Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to identify areas that have higher than average levels of hate crime; and if she will provide additional resources for those areas.

    Sarah Newton

    The Government condemns all hate crimes and is committed to tackling these crimes in partnership with the communities affected.

    We have in place some of the strongest legislation to tackle hate crime in the world – this includes specific offences for racially and religiously aggravated activity and offences of the stirring up of hatred on the grounds of race, religion and sexual orientation.

    We also have stronger sentences for hate crime. We continue to carefully consider the recommendations from the Law Commission review into hate crime legislation. The Government has committed to taking action to improve our response to hate crime.

    This includes joint training between the police and Crown Prosecution staff to improve the way the police identify and investigate hate crime; building on the improvements to police recording of hate crime by working with the police to break down religious-based hate crime by religion; and working with victims and advocacy groups to improve victims confidence to come forward and report such crimes.

    The police are also improving their operational practices and recording. Last year, the College of Policing published Operational Guidance for officers responding to hate crime which comprehensively covers how to address all forms of hate crime.

    Hate crime statistics show number of crimes recorded by the police by force area. The decision as to how hate crime is resourced in individual forces is an operational matter for the Police and Crime Commissioner for that area. The latest police funding settlement represents a fair deal for the police and reinforces this Government’s commitment to protect the public. No Police and Crime Commissioner who maximised precept income is facing a reduction in cash funding this year.

    Police and Crime Commissioners are also responsible for commissioning local support services for victims of crime. The Ministry of Justice provides the Commissioner with a grant to enable services which best meet the needs of local victims of crime to be funded.

    The Home Office published a new hate crime action plan on 26 July 2016, which sets out Government action over the next four years to tackle hate crime. It includes:

    ● new steps to boost reporting of hate crime and support victims;

    ● new CPS guidance to prosecutors on racially aggravated crime;

    ● a new £2.4 million fund for protective security measures at potentially vulnerable places of worship;

    ● and additional funding to community organisations tackling hate crime.

    Nobody in this country should live in fear because of who they are and anyone who experiences hate crime should report it to the police, either in person at a police station, online through the True Vision website, or by phoning 101.

  • Amanda Solloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Amanda Solloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that apprenticeships in Derby North constituency are undertaken by people from less-affluent households.

    Robert Halfon

    Apprenticeships are paid jobs that give people from all regions and backgrounds the opportunity to reach their potential – acquiring transferable skills much valued in the labour market without having to contribute to the costs of their learning. The locations and sectors where apprenticeships are available are determined by employers choosing to offer opportunities and employ apprentices.

    We will be publishing details of our funding policy for apprenticeships in England from May 2017 shortly, which will demonstrate how we will provide opportunities for people regardless of their background.

    We will also continue to demonstrate, with Traineeships and our national campaigns, that an apprenticeship can be a very worthwhile and achievable goal for those from less well-off households.

  • Baroness Whitaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Whitaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Whitaker on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the impact of air pollution on the lung function of children in the London Borough of Lambeth.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Public Health England has not made any estimate of the impact of air pollution on the lung function of children in the London Borough of Lambeth.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to Senior Civil Service posts in his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The cost to the Department for Transport (including its executive agencies, but excluding its non-departmental public bodies)using external agencies for therecruitmentof Senior Civil Serviceposts in the last three financial years is set out below:

    Financial year 2012/2013 – £195,596.40

    Financial year 2013/2014 – £219,587.08

    Financial year 2014/2015 – £198,740.56

    The financial data on the cost of using external agencies for the recruitment of Senior Civil Service posts in the financial years 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 are not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the announcement of 4 January 2016, The Government will directly build affordable homes, what steps he is taking to catalyse the delivery of the wider commercial development in the direct commissioning site at Daedelus Waterfront.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Homes and Communities Agency continues to work with the local authority to explore options for bringing forward the wider Daedalus site.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the vacancy rates are in (a) child psychiatry, (b) child psychology and (c) mental health nursing for child and adolescent mental health services in each (i) region and (ii) clinical commissioning group in each of the last 10 years.

    Ben Gummer

    The vacancy rates in child psychiatry, child psychology and mental health nursing for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are not collected.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to review the efficacy of the 111 service in ensuring that 999 is not used in medical non-emergencies.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS 111 services are commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that should ensure all the services they commission are effective.

    NHS England’s monthly published data for the period April to September 2015 show that 11% of calls handled by NHS 111 resulted in dispatch of an ambulance.

    Most recent figures show that nationally 90.4% of NHS 111 users are satisfied with the service they get.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what regulations govern parental consent for the recording of interviews with lone children in cases involving Cafcass.

    Caroline Dinenage

    There are no regulations governing parental consent for the recording of interviews with lone children in cases involving the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass). The extent of the role and responsibilities of Cafcass officers is set out in the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Practice Direction 16a, and this refers to the duty to “make such investigations as may be necessary”. Cafcass practitioners are aware that they must consider the best interests of the child in all aspects of their casework, including dealing with a request from a parent to record an interview.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how closely they monitor the weekly UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs statistics of death, injuries and house demolitions in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and what conclusions they have drawn from those statistics.

    Baroness Verma

    We follow all briefings and updates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs closely, and are greatly concerned with the deteriorating humanitarian situation across the occupied Palestinian territories. We raise these concerns regularly with the Government of Israel and development partners, and continue to call for the lifting of movement and access restrictions.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the value for money of the investment made by the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust from his Department’s reverse premium of £6 million on assets previously transferred; and what investment he expects the proposed further reverse premium of £13 million to attract.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence has not made an assessment of the value of the investment made or proposed by the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust. This is a matter for the Trust.