The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) children under 18 years of age and (b) young people aged 18 to 24 received (i) social welfare, (ii) family, (iii) immigration, (iv) debt and (v) housing legal aid funding in each year since 2009-2010.
Mr Shailesh Vara
This information is due to be released as part of the pre-announced annual statistics bulletin for the LAA on the 30th June 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the UK’s representatives on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance were appointed and to whom they report.
Alok Sharma
The UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is currently led by Sir Eric Pickles, the UK Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, appointed in September 2015, who reports to the Minister for Human Rights in the Foreign Office and also to the Prime Minister. There is no formal process for appointing members of the UK delegation. Representatives are drawn from a range of UK non-government organisations and academic institutions, covering Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Delegates are expected to play an active part in the IHRA’s various working groups and committees, including taking part in discussions between formal meetings, and fund their own travel costs. We always welcome expressions of interest from organisations interested in being represented.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of its capacity to (a) secure and (b) extend UK fishing rights; and whether her Department plans to have in place an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles after the UK leaves the EU.
George Eustice
Exit from the EU presents us with an opportunity under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to improve the way waters in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone are managed. Defra officials will be working with the Department for Exiting the European Union, Devolved Administrations and stakeholders to develop proposals that will allow the UK to best take advantage of this opportunity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions on the effect of sanctions on the mental health of people who have been so sanctioned.
Alistair Burt
Ministers in the Department of Health and Department of Work and Pensions have not had any recent discussions about the effect of sanctions on the mental health of people who have been so sanctioned.
However, Ministers have many discussions with stakeholders about a range of issues, and the Secretary of State for Health and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions met on 3 June and agreed to greater cross government working between their respective Departments. Following that meeting, the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions Work and Health Unit was created to improve the health and employment outcomes of benefit claimants.
We know that people come into contact with the welfare system at a time when they may be vulnerable because of unemployment and its associated consequences. The Department for Work and Pensions provides guidance and training for staff to help them identify and support people who may be vulnerable.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2015 to Question 12762, on broadband, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of repaying a proportion of the returned funds to the BBC which made an initial contribution to the project.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The clawback funding identified by BT remains available for investment by the local authorities and devolved administrations in further broadband coverage within their respective project areas. This funding has not been returned to DCMS.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the entering into force of the agreement between the UK and EDF to proceed with Hinkley Point C is conditional on the Flamanville successfully demonstrating capability of operation; what recent conversations her Department has had with EDF about the findings of the French Nuclear Safety Authority on tests on the Flamanville EPR reactor vessel head and bottom and the implications for her policies on new nuclear power; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s final decision on the Contract for Difference and associated agreements for Hinkley Point C is not dependent on developments at Flamanville. The UK has its own independent nuclear regulatory regime which has assessed the reactor design proposed for use at Hinkley Point and will continue to regulate the project through construction, operation and decommissioning. As part of this, the Office for Nuclear Regulation has said that it expects EDF to apply any relevant lessons learned from Flamanville and improve its design to ensure the delivery of high standards of nuclear safety for its new nuclear power plants in the UK. DECC officials are in regular contact with EDF about both projects.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of criminalising cyber bullying.
Edward Timpson
The Government continues to work closely with social media companies to make sure they are committed to protecting children who use social media platforms. Ministers from the Department for Education, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, and the Home Office meet quarterly with social media providers and other key stakeholders at the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) executive board meetings, to discuss important issues relating to child safety online, including cyberbullying.
Recently, Ofcom led a social media working group on behalf of UKCCIS, with representation from Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, and MindCandy. The group developed best practice guidance aimed at encouraging responsible practice from industry to ensure children using their services are able to do so in a safe and protected way. The guidance was issued by UKCISS in December 2015 and can be found on their website.
To help schools prevent and tackle bullying, we are providing £1.3m this year (2015-16) to anti-bullying charities to tackle all forms of bullying including cyberbullying, on top of the £4m provided in 2013-15. We are also providing £2m this year (2015-16) to organisations to specifically tackle homophobic bullying, which includes cyberbullying.
We do not want to make any form of bullying a criminal offence as to do so would risk criminalising young people. In some circumstances that may be justified, but probably only in a limited number of very serious cases, for which there are already laws in place to protect people. Internet providers, schools and parents all have a role to play in keeping children and young people safe online.
The Government Equalities Office is funding the UK Safer Internet Centre to produce advice for schools on how to keep children safe online. This is scheduled for publication this spring.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions his Department or its employment agency adviser had with Mr Paul Newby about actual and potential conflicts of interest prior to his appointment as the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Anna Soubry
As is standard practice, Mr Newby was asked during the appointments process to declare any potential conflicts of interest.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that the £500 million Access Fund is spent on sustainable transport projects.
James Wharton
The £500 million Access Fund is part of the Department for Transport’s overall contribution to the Local Growth Fund in this spending review period. As with the majority of the Local Growth Fund it is available to Local Enterprise Partnerships to bid for and spend in line with their own priorities. LEPs are already planning to spend considerably more than £500 million on sustainable transport and we would encourage them to propose ambitious sustainable transport measures in their further growth deal bids this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 29991, what estimate he made of the total amount local authorities have spent on delivering concessionary bus fares since 2011.
Andrew Jones
Figures for net current expenditure on concessionary travel in England between 2011-12 and 2014-15 (the latest for which data is available) are available in Table BUS0811b which is published on the Department’s statistics page on the GOV.UK website.
The total net current expenditure refers to expenditure on all aspects of concessionary travel, including the statutory bus concession for older and disabled people, discretionary concessions, youth concession schemes and administrative costs.