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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to prevent the continued demolition of Palestinian homes.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to raise our serious concerns over this issue with the Israeli Government at all levels. On 07 September, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) emphasised our concerns about demolitions with Israeli Defence Minister Lieberman during their meeting.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to restrict the ability of local authorities to request information about children’s self-perception of their sexual orientation.

    Lord Nash

    The Department for Education do not require schools or local authorities to collect any information on the sexual orientation of children. Any information collected locally by schools and / or local authorities on sexual orientation for their own purposes is a matter for them to manage locally.

    The Department for Education has provided schools with guidance on complying with the Equality Act.

    The Public Sector Equality Duty, at section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, is a duty on public bodies (and others carrying out public functions) to consider, in their day to day work, the needs of people who share particular protected characteristics. This includes schools and children’s services.

    Under the Duty, public bodies must have due regard to the need to:

    • eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conducted that is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010
    • advance equality of opportunity, and;
    • foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

    The Equality Duty covers the protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act, which includes age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

    Guidance on complying with the Act and the Equality Duty can be found on GOV.UK (under Equality Act 2010 guidance). Earlier guidance formed under the Coalition Government has been archived on the National Archives website (under the ‘Equality Bill’ guidance). The Equality and Human Rights Commission has also issued guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty.

    Local authorities will also have to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 on the data they collect. The Information Commissioner’s Office state that data should only be collected if organisations have legitimate grounds for collecting and using the personal data; that they do not use the data in ways that have unjustified adverse effects on the individuals concerned; that they be transparent about how they intend to use the data, and give individuals appropriate privacy notices when collecting their personal data.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the amount of expected underspend for his office against departmental expenditure limits in 2015-16.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Departmental Expenditure Limit for HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor includes the Government Legal Department (GLD), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). The estimated underspend against the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit is £2.69m. Total expenditure is estimated to be £190m.

    GLD sets its fees and fee rates at the beginning of the year with the aim of achieving full cost recovery and in line with HM Treasury guidance Managing Public Money. In setting the fees and fee rate judgements about volumes of work, the impact of inflation, and cost are made and as a result it is normal for there to be a variance.

  • Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to improve international cooperation on increasing the number of people on the stem cell and bone marrow registers.

    Jane Ellison

    International cooperation is an essential element of the provision of stem cells to patients requiring a transplant. Worldwide, 50% of adult stem cell donations and 30% of cord blood donations move across national boundaries.

    The Government is committed to ensuring that the provision stem cells through the Department’s delivery partners, NHS Blood and Transplant and the Anthony Nolan, is as effective as possible and this includes adopting innovative practice to maximise the chance that donors will be able to donate.

    The ethnic diversity of the United Kingdom is reflected in adult bone marrow donors through the targeted recruitment of donors. The diverse nature of the UK stem cell resources means that they will play an important part of the global network matching donors to patients. The information supplied from the UK unified registry (Anthony Nolan and NHS Stem Cell Registry) to the global registry (Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide) directly increases the chances that patients across the globe have a chance to find a suitable donor.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was to the public purse of immigration holding and removal centres in each of the last three years.

    James Brokenshire

    Detention costs are published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available from the Vote Office

    Costs (£,000):

    2014-15 £136,926

    2013-14 £143,549

    2012-13 £132,696

    Included in this figure are the accommodation costs – building, staff, catering, bedding – for the services provided under both private contracts and by Central Government. Also included are the cost of holding individuals in police cells, where an individual is subsequently transferred to Immigration Enforcement.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many complaints Ofsted has received about the quality of PHSE education in schools since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the library of the House.

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 28346, on Trident submarines, what the agreed limits of liability are.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The agreed limit of liability is £1.4 billion.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of child benefit payments to non-UK citizens.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government has made it clear that UK rates of Child Benefit should not be paid to EU children overseas. The Government paper ‘The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom’s special status in a reformed European Union’ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502291/54284_EU_Series_No1_Web_Accessible.pdf sets out what was agreed at the February European Council.

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  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential consequences for native Tibetans of the planned railway expansion from China into Tibet.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made an assessment of the expansion of China’s railway network in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. We collect information about developments in Tibet from a wide range of reports, such as those made by the Chinese authorities and by Non-Governmental Organisations.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representation there will be on the board of the Institute for Apprenticeships from (a) business, (b) charities and (c) trades unions.

    Nick Boles

    The Chair and Board members will be appointed in accordance with the public appointments process. It is expected that the members of the Institute’s board will be comprised primarily of persons with a background as employers and business leaders. This is to ensure that employers continue to drive apprenticeship quality. Applications to join the Institute’s board are also open to representatives of other organisations, including the trade unions.