The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of servicemen and women recruited from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Penny Mordaunt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 April 2016 to Question 33630 to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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 his Department; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.
Andrew Selous
I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister’s response of 25th May 2016. This information is not collated centrally by the Department.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has any plans to move away from a tax-funded NHS towards one funded by insurance and co-payments.
Mr Philip Dunne
There is no plan to change the way that the National Health Service is funded nor any consideration of changes. The Government remains committed to the principles of the NHS, enshrined in the NHS Constitution, that access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not the ability to pay.
The Government is also committed to working with the NHS in implementing its own plan for the future of the NHS – the Five Year Forward View – backed up by the commitment made in the Spending Review to provide an additional £10 billion in real terms by 2020-21 compared to 2014-15. This fully funds the plan.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Attorney General, approximately how many (a) British and (b) non-British nationals are employed cleaning the Westminster estate of the Law Officers’ Departments.
Robert Buckland
The Law Officer’s Departments do not directly employ any staff to clean its estate. All cleaning services are provided via a national facilities management contract or via managed service agreements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Russian authorities about an international tribunal to investigate the destruction of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
Mr David Lidington
I wrote to the Russian Ambassador to the UK in July, prior to the vote in the UN Security Council on a Resolution to establish an international tribunal which would prosecute those found responsible from the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17. I made it clear that there must be accountability for this crime and we expected all UN Security Council Members to cooperate. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials also raised this issue with their Russian counterparts both in London and in Moscow and will continue to do so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no Minister or senior British representative attended the second global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, Brazil on 18–19 November.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The second global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, Brazil was attended by Deputy Head of Mission, Mr Wasim Mir.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2015-12-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Turkey about (a) statements equating the PKK with ISIS and (b) negotiations between the government of Turkey and the PKK.
Mr David Lidington
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Turkey, the UK and the EU. It has killed over 150 members of Turkey’s security forces since July 2015. We have been clear in our public and private communications with the Government of Turkey that PKK violence must end and the peace process should resume. We stand ready to help in any way we can.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the triple lock pension policy of the number of pensioners living in poverty in (a) Windsor, (b) the South East and (c) the UK.
Justin Tomlinson
While we can’t draw a direct link between the triple lock and pensioner poverty, pensioner poverty is at one of the lowest rates since records began. Pensioners are less likely to be in relative and absolute low income after housing costs than the population as a whole. The Government continues to support the poorest pensioners and from April 2016, Pension Credit will top up income to a guaranteed minimum level of £155.60 for a single person and £237.55 for couples.
The Government wants all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement. We are committed to the triple lock, the guarantee that the basic State Pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, price increase or 2.5%. From April 2016, the basic State Pension will be over £1,100 a year higher than at the start of the last Parliament. This will benefit many of the 18,000 recipients of State Pension in Windsor, the 1.7 million recipients in the South East and the 13 million recipients in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish his Department’s impact assessment of the apprenticeship levy.
Nick Boles
HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note on 4 February 2016 at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy/apprenticeship-levy.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessments his Department has made of the potential economic benefit of (a) opening new stations on the Great Western Main line, (b) running later services on the Great Western Main line and (c) reducing rail fares on the Great Western Main line.
Claire Perry
Any specific project that may bring such benefits to passengers is assessed during the planning stage of that project.
I completely understand your concern about the cost of some rail fares and the impact that this can have on people’s budgets. That is why we have capped the rail fares we regulate at inflation (RPI) for three years running, and will continue to do so for the life of this parliament. We have also stopped operators increasing individual fares by up to 2% more. This means those fares we regulate will only rise by 1% in 2016 making it the lowest fare increase since 2010.