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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for small businesses of the UK leaving the EU.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There will be no immediate changes to the UK’s relationship with the EU, in the way goods can move or services can be sold. The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is engaging with small businesses about the issues, risks and opportunities arising as a result of the decision to leave the EU. The Government is working to ensure that the UK remains one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business.

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

    Lord Eames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Eames on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current assessment of the significance of the possible changes in the status of the land border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for commercial life in Northern Ireland.

    Lord Dunlop

    The open border for people and businesses has served us well and no-one wants to see a return to the borders of the past. There is a strong will – within this Government, among the Northern Ireland parties and in the Irish Government – to preserve the common travel area and to ensure we get the right deal for trade in goods and services with the European Union. We must now focus on securing a deal that is in the interest of both of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his contribution of 9 September 2015, Official Report, column 88WH, when he expects the National Archives to publish those documents on contaminated blood from 1986 to 1995.

    Jane Ellison

    The documents have been transferred to The National Archives. They have advised that the documents will be released by 3 March 2016.

    It should be noted that, as part of his inquiry, Lord Penrose had access to all documents on blood safety from the period in question, held by the Department.

  • Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina about the refugee and migrant crisis in the Western Balkans, and what provisions are in place to offer (1) UK, and (2) EU, support to the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the event of an influx of refugees and migrants into that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are in contact with all governments of the region on the migration crisis. On 23 September, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), pledged a UK contribution of £308,078 to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s Sarajevo office for contingency planning. This was part of a wider pledge of £3.1 million of aid to international agencies to support Western Balkans countries affected by the migration crisis. On 1 November, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), announced a further £5 million of humanitarian aid to the countries on the Eastern Mediterranean route. We are also contributing substantially through EU assistance programmes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The EU has provided €8.5 million of migration-related assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of this has been spent on technical assistance for effectively managing migration and asylum. It has also been spent on supply of equipment and on the construction of a reception facility for migrants. The EU is due to spend a further €2 million to support BiH’s border police.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will have discussions with pub chains on training staff to identify people with suicidal tendencies in order to stop serving such people alcohol.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has no plans to undertake such discussions but as part of the continuing programme of work to support the government’s suicide prevention strategy, Public Health England has published guidance for local authorities to develop local suicide prevention action plans. The guidance suggests that local authorities establish a local suicide prevention group and work with relevant organisations in their area to co-ordinate activities to reduce suicide. Those groups can work with landlords and pub managers.

  • Neil Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Neil Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Carmichael on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the value to the economy in Northern Ireland of membership of the EU single market.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Government is fulfilling its manifesto commitment to seek a reformed relationship with Europe and then put the results of that negotiation to the people in a referendum.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on implementing the recommendations of the Government Actuaries Department relating to firefighters’ pensions in its report dated 28 August 2015.

    Mike Penning

    The Government has determined that the principles of the Ombudsman’s decision in the Milne v Government Actuary’s Department case should be applied to other affected individuals, including retired firefighters and police officers in England.

    Redress will be paid to affected individuals via their relevant pension scheme, and we will be providing fire and rescue authorities and police forces with necessary grant to cover the cost of these payments.

    Pension administrators will have now completed the majority of calculations and the majority of payments to individuals will be made by April 2016. This does not preclude payments being made earlier in many cases. I trust that authorities will make payments as soon as is practical and understand that some have already done so.

  • 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 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 24 February (HL5812) concerning the Belfast Agreement 1998, why they did not answer the question and whether equality between those islands” includes parity of esteem for all on those islands.”

    Lord Dunlop

    I have previously responded to the Noble Lord’s question by explaining that paragraph three of the Declaration of Support in the Belfast Agreement commits the participants involved in the multi-party negotiations that led to the Agreement ‘to partnership, equality and mutual respect as the basis of relationships within Northern Ireland, between North and South, and between these islands’. I also explained that the United Kingdom Government is committed to affording due respect and parity of esteem to all the people in Northern Ireland as underpinned by the Agreement and in accordance with the obligations on the Government to promote equality and prevent discrimination across the United Kingdom. I have nothing to add to this.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the planned timetable is for the scoping exercise for special provisions, including fast tracking for treatment, for people with obstructive sleep apnoea who drive for a living.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been asked to develop a clinical guideline and quality standard on sleep disordered breathing (including obstructive sleep apnoea). NICE will develop the scope of the clinical guideline, including the key questions that will be addressed by the guidance, in consultation with stakeholders.

    NICE has advised that there is currently no timetable for developing this guidance.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2016 to Question 34579, what plans his Department has to publish information on the performance of the Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme in increasing the diversity of the armed forces since that programme was established.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme (DDIP) is driving change in the core areas of leadership and culture; recruitment; retention and progression; and outreach by ensuring diversity and inclusion considerations as part of normal business across the whole Department. This involves staff and funding across all areas of the Department, to define how this should be done and ensure delivery as part of people’s existing roles wherever they work.

    The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to achieving a more diverse workforce and is undertaking various activities to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits into the Armed Forces to 10% by 2020 and has allocated resources for this purpose.

    The cost of funding the DDIP is disaggregated amongst budgets across the Department; therefore a response could only be provided at disproportionate cost. As part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review we dedicated additional resources to recruitment activity in order to help generate a more diverse workforce and reach all parts of the UK’s Armed Forces community.