Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2016 to Question 37198, how many of the leaflets entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK have been returned to her Department; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.

    Karen Bradley

    I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister’s response of 25th May 2016 [37198]. This information is not collated centrally by the Department.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what procedures are in place to safeguard patient transport services if a private provider of such a service goes into administration.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    It is the primary responsibility of commissioners to ensure continuity of commissioned services through contracting and contingency planning. Where a provider is considered hard to replace in the event of failure, its services can be designated as Commissioner Requested Services. This requires the provider to obtain a provider licence, if not otherwise required to hold a licence, and places the provider in NHS Improvement’s financial oversight regime for private providers of essential NHS services.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield of 16 August 2016, inviting him or a Minister in his Department to address the All-Party Parliamentary Motor Group on UK automotive priorities for future negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Robin Walker

    A reply to the Hon. member for Birmingham, Northfield’s invitation has been sent and I can confirm I will be attending the event.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to control the number of badgers in the next 12 months.

    George Eustice

    We are committed to our strategy to make England free of bovine TB, of which culling badgers in areas where the disease is rife is a key element.

  • Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 4 November (HL3009), why investigation of historic crime in Northern Ireland, including the retention of fingerprint and DNA samples from non-convicted individuals, requires different provisions to the rest of the UK, and whether they plan to seek permission for any non-compliance of those provisions with Article 8 of the ECHR.

    Lord Dunlop

    The investigation of historic deaths creates particular difficulties because the evidential trail has significantly narrowed. Forensic evidence, including fingerprint and DNA evidence, is therefore a key element in Troubles-related investigations, as it presents the strongest strand of investigative opportunity.

    Dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past is an essential part of the transition to long term peace and stability – this is not a consideration which applies in the same way in the rest of the UK. It is disappointing that agreement was not reached in the recent political talks on the proposed institutions for dealing with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland.

    The Government remains fully committed to working alongside the Northern Ireland parties, victims groups and other stakeholders to deliver the institutions intended to achieve broad consensus for legislation and deliver new legacy mechanisms. The Government is satisfied that the retention of relevant biometric data for the purpose of investigating Troubles-related crimes is proportionate.

    We are working closely with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice to ensure that any proposal to retain relevant data will strike the appropriate balance between Article 2 and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and be compatible with the judgment of the European Court in Marper.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has made to (a) Public Health England and (b) the Department of Health on the inclusion of (i) environmental criteria and (ii) the work of her Department’s Green Food Project in the review of the Eat Well Plate.

    George Eustice

    The 2012 Green Food Project was a joint initiative between Government, the food and farming industry and environmental organisations.

    One piece of follow-up work to the Green Food Project was a group of stakeholders who came together in 2013 to develop principles for a healthy and sustainable diet. Public Health England and Department of Health were part of this working group. Its conclusion, ‘The Principles of Healthy and Sustainable Eating Patterns’ were published by the Global Food Security Programme in May this year. (http://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/assets/pdfs/healthy-sustainable-eating-patterns-report.pdf)

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the low oil price since summer 2014 on the number of UK seafarers employed on offshore supply vessels in the North Sea.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The 2015 seafarer statistics have just been published. We estimate that there were 23,380 UK seafarers active at sea in 2015, an increase of 2 per cent on the previous year. We are aware that the current downturn in the offshore sector may not yet be fully reflected in these figures.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the cost to the economy of unreliable internet connectivity and speeds in 2014-15.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We are not aware of any existing research about the annual cost to the UK economy of unreliable broadband internet connectivity or speeds in 2014-15. However, the economic benefits of broadband access are clear, for example, SQW Consulting’s UK Broadband impact study in 2013 estimated that the availability and take-up of faster broadband speeds will add about £17 billion to the UK’s annual Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2024.

    In November, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition is to set this at 10 Mbps. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection from a designated provider, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live. A consultation, which has now closed, was published on 23 March setting out the Government’s proposed approach to taking this work forward.

  • David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many online sellers of knives have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 for selling knives to people under 18 since that section came into force; and what sentences were handed down to people so convicted.

    Andrew Selous

    This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that UK defence capability can effectively respond to a threat from Russia.

    Penny Mordaunt

    As outlined in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review our commitment to collective defence and security through NATO remains as strong as ever. Our 2% defence spending pledge will ensure that we stay NATO’s strongest military power in Europe.

    In 2017 the UK will lead the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, formed in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and we will make a significant contribution to the force every year of this Parliament. As well as providing Typhoons to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, we have provided ships and Army units to NATO exercises to reassure our Allies against the threat from Russia, and we will continue to do so. We are joining the German-US Trans-Atlantic Capability Enhancement and Training initiative in the Baltic states and Poland, sharing our military expertise.