Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of legislative proposals in the Trade Union Bill on the finances of the Labour Party.

    Nick Boles

    The proposals in the Bill are not about party funding. The Trade Union Bill is about employment and industrial relations. We are introducing a greater level of transparency into union activities by requiring union members to make an active decision to contribute to a union’s political fund.

    If union members want a political fund, this will not necessarily lead to a reduction in the funds available. Therefore no assessment has been made in relation to the impact on the finances of any political party.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what contingency arrangements her Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

    Nick Gibb

    I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to question 21952 by my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister on 14 January.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are bound to consult or seek the approval of Parliament before undertaking aircraft or drone air strikes in Libya.

    Earl Howe

    The Government is committed to the convention that, before UK troops are committed to conflict, Parliament should have an opportunity to debate the matter except when there is an emergency and such action would not be appropriate.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take following the demolition by Israel of the only school in the Abu al-Nuwaar community near the town of al-Eizariya in the occupied West Bank.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Whilst we have not raised this particular demolition with the Israeli authorities, our position is clear: demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and are, in all but the most exceptional of cases, contrary to international humanitarian law. We regularly raise the issue of demolitions with our Israeli counterparts.

  • Lord Mancroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Mancroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the objectives of the hepatitis C improvement framework can still be achieved.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has been rapidly working on their plans for access to treatment during 2016/17 following enactment of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technical appraisal guidance and has committed to produce an operational framework for the treatment of hepatitis C during 2016/17. This will set out NHS England’s commitment to improving outcomes in hepatitis C across England.

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many small and medium-sized businesses were direct suppliers to his Department during the years (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Small businesses are an important source of innovation and flexibility, as both direct and indirect suppliers, to meet our defence and security requirements. The estimated number of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) directly supplying the Ministry of Defence (MOD) during financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 is provided below. The figures for 2015-16 are not yet available.

    MOD Direct Expenditure with SMEs

    Estimated Number of SME Suppliers

    2013-14

    7,000

    2014-15

    5,400

    The MOD spent 19.4% (direct and indirect) of its procurement budget with SMEs in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. The MOD has a new 25% target for SME procurement spend by 2020.

    The information has been taken from the Department’s published Official Statistics on Trade, Industry and Contracts which summarises MOD contracting with industry. Further information about MOD expenditure with SMEs is available on the Gov.UK website at the respective links:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2015 and https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2014

    The MOD does not hold information on the number of SMEs providing indirect supplies through the supply chain.

    “

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which languages to what level members of the 77th Brigade speak.

    Penny Mordaunt

    77th Brigade does not specifically select personnel for language capability. However, personnel within the brigade hold 59 ‘standard level profile’ (GCSE – to master’s degree level) qualifications in languages including Dari, Pashtu, Russian and Urdu. Some personnel hold more than one of these qualifications.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many key stage 1 children in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire were in classes of more than (i) 30 and (ii) 35 children in the academic year beginning September 2015.

    Nick Gibb

    I refer the Hon. Member to the reply given in PQ 41627 on 6 July 2016.

  • James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cleverly on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent engagement his Department has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat over the efficient and transparent expenditure of funds received from the public purse.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Through regular attendance at meetings of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Executive Committee (ExCo) and Board of Governors (of which we are a member), the UK is fully engaged to ensure that UK funds are allocated and spent in an efficient and transparent manner. ExCo meets three times a year to review papers, including the budget, which is presented to the Board of Governors at its annual meeting. The role of ExCo is to receive and review reports from the Secretariat on the operations of individual funds; oversee budgets and audit functions; make policy recommendations to the Board of Governors with respect to the individual funds; and make recommendations, as appropriate, on any matter referred to it by the Board of Governors.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to support poor communities overseas to tackle the effects of climate change.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Climate change is one of the most serious threats we face, not just to the environment, but to our economic prosperity, poverty eradication and global security, hitting developing countries the hardest. The Government is committed to combatting the effects of climate change, and supporting the world’s poorest to become more resilient to the effects of a changing climate and to take the clean energy path to growth and prosperity.

    The Government has committed to substantially increase the amount of funding we are providing through the International Climate Fund (ICF) to help the most vulnerable countries protect themselves from the effects of climate change. The UK’s money for climate activities will be increased by at least 50%, to a further £5.8 billion of funding from April 2016 to March 2021, including £1.76bn in 2020, from within the existing ODA budget.

    Whilst the details of how this new funding will be allocated are still being decided, our support so far has already reached many people and communities, and the UK government stands by our aim to spend 50% of the ICF on adaptation. The ICF to date has helped 15 million adapt, and given 2.6 million people improved access to clean energy. For example, through my Department’s support for the GET FiT programme in Uganda we are helping to create reliable sources of clean energy to support households, businesses and communities which in turn improves the communities’ health and education, and enables businesses to grow. Our investment in the ICF demonstrates Britain’s role in combating climate change and in creating a safer and more prosperous future for us all.