Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 41301, whether he has made an estimate of the total cost to his Department of hiring additional lawyers, financial and trade experts as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 June given in response to PQ 41301. Structures and funding required for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are to be determined.

  • Baroness Redfern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Redfern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what alternatives to a sugar tax they have considered to reduce levels of childhood obesity.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    In developing Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action we looked at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. The policies in the plan focus on the ones that are likely to have the biggest impact on childhood obesity. In addition to the soft drinks industry levy, this includes the sugar reduction programme, helping all children to enjoy an hour of physical activity every day and a healthy rating scheme for primary schools.

    The plan is informed by the latest research and evidence, including from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report Carbohydrates and Health, Public Health England’s evidence package Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, other government departments, debates in this House and various reports from key stakeholders including the Health Select Committee.

    We are confident that the measures we have announced will make a real difference and estimate could reduce childhood obesity rates by about a fifth (330,000) over the next ten years. Though we are clear in our goals and firm in the action we will take, the launch of this plan represents the start of a conversation, rather than the final word.

    Copies of Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action, Carbohydrates and Health and Sugar reduction: the evidence for action are attached.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hannah Bardell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on accepting asylum claims from (a) Syrian refugees who have reached the UK travelling through other EU member states without claiming asylum in one of those states and (b) such refugees who reside with family members who have a right to reside in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Asylum seekers should not travel through safe countries illegally and then choose where to claim asylum.

    If we have evidence that a Syrian asylum seeker is the responsibility of another European country we can and will seek to return them there under the Dublin Regulation. Similarly, if we have evidence that the person claiming asylum in the UK has already been granted international protection by another European country we will also seek to remove them to the country that granted protection. When making a decision on whether to remove refugees under the Dublin Regulation full consideration is given to the right to family and private life under Article 8 of the ECHR.

    The Dublin Regulation does contain family unity provisions which may result in the responsible State being that where an asylum seeker’s close family members are legally present. The asylum seeker would, however, in the first instance need to make an asylum application in the country that they are in, in order for the provision to be considered.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many asylum seekers facing deportation committed self harm or suicide in the past year.

    Lord Bates

    The number of cases where individuals facing deportation have committed self harm or suicide cannot be extracted without incurring disproportionate cost. Figures therefore cannot be provided.

    The Home Office is committed to ensuring adequate safeguards are in place for those where there are concerns about self harm or suicide. Guidance has been provided to immigration case workers, and there is a requirement to share concerns with other officers involved in the case by noting such concerns on the Department’s case information database (CID).

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times police cells were used to hold prisoners overnight in each month in 2014 and 2015.

    Andrew Selous

    There are occasions, for logistical reasons, where prisoners may be temporarily held overnight in police cells. Police cells are used not due to a lack of space across the prison estate but because it is not always possible to transfer prisoners from courts to prisons in the time available at the end of court sittings.

    The number of prisoners held overnight in a police cell has been cut from a peak of over 50,000 in financial year 2007-08.

    We will always have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts and will aim to deal with the prison population in a way that gives taxpayers the best possible value for money. Operation Safeguard, have not been used since 22 September 2008 and no police cells under Operation Safeguard have been on stand-by since the end of October 2008.

    The following table shows the total number of prisoners who were temporarily held overnight in police cells in England and Wales in each month in 2014-15. The totals include adults, young adults (18 to 20-year-olds) and young people (15 to 17-year-olds).

    Number of uses of police cells

    2014

    2015

    January

    168

    89

    February

    372

    112

    March

    175

    74

    April

    64

    107

    May

    46

    47

    June

    112

    113

    July

    274

    180

    August

    116

    63

    September

    62

    137

    October

    96

    174

    November

    149

    195

    December

    111

    151

    Total

    1745

    1442

    “

  • Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on its decision not to renew the position of National Clinical Director for Adult Neurology from March 2016.

    Jane Ellison

    Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, has undertaken a review of the National Clinical Director (NCD) resource designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement. As a result NHS England has proposed to change the way in which clinical advice is received in speciality areas in the future.

    Where there will no longer be a specific NCD role, NHS England will secure expert clinical advice from its clinical networks, through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors. For neurology, it is planned that advice will be provided through a range of sources such as: clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks; the Neurology Clinical Reference Group; and the Royal Colleges. It is expected that these new arrangements will be in place from 1 April 2016.

    The Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN) is a joint partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to support the generation and dissemination of neurology-related health intelligence. The NIN, which is currently funded by PHE, faces no change to its current resource for the next financial year.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the government of Iraq in re-assimilating newly liberated regions from Daesh/ISIL; what steps the Government is taking to assist Iraq with such assimilation; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government of Iraq is committed to stabilising areas which have been liberated from Daesh by providing the governance, services and security necessary to enable the safe return of Iraqis to these areas. The Global Coalition is supporting the Government of Iraq to do this, including by working through the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation. In the last year, UNDP report that these efforts have contributed to the return of 170,000 people to Tikrit, 49,000 people to Al Dour and 15,000 people to Mkeishifa. The UK has supported these efforts by providing £2.5 million to UNDP, deploying stabilisation advisors to UNDP and to the British Embassy in Baghdad, deploying a Communications Advisor to support the Governor of Anbar, and providing £225,000 to United Nations Mine Action Service to establish a coordination unit to assess the scope of explosive threats.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of Syrian opposition groups which the Joint Intelligence Committee has identified as non-extremist are currently represented in the UN-led peace negotiations in Geneva.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There are currently four representatives of Armed Opposition Groups in the seventeen member negotiating team of the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee in Geneva, including Mohammed Alloush (representing one of the armed groups), who is the Chief Negotiator.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of the people who attended the Tackling Corruption Together Conference on 11 May 2016.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Tackling Corruption Together conference on 11 May was organised by a consortium of civil society organisations, businesses and the Commonwealth Secretariat. The government was not responsible for the guest list.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many doctors trained in the UK in each of the last five years subsequently moved abroad to practice.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department does not hold this information.