Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government’s policies of the recognition of acts constituting genocide in the European Parliament’s Resolution, Systematic mass murder of religious minorities by ISIS, agreed on 4 February 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    European Parliament resolutions are not binding and do not create legal obligations on member states.

    It is the long-standing policy of successive governments that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred should be a matter for the international judicial system rather than governments or other non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations of International Humanitarian Law, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.

    Ultimately, the best way of preventing future atrocities is to defeat Daesh and its violent ideology. That’s why the UK is playing a leading role in a Global Coalition of more than 65 countries and international organisations to respond to Daesh’s inhumanity.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how much and what proportion of the total budget for UN peacekeeping was spent in support of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in each of the last six years.

    James Duddridge

    The table below sets out how much the UN General Assembly allocated to the gross budget for the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for the last six UN budget years (which run from 1 July to 30 June); the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus net budget, following the deduction of voluntary contributions from the Governments of Cyprus and Greece; how much the total UN Peacekeeping Budget was for each year; and the percentage of the UN Peacekeeping Budget allocated to UNFICYP’s gross budget. The UN budgets in US dollars, therefore all the figures below are in that currency.

    UN budget year

    UNFICYP budget (gross)

    UNFICYP budget (net)

    Total UN Peacekeeping Budget

    Percentage of UN Peacekeeping Budget allocated to UNFICYP’s gross budget

    2015/16

    55,139,400

    31,027,967

    8,256,758,900

    0.67

    2014/15

    62,531,500

    36,082,233

    8,510,143,233

    0.73

    2013/14

    58,514,200

    33,332,866

    7,901,248,366

    0.74

    2012/13

    56,968,200

    32,251,867

    7,364,983,850

    0.77

    2011/12

    60,121,200

    34,506,933

    7,835,339,630

    0.77

    2010/11

    59,759,200

    34,304,608

    7,823,615,600

    0.76
  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of including representatives from the Department for International Development in discussions and representation at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference that will take place in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK will send a delegation to the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to combat discrimination and violence against LGB&T people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. DFID is assessing the benefits of including representatives from the department at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference through discussion with key lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB&T) organisations and with other government departments. The Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference will provide an opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGB&T people worldwide.

  • Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the rollout of superfast broadband in (a) Warwick and (b) the Warwick and Leamington constituency.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Current estimates suggest that almost 90% of premises in the Warwick and Leamington constituency are subject to commercial rollout, and a further 5% of premises (2,369) now have coverage as a result of the Government’s Superfast Broadband programme.

    Based on DCMS modelled estimates and current delivery plans, 96% of premises in the Warwick and Leamington constituency will have access to superfast broadband by December 2017. Early gainshare funding that BT will return in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, could help extend coverage further.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving television from broadcast spectrum to other delivery mechanisms.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The most recent assessment was made by the independent regulator, Ofcom, in their report: The Future of Free to View TV (May 2014). This is a fast moving market and as it evolves, the Government will keep these issues under review.

    Detailed spectrum planning is a matter for Ofcom.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many institutions in England (a) held and (b) were granted taught degree awarding powers in each year since 2006.

    Joseph Johnson

    Based on the information available to us, there were 103 institutions in England that held taught degree awarding powers in 2006. The number of such awards in each year since then is as follows:

    2007 – 7

    2008 – 2

    2009 – 6

    2010 – 0

    2011 – 0

    2012 – 3

    2013 – 1

    2014 – 2

    2015 – 3

    2016 – 3 (as of 5 September 2016)

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of all of his Department’s assessments of security contracts funded by his Department in Bahrain.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​These programmes are routinely monitored and evaluated on a quarterly basis to ensure that they are on track for delivery. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides updates on its programme work in its annual Human Rights reports.

    All FCO programmes that support security reform are carefully considered in line with Her Majesty’s Government’s Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance in order to assess and mitigate human rights risks. Our assistance is specifically designed to assist the Government of Bahrain improve human rights standards and strengthen the rule of law.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland.

    Mike Penning

    Since 20 May 2015, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has been operating with full powers in Northern Ireland. As the NCA reported to the Northern Ireland Policing Board on 01 October 2015, the scope of NCA’s crime-fighting capability within the jurisdiction has increased. During the period April-June 2015, the NCA recorded 26 disruptions against organised crime groups and high priority threats operating in Northern Ireland. The NCA has worked in partnership with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the support that the NCA provides law enforcement partners, particularly the PSNI has been enhanced.

    The NCA is committed to playing its role in tackling serious and organised crime in Northern Ireland. The NCA will be fully engaged in delivering the commitment outlined in ‘A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’ to undertake a concerted and enhanced effort to combat serious and organised and cross border crime.

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 10 December (HL3975), what was the increase in demand they assumed and modelled for social care year on year for each year between 2015 and 2020.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    To model the increased demographic demand on state funded adult social care the Department commissioned modelling from the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU). PSSRU’s analysis is currently in the process of being peer reviewed prior to publication.

  • Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on (a) the nature of the Government’s consultation on the proposed Bill of Rights and associated measures and (b) ensuring that that timing does not overlap with the period of the purdah of the Scottish Government or the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament.

    David Mundell

    I meet with Cabinet colleagues and other ministers regularly to discuss a wide range of matters. We are committed to consulting fully on our proposals prior to the introduction of any legislation and we will announce further details in due course.