Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide additional support for broadband provision to difficult to reach properties in (a) rural and (b) urban areas which have not been provided with access under the universal service obligation to date and where Openreach fibre roll-out has been delayed for more than a year.

    Matt Hancock

    Reliable, fast broadband is now seen as an essential service, not a nice-to-have. We are introducing a new broadband Universal Service Obligation in this Parliament to ensure that everyone can benefit from improved broadband connectivity. Premises in hard to reach areas, not served by commercial or existing publicly funded broadband roll outs, will have the legal right to request a broadband connection with speeds of at least 10 Megabits, no matter where they live or work.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Health Organization research showing that eating processed meat increases the risk of cancer.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The World Health Organization published its conclusions on the carcinogenicity of eating red and processed meat on 26 October. The detailed evaluations will be published in the future; until these are available, we cannot assess them in detail.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has received from the government of Argentina on the status of the Falkland Islands.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I have received no such recent representations from the Argentine government.

  • Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next plans to visit the Kingdom of Morocco.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I led a trade delegation of 40 companies to Morocco in November, reconfirming our close bilateral relationship and demonstrating the potential to expand our trade links.

    I have no firm plans to return at present, but am pleased that the Moroccan Ministers of Energy and Justice are visiting the UK later this month.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will engage with the #itaffectsme campaign on raising awareness of mental health issues.

    Alistair Burt

    The Government is working to reduce stigma around mental health, and supports all campaigns, including #itaffectsme, in this area.Any campaign, such as #itaffectsme, which raises awareness in mental health issues, is welcomed. In a speech announcing almost a billion pounds in investment into mental health services on 11 January, the Prime Minister recognised the need to take away the stigma behind mental illness. He said that, ‘as a country, we need to be far more mature about this. Less hushed tones, less whispering; more frank and open discussion. We need to take away that shame, that embarrassment, let people know that they’re not in this alone’.

    We continue to provide financial support to the Time to Change programme which works to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and to encourage people to talk about mental health issues and seek help when needed. We are working with the programme and funders to develop the next stage of the programme.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she plans to open her Department’s consultation on changes to the Warm Home Discount scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government announced in the Spending Review on 25 November 2015 that the Warm Home Discount scheme would be extended to 2020/21 at current levels of £320m per year, rising with inflation, to help households who are at risk of fuel poverty with their energy bills. Government will publically consult on changes to the scheme later this year.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their policy is for the provision of textbooks and exercise books in primary and secondary schools in England; and what assessment they have made of differences in provision between the UK and other European countries.

    Lord Nash

    Good teaching and high academic standards are strongly associated with adequate provision and widespread use of high-quality textbooks.

    Cambridge Assessment’s report, ‘Why textbooks count’, analysed the use of high-quality textbooks around the world. The report found that use of textbooks is common in high performing education jurisdictions. In Finland, 95% of maths teachers use a textbook as a basis for instruction. In Singapore, 70% of maths teachers use a textbook. In England, only 10% of maths teachers use a textbook for their core teaching.

    A well-designed textbook provides a coherent, structured programme which supports a teacher’s own expertise and knowledge as well as a pupil’s.

    On 26 March 2016, the Department for Education published a report from a review group looking at teacher workload in relation to planning and resources. The group concluded there is a case for schools to place greater emphasis on quality- assured resources, including textbooks, to reduce the time teachers spend on searching for resources.

    Good textbooks also have workbooks which support homework in a positive way by providing well-structured practice exercises linked to clear explanations, which parents can understand and use to help their children.

    We have been working with textbook publishers with the aim of improving the quality of textbooks available to schools, to better support excellent teaching and teacher professional development. Last year, the publishers produced a set of common guidelines for the production of textbooks.

  • Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has undertaken or commissioned research into the relationship between people who are convicted of multiple breaches of restraining orders and commission of stalking offences.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government recognises that stalking is an insidious crime that can have a devastating impact on the lives of victims and their families. That is why the coalition Government created specific stalking offences in 2012 and why we continue to look at ways to protect victims of stalking, ensure stalking is recognised early and dealt with effectively and, where an offender is convicted, provide the courts with appropriate sentencing powers.

  • Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to limit online financial fraud.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    This Government is clear that more must be done not only to disrupt and prosecute criminals but also to protect people and businesses from becoming victims of fraud. In February this year the Government launched the Joint Fraud Taskforce a genuine collaboration of banks, law enforcement and government. It is the first time these organisations have come together to tackle fraud, and particularly to focus on those issues that have been considered too difficult for a single organisation to manage alone. The Taskforce has five work strands which are:

    – Understanding the Threat – Bringing together data to agree key threats, vulnerabilities and drivers of fraud;

    – The Collective Response – Better targeting to disrupt and catch fraudsters, through increased cooperation between banks and law enforcement;

    – Victims & Vulnerability – More efficient identification of victims, including addressing the barriers preventing return of funds to victims;

    – Behaviour Change – better targeted messaging on fraud prevention and,

    – Tackling systemic vulnerabilities – Designing out vulnerabilities and loopholes in systems and processes which fraudsters exploit.

    The Government has also published in March this year "A Guide for Consumers: Staying Safe When You Shop and Bank Online." The report draws on real life, anonymised examples of reported crimes and provides simple but effective advice on how the people can protect themselves from these types of frauds: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-guide-for-consumers-staying-safe-when-you-bank-or-shop-online

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has raised with his Turkish counterpart the issue of Turkish academics being banned from international travel.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The UK Government has strongly condemned the attempted coup on 15 July and stands firmly in support of Turkey’s democratically elected government and institutions. I visited Turkey on 20-21 July to reiterate our support for democracy in Turkey. In meetings with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, amongst others, I stressed the need for Turkey to respect human rights and the rule of law.

    We have been concerned to hear reports of academics being suspended and investigated. Freedom of expression is vital in a democratic society, and especially in education. That includes the right to express views we might think are mistaken, or one-sided. Public debate should be encouraged –not suppressed. Private travel for most academics remains unimpeded. As with all Special Passport holders, academics with a Special Passport need a letter from their employer stating they have permission to travel. Academics can travel abroad for work with permission from their rectors and a written invitation from the hosts.

    We will continue to monitor the situation closely and to stress to the Turkish government the importance of ensuring that all measures taken are proportionate and justified