The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, approximately how many (a) British and (b) non-British nationals are employed cleaning the Westminster estate of his Department.
Simon Kirby
The cleaning service at HM Treasury is provided through a service contract, let by the landlord for 1 Horse Guards Road (Exchequer Partnership). HM Treasury does not directly employ cleaners.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the refugee crisis in Lebanon.
Mr Desmond Swayne
To date, the UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, with £304 million being allocated to meet the immediate needs of refugees and to support host communities in Lebanon. This makes us the second largest bilateral donor after the US.
As part of the No Lost Generation initiative, DFID has pledged a total of £80 million of this allocation to support education in Lebanon, including support for the Lebanese Government’s ‘Reaching All Children with Education’ RACE scheme toexpand the public education systemto include an additional 200,000 Syrian refugees and improve the quality for Lebanese students.
DFID also works in Lebanon to alleviate the impact of the humanitarian crisis through advocacy focused on civilian and refugee protection, humanitarian access for aid, and improving the effectiveness and funding of the international response.
For more information and to stay up to date with what DFID is doing in response to the Syria crisis in Lebanon and across the region, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/syria-the-latest-updates-on-uk-aid.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that women’s refuge services (a) take steps to improve the level of reporting and (b) contribute to data gathering on cases of domestic violence and forced marriage.
Mr Marcus Jones
Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims is a key priority of this Government. As announced at Summer budget we have carried out, along with Home Office, a review of domestic abuse services, working closely with the Women’s sector using much of their data and we recognise how important data reporting is. Since 2003, the Government has supported UKRefugesOnline to maintain a database of domestic abuse services. In the Summer Budget we allocated an additional £131,000 of funding to support additional caseworkers at the helpline. It is for local commissioners to draw up agreements on data collection with domestic abuse service providers to support their local area Domestic Abuse Strategies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of computer literacy among prison staff.
Andrew Selous
All staff who are required to use computers as part of their day-to-day duties will receive formal training in the use of specific software or programmes during induction into their role, or as part of continuous professional development.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is undertaking to assist local authorities in preparing bids for the 2021 UK City of Culture.
Mr Edward Vaizey
DCMS will issue guidance on bidding for the UK City of Culture 2021 ahead of the competition which will run during 2017 – the year when we will celebrate Hull City of Culture. DCMS will continue to provide advice to interested local authorities and intends to hold an event later this year to explain the process and to generate interest in this exciting opportunity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what further assistance his Department plans to give the devolved legislatures for providing access to higher speed broadband services.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Superfast broadband is available to nearly 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK, and we are on track to reach 95% by the end of 2017, as set out in our manifesto All of the BDUK superfast broadband contracts with BT contain a claw-back mechanism so that as take-up rises above a set level of 20%, further funding is reinvested in extending coverage, which all the nations will benefit from, including Northern Ireland.
In November, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition is to set this at 10 Mbps. This will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection from a designated provider, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live.
We are also piloting a range of alternative technology approaches to help us understand the options for extending superfast broadband further. We are also encouraging commercial suppliers to meet their commitments to provide further coverage who are themselves investing in new technology to extend coverage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to publicise the EU interpretation notice on the labelling of goods derived from Israeli settlements in occupied territories, including on their websites.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government is examining the Interpretative Notice alongside existing technical advice to UK retailers and importers. No changes have been made to the UK guidance at present, but this matter remains under review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on commissioning of integrated paediatric continence services.
Jane Ellison
In November 2015, NHS England published the Commissioning Framework for Continence Services Excellence in Continence Care.
This covers all ages including children and outlines a pathway including assessment, diagnosis and treatment to recovery where possible. The framework sets out a number of principles for a good design of service including integration across primary, secondary and tertiary services, health, education and social care.
The framework references the Paediatric Continence Commissioning Guide (2014) which provides a specification for paediatric continence services which again puts integration at its heart.
A national Excellence in Continence Care Board, chaired by NHS England and with membership of paediatric continence specialists and the Paediatric Forum continues to oversee the implementation of the Excellence in Continence Care framework.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to help strengthen the economy of Northern Ireland.
Mr Ben Wallace
The Government’s long term economic plan to strengthen the economy is delivering for the UK and for Northern Ireland.
By cutting the deficit, reducing business taxes and encouraging investment in enterprise and innovation we are making Northern Ireland a more competitive and attractive place to do business.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of regulatory frameworks related to algorithms for (i) Facebook, (ii) Google and (iii) other online platforms.
Matt Hancock
The Government Office for Science published an evaluation report on Distributed Ledger Technology: beyond block chain on 19 January 2016, which provides an assessment. In addition, the report recommends 8 actions for government to maximise the opportunities and reduce the risks of this new technology. A copy of the report is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492972/gs-16-1-distributed-ledger-technology.pdf
Consumers’ rights with regard to the collection, processing and disclosure of their personal data are governed by the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The DPA provides rights for individuals in respect of their personal data, including rights in relation to automated decision-making, the right of subject access, the right to prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress compensation for failure to comply with certain of the Act’s requirements, and the right to have data rectified, blocked, erased or otherwise destroyed in certain circumstances.
There have been significant advances in digital technology since the DPA came into force nearly 20 years ago. The Government is reviewing the current regulatory framework to ensure it is fit for purpose for the digital age.