The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria have been set to access Dormant Assets Commission funds.
Mr Rob Wilson
The Commission on Dormant Assets will will provide advice on which dormant assets can be brought into an expanded dormant assets scheme. The Committee remit will also include a suggested mechanism through which dormant assets could be redirected by Government to good causes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2015 to Question 16106, when he expects his Department’s review of compliance with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 to be completed.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Department expects to complete the review of compliance with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 by the end of March 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on improving (a) business and (b) personal access to broadband.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Government recognises the importance of broadband access throughout the UK for both businesses and individuals. I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on how the UK can become a world leader in broadband, and on 24 February my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced a joint BIS/DCMS Review into Business Broadband to ensure that businesses are able to access the affordable, high-speed broadband they need.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-04-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the evidence that following the clashes between rebel and government forces in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur the number of civilians who have fled the fighting has led to the displacement of 130,000 people.
Baroness Verma
Whilst exact displacement figures from Jebel Marra are difficult to establish due to access restrictions and challenges with registration, we regard the UN figure of approximately 130,000 people displaced as the best possible estimate. This is of course deeply troubling, and we have raised our concerns with the Government of Sudan. We continue to press both bilaterally and at the UN Security Council for full humanitarian access to be granted to the affected areas.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that the Education Cannot Wait fund for education in emergencies is monitored to ensure that (a) the funds are used for the purposes for which they are allocated and (b) those funds achieve the expected outcomes.
Mr Nick Hurd
The UK has played a leading role in the development of Education Cannot Wait – a fund for education in emergencies, with the International Development Secretary announcing a £30million commitment to the fund as a founding donor at its launch at the World Humanitarian Summit on 23 May. The UK will continue to engage closely during Education Cannot Wait’s inception phase to ensure that the final design and results framework are underpinned by a transparent monitoring and evaluation system and robust financial reporting arrangements, to ensure that the UK and other donors have strong oversight of how funds are utilised and results achieved.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-07-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on the Triennial Review of gaming machine stakes and prizes.
Tracey Crouch
As previously stated in the House of Commons, Government is reviewing the situation and I hope to announce details of a review in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 1 August (HL1311), whether they intend to publish the response to the consultation on Sure Start; and if not, why not.
Lord Nash
I refer Lord Beecham to my Written Answer on 13 September to HL1466. The Prime Minister has been clear that tackling poverty and disadvantage, and delivering real social reform, will be a priority for this Government. We will consider future policy on children’s centres as part of this. We will provide further detail in due course and will make clear how stakeholders and members of the public can contribute.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release, Prison building revolution announced by Chancellor and Justice Secretary, published on 9 November 2015, whether the Government plans to consult on proposals to sell prison estates to property developers.
Andrew Selous
On 9 November the Chancellor and Secretary of State announced their intention to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, thereby enabling them to turn away from a life of crime. This will involve building nine new prisons and closing old and inefficient prisons which do not support the aims of a redesigned estate. No decisions have yet been made on where new prisons will be built.
We are currently considering which of our old and inefficient prisons will close. We will engage with stakeholders during the process of sale including valuation experts and potential developers in order to maximise the value achieved.
Any relocation of prisoners will be done with careful planning. Where staff are affected they will be managed through the process of change using processes deployed during previous closures.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many funded learners there were enrolled on English for speakers of other languages further education courses in institutions in (a) Hampstead and Kilburn constituency and (b) London in each of the last five years.
Nick Boles
Information on ESOL participation by region and constituency from 2005/06 to 2013/14 is published as a supplementary table (first link) to a Statistical First Release (second link).
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-skills-for-life
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the unallocated financial reserves level was of Kirklees Council in the most recent local authority data outtrun held by his Department.
Mr Marcus Jones
The most recent local authority data outturn held by the Department for Communities and Local Government show the position as at 31 March 2015; Kirklees Council reported unallocated reserves of £38.0 million (this excludes other reserve balances for schools, public health and other earmarked reserves).
The usual measure of reserves used is non-ringfenced revenue reserves, which comprises the sum of unallocated and other earmarked reserves: in Kirklees case £114.2 million.
Full details can be found on the Department’s webpage at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2014-to-2015-individual-local-authority-data-outturn
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