Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the UK withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government’s position on the European Convention of Human Rights remains clear. We cannot rule out withdrawing forever, but our forthcoming proposals do not include it. We are confident that we can replace the Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights and reform our relationship with the Strasbourg Court.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s planned expenditure is on UK defence attachés in each year to 2020.

    Mike Penning

    The following information shows Ministry of Defence funding for the Defence Attaché and Advisor Network to financial year (FY) 2019-20 including costs associated with the British Defence Section in Washington.

    FY2016-17

    FY2017-18

    FY2018-19

    FY2019-20

    Attaché Costs

    £39,616,021

    £39,372,162

    £38,899,766

    £40,433,147

    FCO Platform Charges

    £13,136,434

    £15,470,882

    £15,689,819

    £15,970,923

    Total

    £52,752,455

    £54,843,044

    £55,589,585

    £56,404,070
  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether retrospective planning permission is more likely to be granted if the development in question is occupied.

    Gavin Barwell

    The Department has not made such an assessment.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what regulations apply to the size and colours of printed information on benefits published by his Department to ensure access to that information for people with visual impairments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has the following documented standards for printed information:
    • Minimum type size of 10pt FS Me or 12pt Arial, based on recommended best practice from RNIB

    • The majority of publications are printed in black and white.

    • Where colour is used, we apply international standards for suitable contrast between text and background.

    • The Department provides staff guidance explaining how to commission large print, Braille or audio versions of publications in response to individual requests.

    • Publications can also be made available in electronic formats suitable for most computers equipped with screen reader software; or as Portable Document Format (PDF) files which have been optimised for the free-of-charge Adobe Reader built-in ‘Read out loud’ function.

  • Liam Fox – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liam Fox – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Fox on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage zero carbon housing.

    James Wharton

    I refer my rt. Hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 23 October 2015, PQ 12627.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average change in entitlement for existing universal credit claimants who are in work as a result of changes to benefits taking effect in April 2016.

    Priti Patel

    The vast majority of existing Universal Credit claimants will see no change in entitlement. Those who are in work and who are affected will receive additional support from their work coach and, where appropriate, from the locally administered flexible support fund.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to prevent the spread of the Zika virus to the UK.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) have been carefully monitoring the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas since it was first reported in Brazil during May 2015. PHE has reviewed evidence on the transmission of Zika virus and PHE mosquito experts have provided advice to Government and the public that neither the main vector of Zika virus Aedes aegypti, nor other species of Aedes mosquitoes, including Aedes albopictus, that may have the potential to transmit this virus, are established in the United Kingdom.

    The risk to the UK population is related to travel to countries where Zika virus outbreaks are currently ongoing, and NaTHNaC and PHE have published updated advice for travellers to South and Central America and the Caribbean, including specific advice for pregnant women. The risk of onward spread within the UK is very low and PHE has again provided this advice to government, and the public.

    PHE has also been working with appropriate professional groups to develop information and guidance on Zika for clinicians. This advice can be accessed through the PHE website and has been cascaded by organisations such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

    Together with the Royal College of General Practitioners PHE has developed guidance specifically targeted at primary care which will be available shortly. PHE has also produced regular briefing notes for local health protection teams who have been asked to share this with the local National Health Service.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question 24278, how much has been set aside in his Department’s budget for potential costs associated with the decommissioning and disposal of HMS Ocean.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Much of the work to decommission Royal Navy ships is undertaken using contracts that provide support services for all ships conducting Fleet activities at HM Naval Base, Portsmouth. Costs are not attributed to individual vessels.

    Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) will be responsible for the removal of classified equipment and known hazardous materials from HMS OCEAN after the ship has been decommissioned. The DE&S financial plan will include a provision for this work but a figure has yet to be approved.

    The Disposal Services Authority (DSA), part of DE&S, disposes of defence equipment that is surplus to requirement. DSA costs are not attributed to individual platforms and information is not held in the format requested.

  • Lord Horam – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Horam – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Horam on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many homes were completed in each London Borough in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many homes were sold under the Right to Buy in each of those London Boroughs in the same year.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The figures requested are provided in the table below:

    London Borough

    Dwellings completed in 20151

    Right to Buy sales in 20152

    Barking and Dagenham

    649

    216

    Barnet

    1,500

    89

    Bexley

    603

    ..

    Brent

    708

    60

    Bromley

    676

    ..

    Camden

    711

    140

    City of London

    10

    5

    Croydon

    1,687

    160

    Ealing

    756

    105

    Enfield

    610

    144

    Greenwich

    1,874

    240

    Hackney

    623

    241

    Hammersmith and Fulham

    290

    82

    Haringey

    651

    177

    Harrow

    561

    28

    Havering

    1,084

    86

    Hillingdon

    537

    136

    Hounslow

    1,043

    183

    Islington

    189

    176

    Kensington and Chelsea

    1,119

    36

    Kingston upon Thames

    46

    37

    Lambeth

    1,302

    228

    Lewisham

    1,118

    111

    Merton

    158

    ..

    Newham

    691

    330

    Redbridge

    492

    46

    Richmond upon Thames

    121

    ..

    Southwark

    1,466

    278

    Sutton

    194

    52

    Tower Hamlets

    1,138

    264

    Waltham Forest

    1,081

    100

    Wandsworth

    761

    47

    Westminster

    166

    51

    1 source: Live Table 253a https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

    2 source: Live Table 691 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-sales

    Figures exclude Preserved Right to Buy

    .. Local Authority owns no dwelling stock.

    “

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will take steps to ensure that protection and empowerment of girls is given equal priority to that of women at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    It is a priority of the UK to secure Summit outcomes that promote the protection and empowerment of both women and girls, strengthening their voices, choice and control in crisis settings. Women and girls share equal status within that priority.