Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential consequences of the current account deficit on the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Despite narrowing in Q3 2015 to -3.7 per cent of GDP, the current account deficit remains high by historical standards. The widening in the UK current account deficit in recent years has been driven by a deterioration in the UK’s net investment income from abroad, while the trade deficit has continued to improve. The Office for Budget Responsibility expect the income account to “improve gradually over the forecast period” as the factors that have temporarily depressed the returns on the UK’s net assets are expected to recede, and the current account deficit continues to narrow to -2.1 per cent by 2020. Furthermore, the government’s plan to complete the repair of the public finances will support a gradual narrowing of the current account deficit, limiting any effect on the exchange rate, though we remain vigilant to the risks.

  • 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 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times (a) knife, (b) shiv, (c) shank, (d) chib and (e) another slang word for a blade were recorded on the Incident Report System in HM Prison Oakwood in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested, in respect of each of these four questions, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the situation of children living in Eritrea, and of the effects of the Danish report on asylum determination, published in 2014, which has been criticised for failing to reflect the balance of views expressed by the UN.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government wants to see better conditions for children in Eritrea. Some of the issues of concern are: a lack of education; limited access to health services; and the prospect of extended National Service. Each of these can act as a driver for migration, pushing minors to undertake dangerous journeys to Europe. Though the Government of Eritrea has made some progress, including improving health services and increasing the net national enrolment in education, more needs to be done. Through the Department for International Development, the UK is supporting UN Children’s Emergency Fund programs that help improve the lives of children in Eritrea.

    The Home Office’s Country Information and Guidance on handling Eritrean asylum and human rights claims is based on an objective assessment of the situation in Eritrea. It uses evidence from a range of sources, including the Danish Immigration Service’s fact finding report of December 2014. The Home Office carefully considered the criticisms of the Danish report when preparing the guidance, as well as other published material. Each asylum case is carefully considered on its individual merits.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent their fiscal strategy is influenced by Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was established to introduce independence, greater transparency and credibility to the economic and fiscal forecasts on which the government’s fiscal policy is based. Since 2010, the government has used the OBR’s economic and fiscal forecasts as the official forecasts. The government sets its fiscal strategy independently of the OBR but the forecasts are used to inform decisions on fiscal policy.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of microplastics entering the sea on protected species in UK waters.

    George Eustice

    Defra has funded a project, undertaken by the University of Plymouth, to study the effects of microplastics in the marine environment. The study did not specifically cover protected species. The project studied whether chemical pollutants stick to plastic particles, whether marine organisms ingest plastic particles and pass them along the food chain, and whether the plastics themselves, or associated chemical pollutants, could cause harm to those organisms. The final report for this project is expected to be published shortly.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when and where the next community engagement event for High Speed 2 Phase One in Chesham and Amersham constituency will take place.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    HS2 Ltd’s most recent engagement with the Amersham and Chesham community took place at the Amersham Town Carnival on Saturday 9th July, and was part of the project’s more localised approach to community engagement. The HS2 stall presented local information on the project, and was attended by around 180 residents from the Amersham / Chesham community.

    HS2 Ltd plans to attend similar existing community events across the Phase One route during the summer months, and is also drawing up a schedule of HS2 Ltd run community events, expected to be delivered in the autumn. Amersham and Chesham will be included as part of this exercise. Further details will be made available once the next event is confirmed.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the Kurdistan Region Government about the proposed closing of schools and institutions linked to the Gülen Movement, as a result of discussions between the government of Turkey and that government.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of reports that all Gulen schools in the Kurdistan Region will come under the management of the Kurdistan Regional Government ‘s Ministry of Education, although we do not yet fully understand the rationale behind this decision. Officials at our Consulate General in Erbil will discuss this issue with representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government at the earliest opportunity. Delivering a quality education remains an ongoing challenge for the government of Iraq. Reports suggest that almost one in five schools across Iraq is out of use due to conflict, which has left millions of Iraqi children of school-age outside of the education system. We continue to work with the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to promote education, particularly through the work of the British Council and our Chevening programme.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-11-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that all staff in HM Revenue and Customs authorised to cancel late-payment penalties are authorised to provide the person concerned with written confirmation of that cancellation.

    Mr David Gauke

    All staff in HM Revenue and Customs who are authorised to cancel late-filing penalties and late-payment penalties are also authorised to provide the customer concerned with written confirmation of that cancellation. The process to advise the person of the cancellation may differ between taxes, and the notification may in some cases be on-line rather than in a letter.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that Health Education England implements the recommendations on the training of workforce contained in the report of the Independent Cancer Taskforce, Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations in the independent Cancer Taskforce’s report, Achieving world-class cancer outcomes: a strategy for England 2015 to 2020, and has appointed Cally Palmer CBE as NHS National Cancer Director to lead on managing implementation. She is currently setting up a new Cancer Transformation Board to lead the roll-out of the recommendations of the new strategy, including on workforce, and a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, will oversee and scrutinise their work.

    We announced in September that Health Education England (HEE) is developing a new national training programme for an additional 200 staff to get the skills and expertise to carry out endoscopies by 2018. The content of the next mandate from the Government to HEE is currently being determined.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs will apply to the different domestic heat and non-heat categories of the RHI scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We intend to reform the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to improve value for money and reduce costs; improve cost control and budget management; and explore the best way to support ‘less able to pay’ households and owners of large plants. We plan to consult on the changes shortly. Ofgem will continue to run the RHI under the current rules, while we consider the reform of the scheme.