Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support the Metropolitan Police in tackling terrorism in London.

    Mr John Hayes

    We have ensured the police have the necessary powers and resources to tackle the terrorist threat, including in London, where the Metropolitan Police play a leading role in tackling terrorism across the country.

    Counter-Terrorism Policing spending will be protected over the next Spending Review period. Indeed, for 2016/17 it will be increased in real terms to £670 million for England and Wales. An additional £34 million will also be provided to enable a national uplift in armed policing capability and capacity to respond more quickly and effectively to a firearms attack.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to reinforce the Royal Navy’s operations in the Aegean Sea in order to save more lives and to arrest more traffickers.

    Earl Howe

    I refer the noble Lord to the statement I made to this House on Monday 7 March (Official Report, column 1079). The Royal Navy has deployed Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay and a Wildcat helicopter to support NATO activity in the Aegean Sea. These will work alongside three Home Office vessels: VOS Grace, which has been deployed since November; the cutter Protector, which is en route to the region; and a further cutter that is expected to start operations later this month.

    In addition to RFA Mounts Bay, there are five NATO ships on station at the moment. Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Turkey have each deployed a ship.

    NATO ships will provide information to enable Greek and Turkish civilian authorities to intercept migrant vessels and arrest traffickers. It is not an interdiction or search and rescue operation, but RFA Mounts Bay would give assistance to any vessel it found in distress, in accordance with international obligations.

    With regards to sufficiency, we note the substantial contribution being made by the UK and other members of NATO, but we always look to see what further contributions members of the Alliance can make.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received about possible revision of the seafarer’s earnings deduction incentive.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Chancellor has not recently received any specific representations about possible revisions to the seafarer’s earnings deduction.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to increase the proportion of men going to university.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background or gender.

    In the last academic year we saw record numbers of applicants and entrants to higher education, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    In our recent guidance to the Director of Fair Access, we asked him to include among his areas of focus support for white working class boys who are among the groups with the lowest participation rates. Universities expect to spend more than £745 million through access agreements agreed with the Director of Fair Access on measures to improve access and success for students from disadvantaged backgrounds – up significantly from £404 million in 2009.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the academy trusts approved to receive the Northern Fund for academy sponsors in the second competition which concluded in February 2016 operated schools which had not been inspected by Ofsted since becoming an academy.

    Edward Timpson

    Nine academy trusts were approved to receive the Northern Fund from the two competitions. All nine trusts (five in the first competition, and four in the second) were operating one or more schools that had not been inspected by Ofsted since becoming an academy at the time decisions were taken to award funding. Equally, all nine trusts had one of more schools that had been inspected at the time decisions were taken to award funding.

    Academy trusts will, at any point in time, be likely to have a mixture of academies, some of which will have been inspected as academies and some not. That is the nature of the inspection arrangements, and is why we considered a broad set of factors, including the overall performance of the trusts, to assess whether the Northern Fund would enhance their capacity and capability to improve underperforming schools.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the current work priorities are of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

    Ben Gummer

    The IPA was formed on 01 January 2016, merging the existing Cabinet Office Major Projects Authority and HM Treasury’s Infrastructure UK. The IPA reports jointly to HMT and the Cabinet Office – and brings together the strengths of both departments – increasing co-operation and alignment in the centre of government on infrastructure and major projects.

    The Authority’s 6 key priorities are;

    1. To set the right policy environment for projects to succeed
    2. To give the market confidence to deliver
    3. To ensue projects and programmes are set up for success from the outset
    4. To ensure projects and programmes deliver their intended benefits
    5. To promote the right operating environment for project delivery
    6. To developing world-class project delivery & project finance capabilities across government
  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with his counterparts at the G20 in Turkey on support provided to ISIS by nationals of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Islington North (Mr Corbyn) on 18 November 2015 Official Report, column 667.

    I also refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave, during the Oral Statement on the G20 and Paris attacks that I made on 17 November, to the right hon. Member for Islington North (Mr Corbyn), Official Report, column 528, and to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Mr Salmond), Official Report, column 536.

  • Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his plans are for the Government’s 49 per cent stake in NATS; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently committed to exploring the sale of its 49% shareholding in NATS and maximising returns to the taxpayer.

    We have not yet set a timetable for the sale.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total cost is of the transfer to Individual Electoral Registration; and what proportion of such costs have been borne by local government.

    John Penrose

    In financial years 2013/14 and 2014/15 the Government has spent £72 million in the transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER).

    Of this, over £49 million was shared between all EROs in Great Britain, ensuring the transition to IER was fully funded. This included over £10 million that was allocated to local authorities specifically to boost levels of voter registration.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Attorney General, what the CPS’s policy is on seeking prosecutions of former members of paramilitary and terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland for attacks made against members of the armed forces during the Troubles; and if he will make a statement.

    Robert Buckland

    Criminal cases in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland. Its decisions are independently made and it reports to the devolved authorities.

    In relation to offences involving attacks against armed forces in England and Wales, all cases referred to the CPS are reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors by specialist prosecutors within the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division. There is no specific policy in respect of prosecutions of this type and they will be dealt with in the usual way.