Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to ensure that inward investment and job creation is encouraged on an equal basis across all the regions of the UK.

    Lord Maude of Horsham

    UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) actively promotes all areas of the UK and is investing significant effort and resources to fully support HMG’s drive to rebalance the UK economy, whilst staying true to UKTI’s ‘UK First principle’.

    UKTI always ensures it offers the client the most suitable location options for that client’s businesses investment to be a commercial success, since success is the best guarantee of a long-term investment.

  • Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the reserve forces are cyber specialists.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We are significantly growing the number of dedicated Cyber specialists in the Reserves. Recruiting is on track to meet our target by April 2017. As with other sensitive Defence capabilities, I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to ensure there is adequate funding for children with special educational needs in early years education.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We have already announced over £1bn more for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. We are also providing protection for high needs funding that will make sure that the level of funding rises in proportion to the number of children, including those under 5. This will make sure that local authorities continue to have the flexibility to target funding where it is most needed to help children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families, including the youngest children. Further consideration will be given to funding for children with special educational needs in early years education as part of consultation later this year.

    Local authorities are required by law to secure free entitlement places for parents that want their child to take them up. The Government is committed to ensuring that all families have access to high quality, flexible and affordable childcare and parents with children with special educational needs should have the same opportunities as other parents through access to high quality childcare. The Children and Families Act requires local authorities to have a ‘local offer’ which includes a statement on how they intend to tailor the childcare on offer for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Early implementation of 30 hours from September 2016 provides a real opportunity to develop innovative approaches to providing flexible childcare for working parents whose children are disabled or have special educational needs.

    Through Early Implementation, York, Northumberland, Newham and Wigan are among 8 LAs delivering the 30 hours entitlement from September 2016, a year earlier than planned. This will include delivering targeted places focusing on children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

    They will also be supported by Early Implementer Innovator areas including Brighton and Hove, Hampshire and Trafford, who will test the offer and how it works under specific circumstances, including developing approaches to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nadine Dorries – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to make travel on the Thameslink line more accessible for disabled passengers.

    Claire Perry

    On the Thameslink route, the new Thameslink trains currently being manufactured will enter service later this year. The full fleet will be in service by the end of 2018. The train specification was developed to meet the latest standards and is fully compliant with accessibility standards for heavy rail (the Persons of Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability – PRM-TSI).

    To aid boarding and alighting, the Thameslink Programme is providing dedicated ramps at stations and on board the trains, in addition to raised platform areas at busy central London stations that will step free from street level to the new trains. The boarding positions will be clearly indicated for disabled users.

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

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

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister on 4 May (HC Deb, col 168) that there is a very strong case here for saying that it is genocide

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has said, the Government’s position remains that although there is a very strong case to answer, ultimately it should be a matter for judicial authorities. The Government continues to believe that recognition of genocide should be a matter for international courts, not political bodies. It should be a legal, rather than political determination, decided by international judges after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible international judicial process.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government is committed to doing all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts in line with our current international obligations. To this end we are seeking to ensure the huge purchasing power of government supports the task of boosting growth, and enables us to actively shape the UK market for the long term.

    We are providing industry with visibility of up to £191bn of potential procurement opportunities across 19 sectors. In addition, we are working with businesses to identify and address any key capabilities needed to meet future demand; actively helping them to remove barriers and supporting growth through additional benefits that boost exports and drive innovation.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when he plans to lay the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada before Parliament.

    Greg Hands

    The EU Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will be laid before Parliament in due course.

  • Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reasons a fire safety contract with Norland Managed Services, London has been awarded outwith the Restoration and Renewal project for the Palace of Westminster.

    Tom Brake

    This contract is one element of a wider programme to achieve compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 by the end of 2018, in accordance with a commitment the House made in 2011 to the Crown Premises Inspection Group.

    Achieving compliance will reduce the risk of fire causing loss of life or injury to individuals, destroying or damaging the building, or disrupting the work of Parliament.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what level of UK support has been negotiated for the Rivetjoint platforms; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A Memorandum of Understanding with the US Government provides for the in-service support and upgrade activity of the UK Rivet Joint fleet. All maintenance support is conducted in the UK by RAF personnel, with assistance from field service representatives provided under the US/UK cooperative agreement. Some minor support activity is also provided by UK contractors based at RAF Waddington and there are contracts with a number of UK companies that support the Ministry of Defence in managing compliance with UK safety, airworthiness and security regulations.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what expertise in the design and supervision of aid and development projects, if any, is available within EU diplomatic posts outside the EU; and if none, whether they will call for a halt to further projects.

    Baroness Verma

    The EU Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO) is responsible for designing European international cooperation and development policy and delivering aid throughout the world.

    As of 1 January 2015 DG DEVCO had approximately 3600 Staff (officials, contractual agents, local agents and other categories of external staff) both in Headquarters (35%) and in EU Delegations (65%). DG DEVCO has the greatest number of Commission staff in EU Delegations (2350 – approximately 44%). The Commission also draws on Member State contributions to complement and supplement its own expertise. For example, as well drawing on expertise in policy technical experts meetings and management committees, there are a significant number of specialists drawn from Member States under the Seconded National Experts arrangements.