Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of animals that had been used in experiments and were classed as re-homed in government statistics in the last three years were sent for slaughter.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not collect data regarding the number of animals, used in scientific procedures, which after release from the controls of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, are subsequently sent directly to slaughter. Establishments are required to keep information of the source, use and final disposal of protected animals, bred kept or used at the establishment for any regulated activities, which would include whether an animal used was sent directly to slaughter.

  • 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 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that communities and environmental mitigation is allocated sufficient funding in Phase 2 of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In the 2015 Spending Review, the Government restated the long-term funding envelope for the HS2 programme at £55.7bn in 2015 prices. This envelope includes funding for Phase Two with contingency. We intend to deliver the most cost effective design for HS2 and ensure that the best value is achieved. We have a regime in place for delivering HS2 and managing costs which will ensure there is sufficient funding for community and environmental mitigation.

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

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents there have been of usage of illegal highs in prisons in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    We do not tolerate drugs in prison. Prisoners are tested for a range of controlled drugs through our mandatory drug testing (MDT) system, which randomly tests up to 10% of the population in each prison, each month. In addition, prisoners can be subject to testing in response to specific threats. Any prisoner found through MDT to have used controlled drugs will face an internal adjudication and could receive a range of sanctions including days added to their time in custody.

    We have begun a pilot to expand this testing to include new psychoactive substances and in April we plan to introduce this across the prison estate. We have also introduced new legislation to counter the smuggling of NPS into prisons and are training 300 sniffer dogs to detect NPS.

    The table below shows the number of positive MDT tests for illegal drugs over the past five financial years.

    Year

    Number of positive MDT tests

    2010/11

    10324

    2011/12

    10268

    2012/13

    9956

    2013/14

    8659

    2014/15

    6742

    Notes:

    • Table shows instances where a prisoner has tested positive for a controlled drug, one of amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepine, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, opiates, methadone and buprenorphine.

    • Where a prisoner is found to have used more than one substance, a separate positive will be reported for each substance found to have been used.

    • Includes MDT tests arising from all prison MDT programmes including random, suspicion, at risk, frequent and reception testing

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office Health and Wellbeing Strategy was launched in February 2015. This sets out three key aims: that every member of staff understands that their health and wellbeing matters; that health and wellbeing is at the centre of change and learning and development programmes and that structural, cultural and demographic factors affecting attendance in the workplace are identified and addressed as appropriate. The strategy is underpinned by a range of modern HR policies and practical advice and services to enhance and promote health and wellbeing such as the employee assistance programme and occupational health services. We also support groups such as ‘Break the Stigma’ and other national mental health campaigns.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with response to his contribution of 16 March 2016, Official Report, column 963-64, whether the proposed exemption from the sugar levy for fruit juices will apply to (a) fruit juices with added sugar and (b) fruit juices with natural sugars only.

    Mr David Gauke

    The levy applies to drinks with added sugar, excluding milk-based drinks.

    Therefore, the levy will apply to fruit juices with added sugar, but not to fruit juices containing only naturally occurring sugar.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his US counterpart on LGBT rights in North Carolina and Mississippi.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our Consul General in Atlanta raised our concerns with the North Carolina Commerce Secretary on 19 April. We have amended our Travel Advice for the United States to reflect legislative changes on LGBT rights in North Carolina and Mississippi . This Government is opposed to all forms of discrimination. We are committed to ensuring that all LGBT people are free to live their lives in a safe and just environment.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38441, what role he has asked the Chairman of the Parole Board, Professor Nick Hardwick, to undertake in relation to people serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection.

    Andrew Selous

    The Justice Secretary has asked the Chairman of the Parole Board to improve the efficiency of the parole system.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times his Department has used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (i) work was undertaken and (ii) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.

    Caroline Nokes

    We are unable to provide the requested information on the number of times the Department for Work and Pensions has used the services of consulting firms, including details of the work undertaken and cost to the public purse for each occasion. To do so would incur a disproportional cost to the Department because of how the data is held on our systems, and the time and resource required for extracting and analysing it.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure future interoperability of the Boeing Poseidon P-8 platform with the General Atomics MQ9 Reaper platforms.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The P-8A Poseidon aircraft will form a vital part of the UK’s maritime patrol capability, and interoperability with other platforms and systems is a key user requirement. Work to enable this is under way, however, I am withholding further detail as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the 2013 Lough Erne G8 Leaders’ Communiqué, published on 18 June 2013, what progress has been made on implementing the commitments in paragraphs (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 8 and (e) 10 of that document; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    An update on UK progress of commitments in the G8 Lough Erne Leaders Communique can be found in the 2013 UK G8 Presidency Report, published on the Government’s website at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/271676/G8_report_WEB_FINAL.PDF

    Since then the Prime Minister has updated the House in June following the 2015 G7 summit. There has been significant progress on the Lough Erne commitments, including the finalisation of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting package (further information published on the OECD website), agreeing global standards on Automatic Exchange of Information in taxation and furthering international free trade agreements.

    In addition, the G7 publishes an accountability report which monitors progress on the promises made on development. The last report was published in 2013, and the next one will be published next year under the Japanese presidency.