Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 22 February (HL5963), and with regard to Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request 0986-15, why there is a discrepancy between the Minister’s quoted figure of £270,046.61 being spent on projects in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with a human rights focus and a quoted figure in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Freedom of Information response of £9,499 being spent; and what differentiates the FCO projects with a human rights rationale” and a human rights “element”.”

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The figure of £270,046.61 relates to projects which are not exclusively focused on promoting human rights, but which significantly contribute to our human rights objectives in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. These include humanitarian projects aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable people in North Korean society, and English language projects which make North Korean participants aware of other ideas and cultures. The figure of £9,499 relates to projects solely focused on promoting human rights.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in UK medical schools to enable an increase in the number of UK-trained doctors entering the NHS.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government makes a significant investment in educating and training doctors. Health Education England (HEE) has oversight in determining overall medical school place numbers as the Department only funds places for the numbers of doctors needed to work in the National Health Service in the future.

    The Government’s Mandate to HEE for 2015/16, required them to “take a strategic role in relation to those healthcare professions where number controls are, or may in the future be, determined nationally, including medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. HEE’s objective is to take a leading role in working with partners in higher education to keep medical, dental training and other healthcare numbers under review.”

    HEE is undertaking a review of medical undergraduate numbers which will be published in due course. Where number controls are determined nationally, HEE will need to agree any changes with the Department of Health in discussion with other relevant Government departments, such as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    HEE’s Commissioning and Investment Plan for 2016/17 forecasts an increase in the available supply of doctors to the NHS workforce by 2020 of 14.6% above 2015 figures. This includes doctors in general practice.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been given a yellow card warning since the introduction of such a warning; and of those claimants how many were not subsequently sanctioned.

    Priti Patel

    A Jobseekers’ Allowance Sanctions “Early Warning” Trial was launched in March 2016 in Scotland. The trial is testing whether giving claimants a warning of an intention to sanction, and an extra 14 days to seek advice and support to provide additional or new evidence to provide good reason will be helpful to them and potentially reduce the volume of sanctions and reconsiderations.

    Data is currently being collected about claimants who have been subject to the new process so it is not possible at this stage to provide the information requested. An interim evaluation of the trial will be published in Autumn 2016 and a final evaluation in Spring 2017.

  • Caroline Flint – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Flint – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2016-07-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on his policies on pursuing country-by-country reporting through the EU of the UK voting to leave the EU.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government supports international efforts on public country-by-country reporting to enhance transparency. This will allow for a comprehensive, multilateral approach that applies consistently across UK multinationals and foreign multinationals.

    The UK will continue to engage in the EU negotiations on the Commission’s public country-by-country reporting proposal, as well as discussions at the G20 and other international fora.

  • Bob Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Bob Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Stewart on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will assess the potential merits of abolishing UK corporation tax.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government is committed to a competitive and fair tax system, one that encourages innovation and business investment and taxes the profits of economic activity that occur in the UK. That is why this Government has cut the main rate of corporation tax from 28% in 2010 to 17% in 2020, and announced a package of measures at Budget 2016 to tackle aggressive tax planning by multinationals, forecast to raise around £8 billion across the next five years.

    Corporation tax raised £44.4 billion for the Exchequer in 2015/16. This revenue makes a vital contribution to the Government’s wider objectives of delivering vital public services and fiscal sustainability.

    The Government will continue to explore how the tax regime can be reformed to best support business investment and growth.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the Ethiopian government’s commitment to extending political rights and (b) the effect of UK aid in encouraging extension of those rights.

    Grant Shapps

    Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of commitment to our partnership principles, including to human rights and international obligations. DFID works closely with FCO to conduct regular assessments of the Government of Ethiopia’s commitment to political rights.

    In light of the results of parliamentary elections this year, the UK is encouraging Ethiopia to find ways to increase the diversity of political parties in future parliaments, and to ensure those who voted for other parties still feel their voices are being heard.

    The UK has a number of programmes that support civil and political rights in Ethiopia, including a DFID civil society support programme, and a joint programme with the FCO to support strengthening in democratic governance.

    Ethiopia remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with around 25 million people living in extreme poverty. In the last five years, with UK support, Ethiopia has reduced child mortality by a quarter, put four million more children in primary school and protected almost eight million people from needing humanitarian food aid.

  • Mary Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mary Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to defibrillators near (a) community parks, (b) playing fields and (c) other open public spaces.

    Jane Ellison

    Following our 2015 Budget commitment on defibrillators, we have awarded the British Heart Foundation £1 million to make public access defibrillators and coronary pulmonary resuscitation training more widely available in communities across England.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many press and public relations staff are employed by (a) his Department, (b) HM Courts and Tribunal Service, (c) HM Prison Service, (d) the Legal Aid Agency and (e) the National Offender Management Service; how many of those employees are paid more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by each of those organisations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Mike Penning

    The Ministry of Justice including the National Offender Management Service employs a total of 42 staff within the external communications division. Of those, eight are paid more than £50,000. The total spend on external communications during 2014/15 was £1,914,806.

    The total number of staff is less than that in 2009/2010 even though the function has additional responsibilities such as strategic communications, campaigns, stakeholder communications and a wider spread of digital communications activities.

    The Legal Aid Agency shares services with the Ministry of Justice, and consequently has no separate spend on press and public relations. HM Courts and Tribunals Service operate a separate press office function employing a total of 3 staff, one of which is paid more than £50,000. The total HMCTS spend 2014/15 was £161,331.

    Spend on external communications continues to fall and we will look for further savings where possible. As one of the biggest departments responsible for prisons, courts and other issues of national importance such as human rights we have a duty to explain our work to the public.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings Ministers and civil servants in his Department have had with Ministers and civil servants in the Department for Communities and Local Government on the impact of the local government financial settlement on local arts and culture organisations and projects.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    DCMS and CLG Ministers and officials regularly discuss matters of shared interest including arts, culture and public libraries.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make assistance available to local authorities for the costs of disposing of abandoned boats, vessels and other sea-faring equipment.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Statutory Harbour Authorities (some of which are Local Authorities) have powers to deal with wrecks and unservicable and abandoned vessels within their harbour limits.

    These powers are available under sections 52, 56 and 57 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 (exercisable by the Harbour Master) and in section 252 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The powers allow the removal of wrecks and unserviceable and abandoned vessels and recovery of the cost of doing so from the owner or through disposal of the vessel.

    Where there is no statutory harbour authority or conservancy authority in place to use the powers in the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, under s253 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 the General Lighthouse Authority may use the same powers set out in section 252 to deal with such vessels where, in the authority’s opinion the vessel is, or is likely to become, an obstruction or danger to navigation or to lifeboats engaged in lifeboat service.

    The receiver of wreck, who only deals with wrecked vessels and is a statutory appointment under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, has powers under section 243 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 to dispose of unclaimed wrecks one year after they come into the receiver’s possession. The Act sets out the dissemination of the proceeds of sale after disposal expenses.

    Statutory Harbour Authorities operate on a commercial basis without ongoing support from Government and the General Lighthouse Authority are fully funded from a tax on shipping, receiving no money from the UK exchequer. There are no plans for any other funding to be made available.