Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Reprieve report, entitled Belfast to Bahrain: the Torture Trail and its findings of work carried out by Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas Ltd in Bahrain.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​The UK Government continues to assist Bahrain in their reform agenda including by working with the Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas (NICO) programme. Our and NICO’s aims are to assist the Government of Bahrain to bring its justice system into compliance with international standards. All of NICO’s work in Bahrain is regularly monitored and reviewed and continues to comply with rigorous UK human rights standards, which are in line with international human rights law. The impact of their work has been and continues to be positive.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage more retailers to sell milk brands that best support the domestic dairy industry.

    George Eustice

    The Secretary of State has written to all major supermarkets asking them to consider what more they might be able to do to increase their sourcing of UK dairy products and I am holding discussions with individual retailers, to encourage them to do more, particularly on processed dairy products.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of derelict and abandoned buildings.

    Brandon Lewis

    The number of empty homes is at its lowest since records began. Local authorities have powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes. Through the New Homes Bonus they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one. Councils may also charge up to 150% council tax for homes empty for over two years. In addition, we have reformed permitted development rights to free up the planning system and encourage the conversion of existing commercial buildings into residential units

    A local authority can also serve a notice under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to make good land and buildings that are not being properly maintained where the public amenity the area is being adversely affected. Where a section 215 notice has not been complied with, the local planning authorities can carry out the works and seek to recover the costs. Additionally local authorities also have powers under sections 76-79 of the Building Act to dealing with defective premises, dangerous buildings, ruinous/dilapidated buildings and neglected sites; section 29 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 for works on unoccupied buildings; and sections 79-82 of the Environmental Protection Act for abatement or prohibition of a nuisance.

    Advice to local planning authorities on how to make the best use of their powers under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/town-and-country-planning-act-1990-section-215-best-practice-guidance

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  • Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with organisations representing small businesses on its plans to introduce quarterly tax returns for businesses by 2020.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the honourable Members to my response of 11 January 2016 (with references 20876 and 21032).

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  • Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Turnberg on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of benefit payments made to EU immigrants for their children living in their home countries during the last two years for which figures are available.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The information is not available.

  • Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department is taking steps to increase awareness amongst small retailers of EU directive 2014/40/EU, section 14, regulating packet sizes for cigarettes.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government is developing guidance on the implementation of Article 14 of the revised Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) and is considering how best to raise awareness of the changes.

  • 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 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, when he expects the new pensions guidance body to be established.

    Harriett Baldwin

    At Budget 2016, the government published its response to the Public Financial Guidance Review and launched a consultation seeking views on the government’s plans to restructure the statutory financial guidance providers – the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. This paper, which closes on 8 June 2016, sets out a new delivery model for public financial guidance and seeks views on how, within this model, the proposed services could best be offered. The new delivery model is designed to better complement the financial guidance provided by the third sector and the industry and provide more targeted support for consumers.

    The government will consider the responses to this consultation over the summer, and in parallel, work closely with the affected organisations to finalise the delivery structure. A detailed timetable will be set out with the final response, which will be published in the autumn. The government has been clear that the three affected organisations will continue to provide guidance to consumers until at least 2018.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence given to the Committees on Arms Export Controls on 27 April 2016 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, how many final reports his Department has received from the Saudi government’s independent investigation committee on alleged breaches of international humanitarian law to date in Yemen.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    Saudi Arabia is conducting a number of investigations into specific allegations of breaches of International Humanitarian Law. On 31 January Saudi Arabia held a press conference where they announced the result of the investigation into the MSF hospital incident on 26 October in Sa’ada. They also announced more detail of how they investigate allegations of IHL breaches and apply lessons learnt from these investigations. It is important that these investigations are thorough and conclusive. We would encourage them to publish their findings where appropriate.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the proportion of UK energy consumption that was supplied by other countries in each of the last 10 years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK’s net import dependency is published in DECC’s Energy Trends table 1.3, and is reproduced below:

    Import dependence

    2006

    21.3%

    2007

    20.6%

    2008

    26.3%

    2009

    27.0%

    2010

    28.6%

    2011

    36.7%

    2012

    43.1%

    2013

    47.1%

    2014

    46.2%

    2015

    38.6%

    Source: DECC Energy Trends, March 2015

    In 2015, the UK’s net imports of 79.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent accounted for 38.6% of the UK’s primary consumption of energy.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what operational orders are given to the armed forces serving in Yemen on the protection of cultural property.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK is not a member of the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition and British military personnel are not directly involved in the Saudi led Coalition’s operations. We remain concerned about any damage to cultural property in Yemen and are aware of reports of alleged damage by actors in the conflict. Yemen and many members of the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition are parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict and to the 1972 World Heritage Convention. We have raised our concerns regarding protection of cultural property with both the Government of Yemen and the Saudi Arabia.