The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the UK aid budget will be allocated as (a) grants and (b) loans in 2016-17.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The information requested is not available for 2016-17.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2015 to Question 35420, how many hotel bookings were made for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials of his Department in each of the last five years.
Mr Mark Francois
Ministers, special advisers and civil servants in this department undertake a variety of visits to support the delivery of Government’s objectives. A total of 10,725 hotel bookings, or slightly over 2,000 per annum, were made in the last 5 years. We do not hold figures for the costs incurred for hotel bookings, broken down in the format requested and this can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the level of corruption in those states and territories in the Middle East which receive international development aid from the UK.
Sir Desmond Swayne
In their most recent report, Transparency International assessed that the risk of fraud and corruption in the region is “high”. We therefore apply a rigorous process of due diligence, where partners must demonstrate accountable and transparent governance structures and financial procedures including compliance with counter-terrorism legislation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of extending visa-free access to the UK to Ugandan citizens.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The UK keeps its visa system under regular review. There are currently no plans to change the visa requirements for Ugandan citizens.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many civil servants working in his Department have opted out of the EU Working Time Directive.
Mr Robin Walker
As a new department we are currently in the process of migrating a large number of civil servants onto our HR systems from across government. As a result we do not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13086, whether the Special Advisers Remuneration Committee still exists.
Matthew Hancock
The arrangements for the determination of special advisers’ pay are set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health has sought independent legal advice in respect of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and if so, whether they will place a copy of that advice in the Library of the House.
Lord Prior of Brampton
Any legal advice the Department may have obtained in respect of this, or any other issue, is subject to the usual provisions relating to legal professional privilege and as such will not be disclosed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many miles of waterway the Environment Agency dredged in the last 12 months.
Rory Stewart
The Environment Agency estimates that the length of watercourse where dredging was carried out was approximately 120 miles (200km) in 2014/15.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) assaults and (b) serious assaults on prison officers were recorded at HMP Cardiff during each of the last three years.
Andrew Selous
Statistics for assaults on staff by prison are published on an annual basis by calendar year in the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin annual assaults tables (see table 3.15 at the link below). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/495430/safety-in-custody-assaults-dec-2014.xls.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the effect on poverty reduction in West Papua, Indonesia, of the reported ban on non-governmental organisations working in that area.
Mr Desmond Swayne
DFID no longer has a bilateral poverty reduction programme in Indonesia. However, as part of UK Government action to mitigate against climate change, we work in partnership with the Indonesian national and provincial governments to help secure community access to forest land in Papua to promote a sustainable green economy, whilst supporting local livelihoods.