Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her contribution of 4 May 2016, HC Deb Official Report, column 166, whether the unaccompanied children who come to the UK will be eligible to apply for their parents to join them under refugee family reunion rules.

    James Brokenshire

    Under the family reunion provisions in the Immigration Rules children are not eligible to sponsor parents or grandparents. Allowing them to do so would create a perverse incentive for children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave existing family units in their countries of origin and risk hazardous journeys to the UK in order to act as sponsors. This would go against our safe guarding responsibilities.

    Our refugee family reunion policy allows a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 of those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to reunite with them here, providing they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.

    There is provision to grant visas outside the Immigration Rules, which caters for those who do not qualify under the rules, where there are exceptional circumstances.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on identifying suitable properties for the relocation of its offices to Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) location decisions were based on a number of key principles to enable it to deliver more for less. This included retention of its current staff and skills and local and national transport links. It does not plan to carry out an impact assessment on the local economy of East Kilbride in addition to the People Impact Assessments that have already been conducted.

    HMRC is considering a number of sites at each regional centre location, including Glasgow. More details will be available when commercial negotiations have finished.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart on the return of some of the Chibok schoolgirls; and what steps his Department is taking to help secure the safe return of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​I welcome the recent release of 21 of the Chibok girls. It is vital that they and their families now receive appropriate help and support.

    We regularly raise the issue of abducted women and girls with the Nigerian Government at the highest levels. Most recently, I discussed the Chibok girls with the Nigerian Vice President during my visit to Nigeria in September.

    Since the abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014 the UK has significantly increased its support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram. This includes training and advice for Nigerian armed forces deploying against Boko Haram, a substantial package of intelligence, military and development support and £5 million to support the Multinational Joint Task Force.

    We are resolute in our support for Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram, and continue to call for the release of all who have been abducted by this barbaric group.

  • Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the annual average cost to the Ministry of Defence of (a) maintaining each grave for which it is responsible and (b) the value of the grant made to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in respect of each grave maintained by that Commission.

    Mark Lancaster

    Discussions between Ministry Of Defence (MOD) and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) are continuing regarding the transfer of maintenance responsibility for the graves of military personnel buried in the UK since 1948.

    Annual costs for the maintenance of each grave for which MOD is responsible are estimated to be between £65 and £205 depending on the location and condition of the grave. The MOD’s annual grant to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in respect of the graves they maintain is in excess of £47 million.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, when he plans for the new class of general purpose frigates to be in service.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The cost and schedule of the general purpose frigate programme outlined in the White Paper National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence And Security Review 2015 (Cmd 9161) has yet to be determined. The programme will be scoped during a concept study as part of the programme announced by the Prime Minister on 23 November 2015 (Official Report: column 1049).

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will meet the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to discuss access to Welsh subtitling for learners and people with accessibility needs.

    Stephen Crabb

    I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, including on issues related to the Welsh language.

    Ofcom places a quota on S4C to subtitle 53% of its output. The Television Access Services report for the first six months of 2015 published on 22 October 2015 states that S4C provided subtitles on 78% of required programmes against its quota of 53%. The full report can be found here:

    http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/tv-sector-data/tv-access-services-reports/tv-access-services-2015

    The Ofcom code does not specify in which language the subtitles are provided and the number of programmes carrying subtitles in Welsh is a matter for S4C.

    “

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the government has initiated legal action against any law firms for abuse of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team inquiry.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been conducting a wide-ranging investigation into two firms – Leigh Day & Co, and Public Interest Lawyers – as a result of concerns about their conduct in the Al-Sweady Inquiry and associated litigation. Among other things, it is investigating how these firms obtain instructions from claimants in Iraq – a matter that is directly relevant to the unprecedented number of allegations with which the Iraq Historic Allegations Team is contending.

    The Government welcomes the SRA’s decision to refer Leigh Day & Co to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, and awaits its decision with regard to Public Interest Lawyers. We will decide what further action may be appropriate in the light of the results of this process.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of his Department’s overseas development assistance budget his Department spent was subject to the International Development Act 2002 in each of the last three years.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure on overseas development assistance is governed by the Supply and Appropriation Acts.

    MOD spending on overseas development assistance over the last three calendar years has been £3.0 million in 2013 and £2.2 million in 2014. The 2015 figure is currently undergoing an assurance process and is scheduled to be published on 1 April 2016. This expenditure has mainly been on humantarian assistance and defence education.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on small and medium-sized enterprises of the decision to replace research grants for companies with loans.

    Joseph Johnson

    Like many of our competitor economies, we are looking to provide a range of innovation finance products to meet the needs of businesses; this will still include grant funding. Some countries (like France, Finland, or the Netherlands) make use of a variety of financial instruments to support innovative businesses. We have been working to understand how we can apply these established approaches to support, drive and encourage innovation in the UK. In the coming months we will be conducting market research to engage with, and fully understand the needs of, innovative businesses of all sizes in the UK. As part of the first phase of implementation the Government will announce the details of a pilot and accompanying evaluation in late 2016. The pilot will test specific financial products ahead of progressing to full roll-out.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the advertisement on the Hays recruitment website by NHS England for a temporary Senior Deputy Head of Media Planning and Strategy on a daily rate of pay, whether the successful candidate for that post will be paid through (a) the NHS England payroll, (b) that agency or (c) a limited company.

    George Freeman

    A decision has been taken by NHS England to remove the position of temporary Senior Deputy Head of Media Planning and Strategy from advertisement. The temporary position will be covered from NHS England’s existing, internal resources.