Tag: Matthew Offord

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the level of vehicular noise on the M1 passing Mill Hill town.

Andrew Jones

In response to the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provided noise maps for transport sources such as roads, which identify noise ‘Important Areas’, the most seriously affected locations. Those which are located next to the trunk road and motorway network in England are required to be investigated by Highways England.

Between the A41 near Apex Corner and M1 junction 2 in the Mill Hill area, four locations on the M1 have been identified as being noise ‘Important Areas’. Highways England are continuing investigations into these sites, including a study at a location opposite Mill Hill Broadway station to see if a noise barrier is practical here, which is expected to be completed by March 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of a possible deal to unify Cyprus.

Mr David Lidington

The Government is a strong supporter of the UN-facilitated settlement process, and will do whatever we can to help. On 19 November the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge, visited Cyprus and met President Anastasiades and Mr Akinci, commending both for their courageous leadership and urging them to take the bold steps needed to secure a historic agreement. As the Secretary of State said last week, there now exists a ‘real opportunity’ to end four decades of division on the island.

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 potential effect of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on the future size and power of the armed forces.

Michael Fallon

By 2025 we will have a highly capable expeditionary force of around 50,000. Joint Force 2025 will enable our Armed Forces to project power, deploy quickly and for longer periods and make the best use of new technology. We are investing in our front line by spending £178 billion over the next decade on equipment. We have committed to protecting the size of the Armed Forces by increasing the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force by a total of 700 personnel and not reducing the Army below 82,000.