Tag: Nicholas Soames

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries’ citizens (a) may and (b) may not enter the UK without a visa.

James Brokenshire

Appendix 2 to Appendix V of the Immigration Rules – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor-rules – sets out those countries or territorial entities whose nationals or citizens need a visa in advance of travel to the UK for any purpose. Nationals or citizens of countries or territories that are not included in paragraph 1(a) of Appendix 2 do not need a visa in advance of travel to the UK as a visitor or for any other purpose for less than six months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent from the public purse on the payment of social security benefits to non-UK citizens in each non-European Economic Area country for each year from 1997-98 to 2014-15.

Priti Patel

The full information requested is not held centrally.

The Department for Work and Pensions checks the nationality and immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud. While this information is used, it is not recorded as part of the benefit payment administrative systems.

Benefit Expenditure and Caseload tables are published on Gov.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474453/expenditure-by-country-and-region-2014-15.xlsx

Please note that these figures include a breakdown for UK regions and a combined figure for expenditure abroad or where the region is unknown. Expenditure is not broken down by nationality.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) volume and (b) value of (i) raw milk, (ii) butter, (iii) cheese, (iv) cream and (v) condensed milk was imported in each year from 1995-96 to 2014-15.

George Eustice

The information requested is set out in the tables attached.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.64 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, how she plans to make £600 million savings from the Education Services Grant; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah

Savings of £600 million will be made by reducing the Education Services Grant (ESG), including phasing out the additional funding that goes to schools and local authorities. We will be making a small efficiency saving (around £80 million) from the ESG in 2016-17, and will be setting out our proposals for savings from 2017-18 in the New Year. This will include consulting on the details of the statutory duties that will be removed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, under which circumstances Southern Railway’s franchise would be withdrawn.

Claire Perry

Schedule 10.2 of the TSGN Franchise Agreement (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488198/tsgn-franchise-agreement.pdf p.506) specifies how this franchise can be terminated by the Department.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what countries take part in Flag Officer Sea Training courses for surface ships and submarines.

Penny Mordaunt

Each year, a number of countries participate in training with Flag Officer Sea Training. In 2015, the following 58 countries undertook training: Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Malta, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Somaliland, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Vietnam and Yemen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to facilitate the development of an improved labelling code in the UK.

George Eustice

The Food Information Regulations (No. 1855) were introduced in 2014 and has resulted in better and more consistent labelling of food in a number of areas, including allergen labelling, ingredients labelling and, from the end of this year, nutrition labelling.

Origin labelling is also improved by these Regulations with new rules on origin labelling of meat of poultry, sheep, goat and pigs introduced in April last year. In addition, we look forward to prospective implementing acts on origin labelling of ingredients of foods, including meat and dairy, where this is different from the place that the food itself was made. The Government is fully engaged in these discussions and expects them to result in improved labelling of meat and dairy products in due course.

We have been pressing for mandatory origin labelling on dairy products, in particular lightly processed dairy products such as butter, cheese and cream but have met with some resistance from the European Commission. We will continue to press for these improvements.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many doctors have (a) commenced and (b) finished their training in each of the last five years.

Ben Gummer

The table provides figures on a United Kingdom basis for the number of trainees entering further training at Foundation Year 1 (F1) for the last 5 years. However, it should be noted that not all doctors commence their training in the UK at F1, and an accurate figure for these is not available.

2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16
7,314	7,257	7,330	7,678	7,478

The General Medical Council (GMC) issue Certificates of Completion of Training (CCT) to doctors who complete a full GMC approved speciality training programme. The UK figures for the last five years available from the GMC are:

2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
6,211	6,406	6,222	6,429	6,888

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what he plans the size of the Frigate fleet will be in 2025.

Mr Philip Dunne

The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review announced that we will maintain our fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers whilst also conducting a concept phase for the design and build of a new class of lighter, flexible general purpose frigate so that by the 2030s there is potential to increase the total number of frigates and destroyers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the operation and governance of the South East Coast Ambulance Service.

Jane Ellison

Monitor, the then independent regulator of National Health Service foundation trusts announced on 28 October 2015 that it was taking action against South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust after the trust ran a project between December 2014 and February 2015 that increased how long some patients were waiting for ambulances.

Monitor’s requirements included the development of three reviews; the first was a forensic review of the project itself which was undertaken by Deloitte and the report was subsequently published on 15 March 2016; the second was a wider governance review, and the third a comprehensive patient impact study which is subject to a separate, clinically-led independent review currently underway. This review is due to be concluded this summer and published in due course.

Monitor used its regulatory powers to secure the appointment of Sir Peter Dixon as the new interim chair at the trust, following the resignation of its Chair Tony Thorne on 15 March 2015.

From 1 April 2016 Monitor became part of NHS Improvement who has confirmed that it is providing constructive challenge to the foundation trust on the content of an agreed action plan and continues to hold the trust board to account for delivery of that plan via usual regulatory meetings.