-gratia redundancy scheme and (b) been relocated to the UK under the ex-gratia redundancy scheme.

Penny Mordaunt

Some 840 former local Afghan staff are eligible for the Ex Gratia Redundancy Scheme, of which nearly 500 are eligible for the relocation option. Of these, nearly 200 have already relocated to the UK along with their immediate families. A further 60 have been awarded visas and are due to relocate in the coming months. The remainder are either going through the visa application process or are yet to be made redundant.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the first Type 26 frigate will be ready for service.

Mr Philip Dunne

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2015 to Question number 8460 to the hon. Member for Glasgow South West (Chris Stephens).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made by the UK and its Coalition Partners on disrupting the ability of ISIS to raise significant funds through oil revenues; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt

The Coalition’s initial approach to disrupting ISIL’s ability to raise funds from oil revenues was to seek to destroy modular oil refineries. However, ISIL has adapted to this and is now using low technology refining methods and changing the way it trades hydrocarbon products.

The UK and its Coalition partners are now concentrating on oil smuggling and the ability of ISIL to keep its production facilities functioning.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full-time staff are based in the Kabul Intimidation Investigation Unit; and what the roles of those staff are.

Penny Mordaunt

The Intimidation Investigation Unit (IIU), based in Kabul, has six full time, in-theatre staff:

A Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servant leads the team as the Scheme Manager, overseeing the investigation of intimidation cases, presenting cases at decision panels, and managing any policy issues which arise.

Another MOD civil servant, employed as the Policy and Secretariat Officer, manages the overall caseload appropriately and ensures that case records are maintained.

Two appropriately trained and experienced police officers, seconded from Home Office constabularies, are employed to conduct the investigations into intimidation claims. Their tasks include conducting interviews and assessing evidence.

Two British military interpreters, fluent in Pashtun and Dari, who provide support to interviews and translate documents that have been provided as evidence.

Though not members of the IIU staff, the IIU receives additional in-theatre support from a Danish legal adviser, and from staff within the Labour Support Unit.

The work of the IIU in-theatre is overseen by the Operation TORAL Civil Secretary, who dedicates the majority of their time to chairing the in-theatre decision panels and provides guidance should cases or issues need to be escalated.

Additional support is provided from the UK by a full-time policy officer based at Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), and by senior managers within PJHQ who oversee the whole of Operation TORAL.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons retired and out-of-date equipment, including FH70 howitzers and Jet Provost aircraft, were included in his Department’s Defence in Numbers publication of August 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable or used for training (for example Jet Provost) or ceremonial (for example FH70 howitzers) purposes.