Tag: Parliamentary Question

Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to change its policy on the use of genetically modified organisms in farming after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

As part of the preparations for EU exit, the Government is considering possible future arrangements for the regulation of genetically modified organisms. The Government’s general view remains that policy and regulation in this area should be science-based and proportionate.

01/01/2023

Lord Ahmed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-11-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current waiting time for processing of (1) Spouse Visas, (2) Visitor Visas, (3) Student Visas and (4) Entrepreneur Visas.

Lord Bates

The average global processing time for the period July 2014 to June 2015 and the most recent data – which covers the month of June 2015 – on global processing times for spouse, visitor, student and entrepreneur visas are set out in the table below.

Type	Category	Average processing time (working days) – (Jun-15)	Average processing time (working days) – (Jul-14 to Jun-15)
Non-Settlement	Visit	7	7
Non-Settlement	Student	6	8
Non-Settlement	T1 Entrepreneur	11	11
Settlement	Spouse	35	54

01/01/2023

Lord Harrison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whose responsibility it is to ensure the safety of lifts at Euston railway station; and what information they have about when those lifts were last inspected; and whether they will publish a report about lift safety at that station.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Network Rail is the relevant safety duty holder with responsibility for ensuring that risks are controlled so far as reasonably practicable on its infrastructure and the stations it manages.

The Department does not hold information about when the lifts at Euston railway station were last inspected and operational issues such as these are a matter for Network Rail with oversight from the Office of Rail and Road in its role as the independent railway safety regulator.

01/01/2023
Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-01-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 16 December 2015 (HL4512 and HL4513), how long RAF Joint Force Harrier squadrons had to stay on board anti-submarine warfare carriers to ensure all pilots were flight qualified.

Earl Howe

Depending on weather and aircraft serviceability, it usually took Joint Force Harrier Squadron pilots, on average, three to four weeks to qualify for combat operations from an Invincible Class carrier.

01/01/2023
Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for the children’s hospices grant beyond 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer

NHS England is responsible for the annual grant to children’s hospices and for determining how it will be allocated each year. The palliative care currency is designed to provide a basis for local commissioning discussions, by clearly identifying the costs of care. The currency is being tested by NHS England locally, to ensure it makes sense to commissioners and providers, and the results will be published later in the year. The intention is that there will be an appropriate transition to local commissioning of children’s hospices, but they have pledged to continue the grant until a sustainable alternative means of local funding is in effect.

01/01/2023
Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of UK liquid milk has been sold by the 10 leading supermarkets over each of the past five years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Virtually all liquid milk sold at retail in the UK is UK produced, since imports account for less than 1% of the total UK supply. We do not hold any data on milk sales provided by retailers.

01/01/2023
Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if his Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing government online forms.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Department has no plans to include space for people to include their honours in Government online forms.

Space to include honours in online forms produced by the Department’s arm’s length bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies is a matter for those bodies.

01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala over the area around the Sarstoon River.

Mr Hugo Swire

The Government receives regular reports on the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala, including the area around the Sarstoon River.

I met Foreign Minister Elrington of Belize and Foreign Minister Morales of Guatemala on 25 May to discuss the border dispute and progress towards referring the the dispute to the International Court of Justice.

01/01/2023
Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on plans to cap housing benefit and (b) assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed cap on housing benefit on people who live in supported housing and have mental illness; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes

Ministers have held various discussions during the development of the policy to introduce Local Housing Allowance rates into the social rented sector.

Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.

01/01/2023
Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last raised the detention of the Panchen Lama with the Chinese authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma

We raised the case of the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in 2014. The Chinese authorities stated in September 2015 that the Panchen Lama was "leading a normal life" in China.

We urge China to ensure that any restrictions on the Panchen Lama’s freedom of movement and communication are lifted, so that he may select the career, education or religious life of his choosing. We will continue to support calls by the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief for the relevant authorities to facilitate a meeting between the Panchen Lama and independent international observers.

01/01/2023