Tag: Matthew Offord

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the additional capabilities the Joint Force 2025 will provide to the armed forces.

Penny Mordaunt

Joint Force 2025 is about rebalancing our Armed Forces to strengthen the front line and maintain our military advantage. It will ensure that the Armed Forces are able to tackle a wider range of more sophisticated potential adversaries.

Joint Force 2025 will be able to deploy a larger force more quickly or undertake a large number of smaller operations simultaneously and will include enhanced Counter Terrorism capabilities; more fighter jet squadrons; new Protector armed remotely piloted aircraft; Maritime Patrol Aircraft; increased Carrier capability and readily deployable STRIKE brigades. Joint Force 2025 will also benefit from greater investment in new areas of capability such as cyber and space.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of the firing of two long-range missiles from the Alborz mountain range by Iran.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Reports that Iran has test launched two long-range missiles are of deep concern. Such activity is inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and we are writing to the UN Security Council to request a report into the tests. We urge Iran to refrain from further tests.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimates his Department has received for the cost of refurbishing the pier head at Ascension Island.

James Duddridge

Ascension Island Government has embarked on a project to assess and cost potential improvements to the pier head. I take all matters relating to piers seriously.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will amend the criteria by which some students without permanent residence may be entitled to a student loan to reflect the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of R v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (2015) UKSC 57.

Joseph Johnson

On 16 September 2015 the Department published details of an interim policy in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling of 29 July 2015 (on the application of Tigere) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (respondent) 2015 UKSC57.

We intend to consult shortly on amending the relevant Regulations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of recent progress of the international coalition to tackle Daesh.

Penny Mordaunt

The Global Coalition is making good progress against Daesh in Iraq. Over 30% of the territory that Daesh took in 2014 has been re-taken. The Iraqi security forces have substantially cleared Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, and are working to make the area safe for displaced people to return. Further north, Kurdish forces have driven Daesh from the Sinjar area. In Syria, the Coalition is continuing to strike Daesh economic targets, including oilfields where we judge that recent strikes on its illicit oil industry have reduced Daesh’s revenues by some 10%.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on the procurement of ASP batons.

Mike Penning

Decisions about the procurement of equipment for the police, including batons, are for chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners locally. The Home Office supports forces working together to improve the value for money obtained from procurement by agreeing common specifications and aggregating their purchasing power. Suitably trained Border Force staff may be issued with collapsible batons. The Home Office requires Border Force to procure those batons through a Crown Commercial Service contract. The batons supplied are not the ASP brand.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to include best practice bio security and waste management requirement clauses in the next contract for the Pitcairn Islands supply ship.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The tender for the Pitcairn Islands supply ship is currently underway and best practice bio security and waste management requirement clauses will be included in the agreed contract.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce localised painted symbols on the highway to make motorists aware of the Dart Charge payment scheme.

Andrew Jones

Road charging symbols were introduced on the 5^th November 2015 on each of the lanes both northbound and southbound at the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing. Work continues to paint road charging symbols on both carriageways of the A282 and this is due to be completed, subject to weather conditions, on 13 December 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contribution the armed forces are making to the international coalition to tackle Daesh.

Penny Mordaunt

Around 1,000 British personnel are directly contributing to the counter-Daesh coalition. RAF Tornado, Typhoon and Reaper aircraft are carrying out strike and reconnaissance missions against Daesh over Syria and Iraq, together with C130, Voyager and Sentinel aircraft. In Iraq, UK troops are also delivering counter-IED training to the Iraqi (including Kurdish) security forces together with other infantry skills, weapons maintenance and combat medical techniques as well as providing a key contribution at Coalition HQs throughout the region.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that ex-offenders are helped into work or education upon the completion of their sentence.

Caroline Dinenage

We want prisons to be places of hard work, rigorous education and high ambition, with incentives for prisoners to learn and for prison staff to prioritise education and employment opportunities.

We already work with a wide range of employers in prison through One3One Solutions and engagement by Prison Governors. But we want Governors to do more so we are putting the tools to drive this change in the hands of those at the frontline who best know what works.

We are keen to increase the number of employers who can provide valuable vocational work for offenders while in prison and who are able to offer them support in preparation for release and employment opportunities following their release. I regularly meet businesses across the country, to encourage them to get involved and new businesses are now coming on board as a consequence. The Employers Forum for Reducing Reoffending brings together employers willing to employ offenders and provides a range of advice and support to new employers considering working with offenders and provides business to business mentoring to members of the Forum. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the involvement of more businesses. The Prime Minister has also announced changes to recruitment practises across the civil service to ensure that people are considered on their merits and not on their criminal conviction and we want to encourage more employers to do the same.

Separately, the Secretary of State for Justice has commissioned a review of prison education led by Dame Sally Coates.