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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the potential effect of delays in the processing of criminal record check disclosures on sporting activities.

    Mike Penning

    Protecting the public is a priority for this Government and it is important that checks undertaken are thorough; a proportion of the applications received by the DBS must be referred to one or more police forces as part of the enhanced disclosure process. In the vast majority of cases these checks are completed within target.

    Whilst no assessment has been made of the impact of timeliness on sporting activities, it is recognised that delays may create problems for some people. We will not compromise when it comes to the safety of children and vulnerable adults.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Attorney General, whether there are plans to review the nature and type of offences that are capable of referral to the Court of Appeal on the grounds of leniency of sentencing.

    Robert Buckland

    The Government has committed to extending the scope of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme and is carefully considering its approach.

  • Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the level of funding for the Big Lottery Fund.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland Office engages with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly on a range of important issues, including the Big Lottery Fund. The Parliamentary under Secretary of State, Lord Dunlop, met with the Big Lottery Fund in Edinburgh on 14 September.

  • Earl Baldwin of Bewdley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Earl Baldwin of Bewdley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their view on the merits of reducing the concentration of fluoride in water supplies subject to fluoridation schemes from 1.0 to around 0.7 part per million, in the light of the experience of countries such as Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and Singapore.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Public Health England advise that there is no current evidence from monitoring data to support a variation of the target level for fluoride in drinking water.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which categories of young people it is his policy will be exempt from the new restrictions to housing benefit eligibility.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Removal of automatic housing support for 18 – 21 year olds, announced in the Summer Budget 2015, will be introduced in April 2017. The Department is liaising with a range of key stakeholders as we develop the detail of the policy. Once this work has been completed we will bring forward detailed proposals.

  • The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK advisers have highlighted to the government of Saudi Arabia the status of Yemeni cultural heritage, including the list of sites provided by the International Committee of the Blue Shield to the Ministry of Defence.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    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-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 Arabian government.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the average number of hours of weekly respite or support family carers are able to access; and what targets his Department has for such provision.

    Alistair Burt

    We do not hold information on the average number of hours of weekly respite for carers. We are working with councils to improve data in this area for future iterations of the Short and Long Term Care data collection, including on respite care (also known as replacement care).

    The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by unpaid carers and the importance of supporting them in their caring roles. That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in the Care Act 2014. This includes a right to an assessment on the appearance of needs for support that will look at a carer’s wellbeing and what support they may need in their caring role, including replacement care where appropriate. The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015-16.

    We have also made an additional £400 million available to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The equivalent annual allocation of £130 million for carers breaks is now included in the Better Care Fund.

    The Department is also leading the development of a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy that will look at what more we can do to support existing carers and future carers.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings the UK Ambassador to Afghanistan has had with non-governmental organisations in that country in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Our Ambassador in Afghanistan regularly meets a full range of international and Afghan civil society representatives in Afghanistan and will continue to do so. The UK has made long-term commitments to the country’s future through financial aid and political support. The international and Afghan civil society community will continue to play an important role in the future stability and prosperity of Afghanistan and remains a key relationship for the Embassy.

  • 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 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the French government about its initiative to restart the Middle East peace process to advance a two-state solution.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    I have discussed the French initiative with the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, and with his envoy for the Middle East Peace Process, Pierre Vimont. We will continue to work closely with the French government to ensure that their initiative makes a constructive contribution that encourages the parties to resume negotiations.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the safety of passengers at train stations in London.

    Paul Maynard

    We are working with train operators inside and outside of London, including through franchising arrangements, so that they maintain or increase the number of the stations which have been awarded ‘Secure Station’ status. The Secure Stations scheme is managed by the Department for Transport (DfT) and British Transport Police (BTP), and sets station design and management standards. It is aimed at:

    • preventing and reducing crime and disorder, providing a safer environment for passengers and staff;
    • increasing passenger numbers;
    • reducing costs of repair following vandalism, graffiti, etc., and of lost staff time due to distress or injury.

    DfT is also currently working with the BTP to review and refresh the Secure Stations scheme to ensure that it continues to drive up standards, covers wider aspects of station security and that it reflects recent changes to the operating structure of the rail industry.