Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the humanitarian situation in Rakhine State in Burma.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    According to UN OCHA Rakhine is one of the least developed areas in Burma and has the highest poverty rate in the country. Inter-communal violence in 2012 led to the displacement of approximately 145,000 people and as of June 2016 some 120,000 internally displaced people remain in 39 camps or camp-like settings across Rakhine State. Prolonged displacement and ongoing movement restrictions constrain access to essential services like formal education, healthcare and livelihoods, and continue to cause increased vulnerability and a high level of dependency on humanitarian aid. Despite positive progress on establishing the Kofi Annan-led Rakhine Commission, there has not yet been an improvement in the humanitarian situation in Rakhine. DFID and UK Government officials continue to keep close track of the humanitarian situation in Rakhine and visit the region frequently. DFID Ministers raised the plight of the Rakhine and the rights of the Muslim community in meeting with the Burmese government on the most recent visit.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to assist and promote the UK video games industry in areas outside London.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The video games tax relief, launched in April 2014, is available to support video games productions based anywhere in the UK. Additionally, in October 2015 we launched our new £4m UK Games Fund to accelerate video games sector growth in all UK regions offering grants, mentoring and skills support for micro-businesses and SMEs. Of the first 24 successful grant applicants announced in February 2016, 18 were based outside London. Grant winning companies located in the North East of England for example included Coatsink Software in Sunderland, Nosebleed Interactive in Newcastle and Cardboard Sword and Double Eleven, both in Middlesbrough. The second call for applications is currently underway and closes on 18th April.

    The UK Games Fund’s talent programme, Tranzfuser, is currently in development and will be working with a UK-wide network of regional hubs including Vector 76 in the North East of England, The Digital Creativity Hub in the North West and Sheffield Hallam University in South Yorkshire.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of (a) armed forces personnel, (b) civilian staff, (c) equipment and (d) other military assets have been withdrawn from Germany since 2014.

    Mark Lancaster

    We remain on track to meet the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 commitment to withdraw our forces from Germany by 2020. The proportion of Armed Forces Regular personnel and civilian staff who have been withdrawn from Germany between the period 1 January 2014 and 1 December 2015 is 40% and 43% respectively. So far 74% of Service personnel based in Germany have relocated to the UK, which exceeds our 2010 SDSR target to relocate 50% of Service personnel by 2015.

    Units are responsible for returning their equipment and other assets to the UK as required. Some equipment, for example left-hand drive vehicles and Main Battle Tanks, has remained in Germany and is managed on a fleet basis. Other equipments have been moved from the UK to Germany to be held in existing UK climate controlled facilities as part of our high readiness posture. As a result the overall proportions withdrawn from Germany are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the potential effect of Government policy towards reform of EU trade defence instruments on the steel industry in Wales.

    Stephen Crabb

    I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, including the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, where we discuss the challenges faced by the steel industry in Wales and what we need to do to address them.

    We are strong supporters of effective trade defences to tackle unfair trade practices. There are already a number of ways in which the European Commission can tackle unfair trade where industry can provide the evidence to support such action, including ones before the damage is done through so-called ‘threat of injury’ cases.

    We continue to press the Commission to consider ways of speeding up investigations. We recently wrote with specific proposals and are following up at both official and ministerial level.

    We have also pushed hard for decisive action on individual trade defence investigations, such as voting to take action on seamless pipes and tubes and on wire rod, and for an investigation into rebar.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service from people living in Greenwich and Woolwich constituency have taken more than 60 days to process in the last 12 months.

    Karen Bradley

    The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) provides a formal monthly performance report to the Home Office and Home Office Ministers. This includes updates on the performance of police forces in meeting the Service Level Agreement (SLA) standards for the time taken to complete local disclosure checks.

    The DBS monitors the performance of all police disclosure units and works closely with any force, including the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) which is having difficulty in meeting its targets. An MPS Gold Group is overseeing the recovery plan in place at the MPS. London Boroughs do not operate their own disclosure units.

    The number of applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service from people living in Greenwich and Woolwich constituency that have taken more than 60 days to process in each of the last 12 months is listed in the table below.

    Month

    Total Disclosures Issued to Applicants from the Constituency of Greenwich and Woolwich

    Disclosures that took longer than 60 days

    February 2015 – January 2016

    11,446

    1,688
  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of non-routine upholstery cleaning for the Government Car Service fleet in each month since May 2015.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    No cost has been incurred by the Government Car Service fleet in each month since May 2015 for non-routine upholstery cleaning.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the outcome of their review of local council tax support schemes.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The independent review of Local Council Tax Support schemes has now concluded and its final report was published on GOV.UK on 8 April. The report is available (attached) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-council-tax-support-schemes-an-independent-review.

    A copy of the report has been placed in the House Library

    “

  • William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Cash on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with (a) Big Six and (b) other combined cycle gas turbine generators on the effect on the electricity market of Black Start payments to coal-fired power stations.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had specific discussions with the Big Six or combined cycle gas turbine generators on this matter.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has received from minority faith groups since July 2013 on the availability of coroners at all times.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    Justice Ministers have received representations from the Jewish and Muslim communities about coroners out of hours’ services and have met representatives from these communities. We recognise the importance of an out of hours service and have worked with the police and local authorities to this end.

    Regulation 4 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 requires coroners to be available at all times to address matters relating to an investigation into a death which must be dealt with immediately and cannot wait until the next working day. This is particularly important in cases of homicide and mass fatalities. Coroners also make themselves available if needed in cases involving organ and tissue donation.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to enable the Nursing and Midwifery Council to process disciplinary hearings in a more timely, effective and efficient manner.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent body responsible for the regulation of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom. The NMC is responsible for discharge of its statutory duties including fitness to practise (FtP) investigations and hearings.

    The Department is working closely with the NMC on a number of proposed legislative changes which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its FtP processes. The Department has recently consulted on these proposed changes and is currently considering the responses received.

    The Government is committed to ensuring that professional regulation continues to provide effective protection for patients.