Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether parity of esteem as established in the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to people who live in the Republic of Ireland.

    Lord Dunlop

    This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect. In the Agreement it is clearly expressed and defined in relation to people living in Northern Ireland.

    As a general obligation there is no definition of particular circumstances in which it does or does not apply.

    As I have set out in previous replies to the Noble Lord, this Government is firm in its commitment to the protection of people against any form of discrimination, and the promotion of opportunity for all, across the whole of our United Kingdom.

    In respect of the Noble Lord’s question about those who might march wearing army uniforms but who are not members of an army, the concept of parity of esteem clearly does not absolve people from upholding the law. This Government has made clear many times that we will never accept any form of equivalence between members of the security forces and those who engage in terrorism or other forms of paramilitary activity.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of hate crime were reported in Croydon in each of the last 12 months.

    Sarah Newton

    The Home Office collects information on the number of hate crimes recorded by the police at the police force area level. The Metropolitan police force recorded 13,889 hate crimes in 2014/15.

    Further information on hate crime can be found in Hate Crimes, England and Wales, 2014/15, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2014-to-2015

    Data for 2015/16 are due to be published in October 2016.

    This Government is committed to tackling hate crime. The UK has one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to tackle hate crime. We are working across Government with police, (including National Community Tensions Team), the Crown Prosecution Service and community partners to send out a clear message that hate crime will not be tolerated and we will vigorously pursue and prosecute those who commit these crimes.

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many UK medical students entered undergraduate training in each year since 2000.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Information on the number of United Kingdom medical students is not held centrally; this is collected by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to (a) measure the number of butterflies and (b) restore butterfly habitats.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra publishes an annual indicator on butterfly abundance, using data collected by volunteers. Large fluctuations are typical of butterfly populations but in England the indicator shows that butterfly numbers have generally fallen since 1990, although with numbers of some common species stabilising over the last five years.

    In England, we will take forward our manifesto commitment to produce a 25 year strategy for the environment, which will include biodiversity. Our approach will be designed to meet the habitat needs of many species including butterflies. In England’s National Pollinator Strategy we are aiming to expand flower rich habitats across different types of land to benefit pollinators including butterflies.

    The England network of protected areas provides benefits for many species even when those areas are not specifically designated for the conservation of those particular species. This network includes local and national sites protected under domestic legislation and international sites protected under European and International law. Some of these sites are specifically designated for species of particular importance, including the marsh fritillary butterfly, which is a notified feature of a number of Special Areas of Conservation, designated under the Habitats Directive.

    Agri-environment schemes play a major role in the conservation of butterflies in England. For instance, across grassland habitats in Dorset, between 1990 and 2010 the marsh fritillary increased in abundance by around 278% on land managed under these schemes.

    In the summer of 2014 the critically endangered high brown fritillary experienced its best season since 2004 with numbers increasing by more than 180% as compared to 2013 across Dartmoor, Exmoor, and Morecambe Bay in Lancashire and sites in the Lake District.

    The Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package in the new Countryside Stewardship scheme contain options to improve habitats and provide nectar sources for butterflies. It will play a key role in supporting the National Pollinator Strategy.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff are working temporarily at a higher grade to cover a vacancy; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such arrangements on the relationship between DVSA staff and management.

    Andrew Jones

    Temporary promotion allows the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to develop people and give them opportunities to gain new skills and experiences; it would always seek to make use of this opportunity.

    At the last quarter 376 people within DVSA were on a form of temporary promotion, this includes opportunities to cover vacancies but also to conduct fixed term projects at a higher grade.

    Since the creation of DVSA there have been a greater number of people on temporary promotion than normally expected and has started to address this with permanent recruitment.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the most recent estimate is that his Department has made of (a) civilian public sector, (b) civilian private sector and (c) military personnel working (i) directly on and (ii) in the supply chain of the Successor submarine programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The nuclear deterrent is the cornerstone of the UK’s defence security policy. Maintaining the UK’s defence nuclear enterprise supports over 30,000 jobs across the UK and makes a significant contribution to the economy.

    In the UK, four key suppliers directly support the delivery of the Trident programme. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) managed and operated by AWE Management Limited is based in Aldermaston and Burghfield; BAE Systems Maritime-Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness; Babcock at Devonport; and Rolls-Royce at Raynesway, Derby. There are thousands of jobs sustained across these sites.

    There are also 6,800 Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilian and Royal Navy jobs at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde including contractors from Babcock, Lockheed Martin UK and Rolls-Royce. This figure is due to grow to 8,200 in the 2020s. Rolls-Royce also operate the site at the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment, Dounreay, supporting the Trident programme and other nuclear-powered submarines. Also the Defence Equipment and Support’s military and defence civilian personnel are based at MOD Abbey Wood and other sites in the UK.

    The ability of these key areas to deliver their programmes depends heavily on an extensive network of sub-contractors who are working indirectly in support of the Trident programme.

  • Baroness Barker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Barker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Barker on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much Kids Company received in gift aid payments from 2005–6 to 2015–16.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has a statutory duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality and cannot comment on the affairs of individual organisations.

    HMRC publishes national statistics showing the total cost of Gift Aid and other charitable tax reliefs.

  • Chris Bryant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Chris Bryant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Prime Minister, how many special advisers have (a) requested and (b) been granted the Prime Minister’s approval for working part or full-time for a Leave campaign in the EU referendum.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester South (Mr Ashworth) on 29 February 2016, UIN 28380.

  • Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Crispin Blunt on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what forecast he has made of the number of households within the 55 day-evening-night equivalent level noise contour of aircraft arriving and taking off at Gatwick Airport in the event that a second runway at that airport was to become operational.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the Airports Commission’s case for new runway capacity in the South East, as well as the Commission’s three shortlisted schemes.

    The Airports Commission undertook a thorough assessment of the noise impacts of each of the three shortlisted schemes, across a wide range of metrics, including the 55 day-evening-night sound level.

    The Government continues to consider the comprehensive evidence published by the Airports Commission, including on the noise impacts of the three schemes.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average hourly earnings were of her Department’s (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

    George Eustice

    Defra employees are paid within salary bands according to their grades, they are not paid by the hour. The tables below set out a calculation of average hourly pay for all employees within the central department, by grade, and by BME, Non-BME, and Undeclared ethnic status (employees that have not declared their ethnicity).

    2015

    BME

    Non BME

    Undeclared

    AA

    *

    *

    £8.96

    AO

    £12.15

    £12.17

    £11.43

    EO

    £14.96

    £13.92

    £13.80

    HEO

    £17.29

    £16.79

    £15.98

    SEO

    £20.54

    £19.96

    £20.05

    G7

    £27.43

    £27.33

    £26.30

    G6

    *

    £32.62

    £33.10

    SCS

    *

    £39.77

    £46.42

    2016

    BME

    Non BME

    Undeclared

    AA

    *

    *

    £9.84

    AO

    £12.06

    £12.17

    £12.16

    EO

    £14.89

    £14.41

    £13.99

    HEO

    £17.23

    £16.66

    £16.05

    SEO

    £20.47

    £20.51

    £20.42

    G7

    £27.40

    £27.35

    £26.65

    G6

    *

    £33.04

    £32.84

    SCS

    *

    £42.62

    £48.85

    *Number of staff in this group are below publishable level

    Good progress is being made on actions in the Government’s Talent Action Plan and Defra’s Diversity Strategy to ensure that Defra is able to recruit and retain employees from a diverse range of backgrounds, and to enable them to develop and progress on merit.