Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2015 to Question 17676, on military bases, whether those beds spaces have been consistently present and utilised in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The bed spaces at Force Development Training Centre (FDTC) Grantown-On-Spey, Joint School for Adventurous Training Instructors (JSATI) Llanrwst and FDTC Fairbourne have remained constant over the last five years. Since August 2015, FDTC Crickhowell has increased the bed spaces available from 80 to 260, at Cwrt-Y-Gollen Cadet Training Centre, which is adjacent to FDTC Crickhowell.

    Bed space use is driven by the training requirement.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will (a) take steps to ensure that Saudi Arabia works for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen and (b) support the establishment of an international, independent, impartial mechanism to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law by all parties in that conflict.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are urging all parties to the conflict to work towards resuming a meaningful and sustainable ceasefire that is respected by all sides. We are also doing all we can to support the UN to convene a further round of UN-facilitated peace talks over the coming weeks and firmly believe that a political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen.

    The Resolution on Yemen adopted at the Human Rights Council Session in September 2015 committed the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to work with the Government of Yemen to help them investigate human rights abuses and violations. We urge the Government of Yemen to co-operate fully with this process. Yemen will remain on the Human Rights Council’s agenda: an oral report on developments will be given at the next session in March 2016 (31st session) and a written report will be presented to the Council in September 2016 (33rd session).

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any of the trusted partner pilots for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements will cover alternative payment arrangements for residents in (a) supported housing and (b) sheltered accommodation for elderly people.

    Priti Patel

    The intention is to deliver 26 Trusted Partner pilot sites. In total we received just over 200 valid applications; 16 landlords have already commenced the pilot and work is in train to confirm the final 10.

    We plan to let key stakeholders know once all landlords have been confirmed.

    Tenants in accommodation such as supported or sheltered housing are not subject to the Alternative Payment Arrangement process.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he is making on his plans to begin to reduce public sector net debt as a share of gross domestic product in 2016-17.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The latest Office for Budget Responsibility forecast published in November 2015 shows that the government is on track to reduce public sector net debt as a share of GDP in 2016-17. The government remains committed to continuing the job of returning the public finances to a more sustainable position. In a low inflationary environment, taking account for economic shocks, the most reliable way to bring debt down as a share of GDP is to run a surplus and maintain it in normal times.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30649, when she plans to publish the outcomes of the review of the process of dealing with family reunion applications.

    Mike Penning

    Following consultation with partners, we are currently in the process of finalising revised guidance on dealing with family reunion applications. We intend to publish updated guidance in April 2016.

  • 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 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what cultural events and organisations are directly funded by his Department, outside of funding for the Arts Councils; and where those events and organisations are located.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) funds a number of cultural events and organisations outside of funding for Arts Council England. Events include Hull City of Culture 2017 and the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018 which will celebrate and showcase the best of art, culture and design in those regions. Alongside support for the First World War Centenary commemoration events and numerous cultural capital projects, DCMS directly funds our national museums and galleries such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate, the Science Museum Group and National Museums Liverpool. Further information on the Government’s funding commitments for culture can be found in the recently published Culture White Paper, a copy of which is available from the House Library.

  • Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects work to commence on providing disabled access to all platforms at Lichfield Trent Valley railway station in response to his Department’s review of the Access for all programme; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    We are working with Network Rail to identify how Access for All projects will be delivered and we will be responding to the Hendy Report later this year. The majority of projects should still be delivered by 2019 or have a design completed so that they can start work on site as soon as available funding allows. Option selection and design work for the project at Lichfield Trent Valley is ongoing.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 June (HL516), what assessment they have made of the levels of punctuality and reliability of trains on the East Coast Main Line required to facilitate a proposal to integrate 24 trains per hour through the central core of Thameslink via Blackfriars.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail and the relevant train operators will continue to develop the detail and performance implications of the 2021 timetable in line with the industry’s normal timetable development process, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road.

    With regard to the operation of the Thameslink central core, this is a matter for Network Rail and the relevant train operators, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road. The industry is continuing to develop plans for integrating the 24 trains per hour proposed to run on the Thameslink route at peak times from December 2018 with other services on the East Coast Main Line, including the implications for punctuality and reliability.

    After consulting with Network Rail we have established that there were five ‘unplanned closures’, on various sections of the line, on five separate days in August, two of which were infrastructure related and three as a result of passenger action.

    Network Rail have defined days with ‘unplanned closures’ of the East Coast Main Line as days where there are more than five cancellation events. A cancellation event covers any service suffering one or more of the below events:

    • Full Cancellation
    • Part Cancellation
    • Diversion
    • Fail to stop
    • Change of Origin
  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of the recommendations made by the HS2 Ltd Residents’ Commissioner in her published reports have been adopted in full by HS2 Ltd.

    Andrew Jones

    HS2 Ltd continues to use all feedback and recommendations made by the Residents’ Commissioner, including those made in published reports, to help improve the quality of its communication and engagement with communities affected by HS2 proposals.

    In response to recommendations made by the Residents’ Commissioner HS2 Ltd has, for example, expanded its community engagement teams to provide more localised support and information to affected communities, introduced a mobile unit which will have a wider reach where residents not able to attend HS2 Ltd-run events, and raised awareness of the package of HS2 property compensation and discretionary assistance schemes which are available.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of UK GDP is spent on science and research in the UK, and how that figure compares with other countries in the EU.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The UK invested 1.7% of GDP in research and development in 2013, compared to an EU28 average of 1.9%.

    The UK has a world-class science and research base and achieves a high rate of return for its investment. With 0.9% of global population, 4.1% of researchers and 3.2% of R&D expenditure, the UK accounts for 6.4% of articles, 11.6% of citations, and 15.9% of the most highly cited articles. We are the most productive science base in the G7, and rank first amongst comparable major research nations for Field Weighted Citations Impact.