Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan.

    James Duddridge

    The UK Government is not directly involved in the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan. However, the British Council has previously sought to increase the awareness and appreciation of Sudan’s cultural heritage, including its cultural sites, amongst Sudanese youth. In addition, the British Museum has long-been involved in the archaeology of Sudan, including the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan, often with the support of the British Council.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were employed by NHS Protect at each Civil Service pay grade in each year since 2010.

    George Freeman

    NHS Protect co-ordinates anti-crime work in the National Health Service in England. This not only includes investigations and prosecutions but also managing information and intelligence and, wherever possible, ensuring crime is deterred and prevented.

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Number of NHS Protect prosecutions

    105

    41

    18

    7

    16

    9

    Note:

    1. Not all prosecutions relate to cases where the investigation commenced in the year shown as complex investigations may take more than one year to conclude and, if appropriate, prosecute.

    NHS Protect staff are employed on NHS Agenda for Change terms and conditions and the following table shows the number of NHS Protect staff by NHS pay scales.

    Number of NHS Protect staff by grade

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Band 3

    3

    2

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Band 4

    22

    17

    13

    15

    16

    15

    Band 5

    23

    34

    28

    30

    30

    30

    Band 6

    11

    0

    0

    1

    1

    2

    Band 7

    106

    87

    78

    78

    85

    81

    Band 8a

    30

    32

    34

    34

    35

    30

    Band 8b

    13

    10

    11

    10

    10

    10

    Band 8c

    6

    5

    6

    6

    6

    3

    Band 8d

    1

    1

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Band 9

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Associates

    1

    1

    1

    2

    1

    1

    Total

    217

    190

    173

    178

    186

    174

    Note:

    1. Associates are clinical specialists employed to provide advice and guidance in their area of expertise.
  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36104, whether the Government (a) received a copy of Saudi Arabia’s inquiry into alleged breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen and (b) has encouraged Saudi Arabia to publish any findings of their investigations.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Saudi led Coalition Joint Investigations Assessment Team (JIAT) announced the outcome of eight investigations on 4 August. The outcome of these investigations are available to the public.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on religious freedom in Tibet; and whether he has received reports on expulsions of Buddhist students and the demolition of dwellings at the Larung Ghar Buddhist Institute in Sichuan province.

    Alok Sharma

    ​I refer my Hon. Friend to my answer of 18 October 2016 (PQ 48663). We are aware of, and concerned by, reports of the closure or demolition of churches and monasteries and that individuals are being harassed or detained for their beliefs across China. However, I am unable to comment in detail on the demolitions at Larung Gar, as British diplomats are not currently allowed to travel to the area, so my information is partial. Our Consulate General in Chongqing is seeking further information on the situation.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to ensure it works in partnership with businesses involved with wildlife issues to enhance public and private sector involvement in combating wildlife crime after March 2016.

    Rory Stewart

    We will continue to engage with all those with an interest in wildlife issues, including in tackling wildlife crime, as part of normal business and particularly through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime.

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which are the 27 sites where successful bids for funding have been made in the first wave of Starter Home projects on brownfield sites; in which local authorities those sites are situated; and in each case, what measures the funding will support, how much is being offered, and whether it is in the form of a grant or a loan.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    £8,063,561 in grant funding has been awarded to 18 local authorities for site preparation, including remediation, demolition, site investigation and/or ecological works on 27 suitable brownfield sites, that will go on to deliver the first wave of Starter Homes. Further detail on the sites, local authorities and amount of funding each will receive are set out in the attached table.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average time serving police borough commanders have been in post in London boroughs.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of police borough commanders in each London Borough, or the length of time that they have been in post. This information is likely to the held by the Metropolitan Police Force.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government uses the Food Insecurity Experience Scale survey to monitor UK households’ vulnerability to hunger.

    George Eustice

    Defra does not use the Food Insecurity Experience Scale survey to monitor UK households’ vulnerability to hunger.

    There is no single definition of food insecurity and Defra does not estimate numbers of households experiencing food insecurity. The factors that impact on household food security are complex. There are multiple indicators such as quality, variety and desirability of diet as well as total intake, not all of which are measured consistently. It is therefore very difficult and potentially misleading to develop a single classification of food insecurity.

    However Defra does publish statistics annually to show the proportion of household income spent on food by (a) all households and (b) the lowest income 20% of households. The most recent statistics are in the food statistics pocketbook 2015 on the GOV.UK website.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce medical experimentation on live animals in England.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office is responsible for regulating the use of live animals in scientific research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs) are at the core of project authorisation under this legislation. Furthermore, these principles also extend to breeding, accommodation and care of protected animals.

    Animals can only be used where no scientifically satisfactory, non-animal alternative exists which has been suitably validated. The number of animals used must be reduced to the minimum needed to achieve the results sought. For those animals which are used, procedures must be refined as much as possible to cause the minimum pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm.

    In addition the Home Office also works with the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) who work towards replacing, reducing and refining the use of animals in research. This has included projects such as CRACK IT which to date has invested over £15million with the aims to accelerate the availability of technologies which will deliver i) measurable 3Rs impacts, ii) new marketable products and iii) more efficient business processes.

  • Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the number of child benefit claims made for children living in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years; and what the estimated cost to the public was of such claims.

    Damian Hinds

    Around 7m people are receiving Child Benefit. To extract and collate the value of all payments made to EU migrants for children living outside the UK in the format requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    Information relating to the number of Child Benefit claims paid to families with children living overseas is available in the Government publication , “The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom’s special status in a reformed European Union”. This publication is available on Gov.uk

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-of-both-worlds-the-united-kingdoms-special-status-in-a-reformed-european-union

    The Government’s new settlement between the UK and the EU means that EU nationals whose children live abroad will ultimately receive Child Benefit at a rate that reflects the conditions – including the standard of living and child benefit paid – of the country where their child lives. This will restore fairness to the system.

    “