Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-06-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek assurances from the government of Iran that Nazanin Ratcliffe will be granted access to a lawyer and due process rights.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We regularly lobby the Iranian government on all of our consular cases; requesting consular access for our officials, and to ensure that they have access to lawyers and are receiving appropriate medical care. Most recently the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the issue with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 17 May, and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised the subject with the Iranian Charge d’Affaires in London on 18 May. The Iranian government do not recognise dual nationals of any country, therefore we cannot gain direct access to dual nationals held in custody.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what preparations have been made for the UK having its own representative at the World Trade Organisation.

    Greg Hands

    The UK has been a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in its own right since the establishment of the WTO in 1995. The UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO is currently Julian Braithwaite.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the levels of the use of (a) illegal drugs and (b) legal highs in prisons in the UK in each of the last 5 years.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Prisons should be places of safety and reform. The increase in psychoactive substances in prisons has contributed to a rise in prison violence, making offenders more volatile and their reactions more difficult to judge and manage. Improving safety and decreasing violence is an urgent priority for the Government.

    We have introduced legislation to restrict the supply and possession of psychoactive substances in prisons, and put in place new penalties for possession of a psychoactive substance in custody. Following a successful trial in 34 prisons over the summer, we have introduced an innovative new programme of mandatory drug testing for psychoactive substances in all prisons.

    Mandatory Drug Testing (MDT) figures for prisons in England and Wales are published by financial year on gov.uk. MDT for psychoactive substances began in September 2016 and figures will be published in due course.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department’s policy is on aid graduation when a country transitions from low to middle income status.

    Justine Greening

    DFID’s allocation of aid to countries is based on a range of criteria, including for example whether a country is classified as low income by the World Bank, current and future poverty levels, the opportunities available to us to reduce these levels through aid spending, and the country’s ability to finance its own development needs. Ministers regularly review which countries receive DFID funding.

  • Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on ensuring that all government departments have access to a chief scientific advisor.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Chief Scientific Advisers work across departments in partnership with policy makers to ensure the very best in scientific evidence is used in the policy process. Where posts are unfilled, the Government Office for Science works with departments to ensure they have access to relevant expertise and evidence.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce the level of VAT applicable to construction companies involved in the conversion of non-residential buildings to residential use.

    Mr David Gauke

    The sale of, or long lease in, non-residential buildings that have been converted to residential use is, subject to certain criteria, zero-rated for VAT.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22708, on neonicotinoids: EU action, when she expects the EU Commission to report back its findings; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The European Food Safety Authority has undertaken to complete its assessment for the European Commission by 31 January 2017. The Commission will then consider whether this assessment requires any change to the current restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids. It has not committed to a timescale for this.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to supporting health and wellbeing by encouraging health promotion and the adoption of healthier lifestyles for all our staff.

    The Department’s wellbeing strategy is based around three key strands:

    Preventing Problems

    The Department runs ‘fit for work’ activities, promoting and supporting health lifestyles, and ‘healthy work’ activities, ensuring wellbeing is not threatened by negative working environments.

    Reacting to Problems

    As an organisation, we take action to help those experiencing poor health or wellbeing, and support them in returning to work as soon as possible.

    Measuring Wellbeing in BIS

    We monitor progress in the Department in improving health and wellbeing, for example through monitoring turnover, and the results from People Surveys.

    The Department provides a number of facilities for staff, including but not limited to childcare vouchers to support parents and guardians, a mediation service to manage stressful situations, and flexible working options.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of non-combat related deaths in the UK military were given an inquiry by jury in the last five years.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the effectiveness of the public service obligation for regional airports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government plans to update its Aviation Policy Framework this year. As part of this update the Government will consider the role that public service obligations can play in serving regional airports.