Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of her Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps she has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. The DWP published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and my Department follows that guidance.

    The guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf

    The Family Test is also being integrated within the Department’s impact assessment process to ensure it is consistently addressed. Recognising that all Government policies will impact on families in some way, the Government’s guidance on the Family Test is clear that policies should pass a threshold of proportionality before the Family Test is applied in full. New Home Office policies in the current Parliament have not met the threshold for applying the Family Test. The Family Test, when applied, will be published as part of the relevant impact assessment.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many remotely piloted aircraft system pilots are employed in the RAF; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    There are currently 40 Remotely Piloted Aircraft System pilots in the Royal Air Force.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to respond to the Ewins review of overseas domestic work visas.

    Lord Bates

    The Government is considering carefully James Ewins’ recommendations and will respond after meeting with Peers, following Committee stage of the Immigration Bill and by Report stage.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 25075, from which countries steel was sourced for the manufacture of the offshore patrol vessels currently under construction; and what proportion of that steel was sourced from each such country.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    For the Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) currently under construction around 4,000 tonnes of steel is needed in total for the three ships. Dent Steel Services (UK) was awarded the contract by BAE Systems to source and supply the steel required for the OPVs.

    Around 60 per cent of the total steel required for the OPVs consists of thin plate (between four and five millimeters ) which can be sourced only from steel mills capable of rolling the material to that thickness.

    UK steel suppliers were approached by Dent but none were able to meet the thickness specification. As a result this steel was sourced from overseas suppliers.

    Around 60 per cent of the overall requirement was sourced from Sweden; 20 per cent from UK steel mills; 10 per cent from Spain; and the remaining 10 per cent from Dent’s existing stock, of unknown origin. The use of overseas suppliers was necessary to obtain the required specification of steel at a competitive price for delivery at the time required.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide ring-fenced funding to local authorities to ensure they can effectively meet the Government’s childcare provision targets.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We have already announced over £1bn more for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. The increase to the funding rate is based on robust evidence from the Review of the Cost of Childcare. We have made clear our commitment to maximise the amount of this funding which reaches front line childcare providers, and will consult on proposals for achieving this as part of our consultation on early years funding reform later this year.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) salary, (b) bonus and (c) pension arrangements are of the current interim Chief Executive of the Office for Rail and Road.

    Claire Perry

    The interim Chief Executive of the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) full time equivalent salary is £140,000 (prorated for part-time working), which will be subject to an annual review effective from 1 April 2016. The review will be conducted by ORR’s statutory Board, and subject to the annual guidance issued by the Cabinet Office concerning Senior Civil Service pay.

    There are no contractual bonus arrangements. However, the Chief Executive, along with other senior civil servants at ORR, may be considered for a non-consolidated performance related payment in respect of their annual performance. Allocation of these awards at ORR is a matter for the ORR Board, subject to the guidance and constraints set out annually by the Cabinet Office for the whole of the Senior Civil Service.

    The Chief Executive is a member of the Civil Service pension arrangements managed by My Civil Service Pension.

    As required under statute, the terms and conditions of the Chief Executive’s appointment were approved by the Treasury in December 2015.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the human rights of detained Sudanese pastors Telahoon Nogosi Kassa Rata and Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour are respected.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Freedom of religion or belief in Sudan continues to be an area of deep concern. We have consistently called on the Government of Sudan to ensure all legislation is consistent with the Interim Constitution of 2005; within which religious freedom is enshrined. We regularly attend court cases in Sudan on freedom of religion or belief and through our project work we also seek to support lawyers who take on cases addressing important human rights issues.

    Our Ambassador in Khartoum raised the specific cases of Mr Talahon and Reverend Hassan with the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February. We also raised this issue with the Sudanese Director of Human Rights during the UK-Sudan bilateral talks in March, and again with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April. Furthermore, we continue to raise concerns about the scope of the National Security Act (2010) and the powers it gives the National Intelligence and Security Service. Most recently, we highlighted this issue in our statement at Sudan’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 4 May. We will remain active on these issues.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from businesses expressing concern at the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Anna Soubry

    My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has been keeping in close contact with business since the referendum. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State made a series of calls on Friday immediately following the result including to the major business representative bodies. On Tuesday, 28 June 2016, my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State held a business roundtable with the UK’s largest business organisations, and representatives from our most important industries. Further such roundtables will be held over the coming weeks.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans Innovate UK has to develop a business plan across the UK for liaison with universities on the promotion of greater innovation in private sector small and medium-sized enterprises.

    Joseph Johnson

    Innovate UK published its 2016/17 Delivery Plan in April 2016. This sets out measures to nurture high-growth potential SMEs and to work with universities and the research base across the UK to turn scientific excellence into economic impact. It includes joint programmes to promote collaboration between SMEs and the academic sector.

  • Alasdair McDonnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alasdair McDonnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy that the Common Travel Area be maintained in the event that Great Britain and Northern Ireland leave the EU.

    James Brokenshire

    Our focus is the reform of the EU and the Prime Minister clearly set out in his speech on 10 November and his letter to the President of the European Council, the issues where we are seeking change. We recognise the important economic and social benefits of the Common Travel Area, and our priority is to strengthen the external border of the Common Travel Area through collaboration with Ireland and the Crown dependencies, to ensure the benefits of the Common Travel Area can be preserved whilst maintaining a secure border.