The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the National Apprenticeship Service will continue to be (a) administered and (b) funded through the Skills Funding Agency in 2016-17.
Nick Boles
The National Apprenticeship Service is part of the Skills Funding Agency. We plan for this to continue to be the case in 2016-17.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK is taking to assist in the repair of hospitals damaged by air strikes in Yemen.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The UK is the 4th largest donor to the crisis in Yemen and has more than doubled its humanitarian support over the last year to £85 million for 2015/16. We have so far helped more than 1.3 million Yemenis with medical supplies, food, water, and emergency shelter.
The repair and rebuilding of infrastructure in Yemen will be a key part of any comprehensive recovery and reconstruction plan. We are already working with the Government of Yemen and the international community to promote thinking and planning for Yemen’s recovery. In the meantime, we are helping to meet emergency health care needs for the most vulnerable. Working through UNICEF, we provide health and nutrition services through hospitals and mobile clinics. The UK was also the largest donor to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Yemen Humanitarian Pooled Fund in 2015, with UK support providing over 40,000 people with emergency healthcare.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-03-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which organisation or company has been commissioned to conduct further environmental impact studies regarding possible expansions at (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick Airport.
Mr Robert Goodwill
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff have been contracted by the Department for Transport. Their contract is available on https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/17ffaddc-3c19-4462-91ae-bf30029c08d9.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with local authorities in Northern Ireland about the illegal trafficking of puppies into Scotland; and what assessment she has made of the effect on such trafficking of the transfer in Scotland of search powers from Trading Standards to local port authorities.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
The Government takes the illegal movement of dogs and puppies seriously and it is committed to working with the Devolved Administrations, delivery bodies, enforcement agencies and non-government organisations to tackle this issue.
While I have had no discussions with local authorities in Northern Ireland about the illegal trafficking of puppies into Scotland, the Defra Chief Veterinary Officer has recently discussed the issue with his Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland counterparts. Additionally, there have been discussions on this issue between other Defra officials and officials within the Devolved Administrations.
The Government has not carried out an assessment of the impact of transferring Trading Standards search powers to local port authorities in Scotland as this is a devolved matter. However, Defra will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and other interested parties to ensure that there is a full exchange of ideas and information on combating the illegal importation of puppies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-05-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each of the following European Union implementing acts, when those acts were due to be transposed into UK law; when they intend to have transposed each; why they have not yet done so; and what action the European Commission has taken against the UK government for any delay: (1) Implementing Regulation (EU) 909/2015 regarding charging and direct cost; (2) Implementing Regulation (EU) 545/2016 regarding framework agreements; (3) Implementing Regulation (EU) 171/2015 regarding licensing; (4) Implementing Regulation (EU) 10/2015 regarding applicants; (5) Implementing Regulation (EU) 869/2014 regarding the principal purpose and economic equilibrium test; (6) Implementing Regulation (EU) 429/2015 regarding noise differentiated track access charges; and (7) Implementing Regulation (EU) 1100/2015 regarding rail market monitoring.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
These implementing Regulations are directly applicable and do not require transposition into UK law. Their legal effect in the UK derives from the European Committee Act 1972.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-07-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports from Human Rights Watch of collusion between Sudanese police forces and people smugglers trafficking people in the region.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are aware of, and deeply troubled by, reports of collusion between Sudanese police forces and people smugglers. We have raised our concerns over these reports with both the Ministry of Interior and the Commissioner for Refugees. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Government of Sudan as part of our wider engagement on migration issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that organisations providing humanitarian relief in (a) Madaya, (b) Daraya and (c) Aleppo have unimpeded access to the children in those areas.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK continues to call for full and sustained cease fire and humanitarian access to all besieged and hard-to-reach areas across Syria.
The town of Madaya was reached on 25 September by a UN interagency convoy which delivered a range of desperately needed aid. This was the first convoy to reach Madaya since 30 April.
The town of Daraya is now in regime hands and much of the population has been evacuated. The Assad Regime and its backers must ensure the protection of all of Daraya’s inhabitants and that opposition fighters are treated in accordance with international humanitarian law.
The situation in Aleppo is atrocious as a result of increased bombardment by the regime and its backers in recent weeks, as well as a block on all humanitarian supplies. Fresh water supplies have also been cut off. The UK is working urgently with our international partners to pressure the regime and its backers to end the siege of Aleppo.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-11-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the assessment by the Department of Health’s Voluntary Sector Grants Hub of the grant applications made by Action on Smoking and Health in each of the last five years.
Lord Prior of Brampton
All grants awarded to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in the last five years have been awarded under Section 64 powers. There are a range of different circumstances under which it would not be appropriate or represent best value for money to run a competed scheme. The grants awarded to ASH have been assessed as most appropriate for the non-competed route.
The assessment of any grant application for funding from ASH is undertaken by members of the Tobacco Control policy team. Following this assessment, the Grants Hub makes a decision regarding whether or not to approve the application. These policy assessments contain policy advice to Ministers and so are not made public. Approvals are required from Ministers and from HM Treasury or are subject to a Departmental approval process that has been agreed with HM Treasury.
To identify relevant representations the Department has received would result in disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 19180, how her Department calculates how to allocate refugee support funding to recipient countries; what information her Department holds on how the distribution of that funding is allocated by the recipient country; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Nick Hurd
The UK has allocated £559 million, of an overall £1.12 billion contribution to the Syria crisis response, to support refugees in the region and vulnerable host communities. This includes £304 million in Lebanon, £193 million in Jordan and the remainder across the region. The UK prioritises its assistance according to where needs are greatest and most unmet, guided by assessments including the UN appeals, and the capacity of the host country to absorb refugees.
In line with the key humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality, we work with trusted humanitarian partners with experience of operating in fragile and conflict affected states, to ensure that aid is delivered to people on a needs basis. In 2015/16 DFID is working with 18 humanitarian partners in neighbouring countries. These include UN agencies, international organisations, NGOs and civil society organisations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to ensure that borough councils in two-tier authority areas provide sandbags to all residents to protect their properties during incidents of flooding.
James Wharton
It is up to individual local authorities to set their policies for sandbag distribution and allocation to residents based on flood risk.