Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on progress in the Eastern African mediation process in relation to the crisis in Burundi; and if he will make a statement.

    James Duddridge

    As I stated in the adjournment debate on Human Rights in Burundi on 5 May 2016, I spoke to former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa on 4 May. We agreed that the only route to a lasting solution lies in an inclusive political process. I gave him the UK’s full support in his role as the facilitator of the dialogue established by the East African Community. I am encouraged by indications that talks will begin on 21 May. President Mkapa is using the intervening period to bring more people to the table and to have more bilateral discussions before the talks themselves happen. I will keep the house updated.

    It is essential that all parties, including those who have now left Burundi, are part of the engagement and peace process. I intend to phone and write to the Burundian Foreign Minister before 21 May to call on the Government of Burundi to come together with all participants and to allow them to come to Arusha so that the talks can commence.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to non-governmental organisations which receive funding from her Department on senior management salaries in those organisations.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    The National Council for Voluntary Organisations, backed by the Charity Commission, has encouraged more transparency on pay issues and introduced new pay guidelines. DFID Ministers have consistently demanded that NGOs are transparent and open with donors and the public.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Chuka Umunna – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many citizens of other EU countries work in his Department.

    Mr Robin Walker

    The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and we are still growing rapidly. The overall size and scope of the new department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with the task at hand.

    As a new Department we do not yet hold diversity data for all of its staff but will be collecting this in line with standard Civil Service practice.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to delay publication of their response to the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group until they have met representatives of the herbal profession to discuss the outcome of that report.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government does not intend to delay publication of its response. The Report on the Regulation of Herbal Medicines and Practitioners is Professor Walker’s independent advice to Government. Prominent members of the herbals sector were members of the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group and, as the Report acknowledges, this advice was informed by the input of this Group.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from which countries the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme accepts UNHCR referrals.

    Richard Harrington

    We work closely with the UNHCR to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement. We take refugees that UNHCR have referred from the region, from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. This provides refugees with a more direct and safe route to the UK, rather than risking the hazardous journey to Europe.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps he is taking to provide crèche services for the children of hon. Members.

    Tom Brake

    Following consultation with Members, a nursery model of childcare was determined as best fulfilling their needs and the needs of the children. The Nursery opened in 2010. A crèche would need to be separate from the nursery, and would require appropriate accommodation. The Nursery Governance Committee discussed this at its meeting in October 2015 and was not persuaded of the case for a crèche.

    However, I am sure that the Commission would welcome fuller consideration of the case for such services, and of an appropriate funding model.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions the Clean Growth Committee has met to discuss air quality to date; and who attended each such meeting.

    Rory Stewart

    The inter-ministerial group on Clean Growth meets as and when required and its members include ministers and officials from the relevant departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to apply for an extension to the exemption to the European Regulation 181/2011/EU for drivers from the requirement for disability awareness training for personnel of carriers and terminal managing bodies after March 2017.

    Andrew Jones

    Positive interaction between drivers and disabled passengers can be key to giving many people the confidence to travel by bus, and so I welcome the industry’s continuing efforts to deliver effective disability awareness training within the Certificate of Professional Competence.

    Regulation 181/2011 will make such training compulsory for all drivers when the present five year exemption ends in February 2018. The exemption cannot be renewed beyond this date but we are working with bus operators to ensure they have the tools to deliver meaningful training, meeting the needs of drivers and disabled passengers alike.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with HM Chief Inspector of Schools about the performance of free schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Secretary of State meets with Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools regularly to discuss a wide range of issues including the performance of free schools.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the target response times are for ambulances responding to C1 and C2 incidents.

    Jane Ellison

    Category C1 and category C2 are terms used by London Ambulance Service to describe the first two categories of green calls.

    Green calls are lower acuity calls where there is still a need for an ambulance, but in slower time scales than life-threatening or more urgent calls. They are usually split into four categories and the response times for these are agreed and set locally.

    Data on green call performance is not centrally held.