Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Marion Fellows – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Marion Fellows – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marion Fellows on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Working age benefits are available for those who have not yet reached State Pension age. A concession of £1.1bn was made, and 81% of those affected will see a delay of one year or less; and for the rest, the delay will be no more than 18 months. There are no plans for further transitional arrangements.

  • 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 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 23 February (HL6044), why the answer did not answer parts 2, 3 and 4 of the question; and whether they will now do so.

    Lord Dunlop

    My written answer dated 23 February 2016 (HL6044) made reference to the Joint Communiqué of the meeting of 26 February 2007, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. The Joint Communiqué provides the answers to parts 2 and 3 of the Noble Lord’s original question (details of attendees and topics discussed).

    In relation to part 4 of the original question, as previously advised no formal actions were listed following this meeting. The focus at the time was the drive towards devolution and the Conference urged all political leaders to act with courage and determination in order to attain this.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths of children aged under 18 resulting directly from epilepsy have been recorded in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the contribution of the Minister for Policing, Fire and Criminal Justice and Victims of 10 February 2016, Official Report, column 1594, on the Police Grant Report (England and Wales), how many operational on-duty frontline police officers there were in (a) the latest period for which figures are available and (b) 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The number and proportion of full time equivalent police officers employed in operational frontline roles as at 31 March 2015, the latest period for which figures are available, and 31 March 2010, are provided in the table.

    As HMIC has made clear, there is no simple link between police numbers and crime levels, between numbers and the visibility of police in the community, or between numbers and the quality of service provided.

    Decisions on the size and composition of the police workforce are operational matters for Chief Officers working with their Police and Crime Commissioners and taking into account local priorities. What matters is how officers are deployed, not how many of them there are.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the aerial bombing of the Heiban locality in the South Khordofan and Blue Nile regions on 1 May, what assessment they have made of whether the government of Sudan is now in breach of international humanitarian law.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The reported aerial bombardment of civilians in the Heiban locality of South Kordofan is appalling. Targeting of civilians would be a clear breach of International Humanitarian Law. We continue to make clear to the Government of Sudan that they have a responsibility to protect citizens, distinguish between combatants and non-combatants and uphold International Humanitarian Law.

    We consistently raise the importance of ending the conflicts in South Kordofan and Blue Nile directly with both the Government of Sudan and the Opposition; most recently, the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan raised this issue during his visit to Khartoum earlier this month. We continue to call on all sides to end the violence and believe that the Roadmap proposed by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel represents a viable way forward.

  • Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard the wellbeing of UK citizens engaged in UN operations in Juba, South Sudan.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK is a strong supporter of the UN in South Sudan and we are working in the UN Security Council to ensure their peacekeeping mission UNMISS has the equipment and access it needs for its staff to be able to do their jobs safely and effectively. The FCO provided a flight, in the absence of commercial options, for British Nationals, including those working in the UN, who wanted to leave South Sudan on 14 July 2016.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans NHS England has to undertake a formal evaluation of the new Cancer Drugs Fund.

    Nicola Blackwood

    NHS England’s standard operating procedures for the appraisal and funding of cancer drugs from July 2016 (including the new Cancer Drugs Fund) state that NHS England will keep the operational mechanisms of the new arrangements under continuous review. In addition, NHS England will look to undertake a more formal evaluation of the overall operation of the scheme, no later than autumn 2017.

    The standard operating procedures are available at:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cdf-sop.pdf

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the quality of education at university technical colleges.

    Nick Boles

    University technical colleges (UTCs) harness students’ talents, offering them technical learning alongside GCSEs and A levels, and providing them with knowledge and skills which employers value. The programme is still at an early stage. The best UTCs, such as UTC Reading, are providing excellent education, which is reflected in their exam results.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Infrastructure Commission has made in its work as it relates to Northern Ireland.

    Greg Hands

    The National Infrastructure Commission has been established to provide expert impartial analysis of the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs. To do this the commission will conduct an infrastructure needs assessment every five years, with its findings articulated in the National Infrastructure Assessment. As part of the infrastructure needs assessment the commission will review areas of Northern Irish infrastructure that are the responsibility of the UK government, and its findings will be made public once the report is completed.

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-01-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Economic Secretary to the Treasury of 19 January 2016, Official Report, column 1254, what the nature and scope is of the Financial Conduct Authority’s investigation into Symphony interbank communications software.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The FCA does not directly regulate the activities of Symphony Communication Services LLC or any other electronic messaging platform. However, firms that are authorised by the FCA who use messaging services such as Symphony are subject to a range of applicable requirements, including the recording and storage of such tapes and electronic communications. The FCA is monitoring developments in relation to the use of Symphony by FCA-regulated firms.

    The FCA is also in touch with regulated firms to monitor how they are using new technology in this area, and any risks that may exist.

    Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss relevant regulatory issues.

    As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.