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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he plans to implement a formal process for engaging with sectors of the economy affected by the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Robin Walker

    DExEU officials, supported by officials across Government, are engaging with business to identify the key factors that will affect our negotiations with the EU. We have a formal strategy and are engaging with companies big and small in every sector of the economy and are drawing on local and regional networks and key organisations in the voluntary sector.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) staff of which grades and (b) desk teams were working on Russia in his Department in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) the latest date for which figures are available.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The FCO’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate has one team working directly on Russia, and a significant proportion of the work across the Directorate is also focused on Russia. In addition, many teams and staff at all grades across the wider FCO and its overseas network have responsibilities which relate directly or indirectly, to Russia.

    The breakdown of staff numbers for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate in 2013-15 (overseas and at home) is as follows:

    31 March 2013 – 116

    31 March 2014 – 106

    31 March 2015 – 119

    31 October 2015 – 114

    Figures prior to 2013 are not available broken down by by Department. In 2014, following the crisis in Ukraine, we reinforced the FCO’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate by increasing the number of senior staff and deputy directors, as well as expanding the Russia and Ukraine Teams. This included an SMS 2 Director, in addition to an SMS 1 Additional Director. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 the Director position was graded at SMS 1. Other Government Departments have also increased resources on Russia.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academies in each local authority area were in deficit in each year since 2009-10; and what the total deficit was in academies in each such area in each of those years.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department does not hold this information in the form requested. Academies are operated by the legal entity of academy trusts, many of which operate multiple academies across multiple local authorities. As such, it is not possible to give local authority figures.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will hold discussions with the UN on the alleged misappropriation of reconstruction building materials to Hamas in Gaza.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID has provided £0.7 million to the Materials Monitoring Unit (MMU) which monitors the import, storage, supply and use of construction materials into Gaza under the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) in order to help ensure that materials are used for civilian purposes. The MMU has identified certain cases of resale or misappropriation of materials and taken appropriate remedial action, keeping donors including the UK closely informed. We take seriously allegations of misappropriation of building materials and have regular and regular discussions with the UN to raise these concerns.

  • Baroness Valentine – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Valentine – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Valentine on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 December 2015 (HL Deb, col 1885) on aviation capacity, what additional work is now being undertaken on (1) air quality, (2) noise, (3) carbon emissions, (4) surface access to airports, (5) managing the wider impacts of airports on local communities, and (6) the funding and financing of new runways; and when this work will be complete.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We are testing the Airports Commission’s work on air quality further against the Government’s new air quality plan, as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee. This is additional work to test compliance, and build confidence that expansion can take place within legal limits. The further work on air quality is only one element of a wider package of further work.

    We are dealing with concerns about noise to get the best outcome for residents, and doing more work on carbon to address concerns on sustainability, particularly during construction. We want to make sure that communities get the best possible mitigation deal.

    In addition, we are doing due diligence on the plans for surface access to the airports by talking to both the promoters and the key delivery bodies.

    We are also carrying out extra assurance to assess the runways’ potential both locally and nationally so it can deliver more jobs, more growth and more apprenticeships.

    On funding and financing, the Airports Commission has provided an extensive examination of the costs, financing, and commercial viability of airport expansion. The Airports Commission and the scheme promoters have made it clear that new runway capacity will be privately delivered and financed.

    We anticipate that all this further work will conclude over the summer.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will hold discussions with individual sector skills councils on the proportion of the three million new apprenticeships that need to be at level 3 and level 4.

    Nick Boles

    Apprenticeships are jobs, so employers themselves decide what occupations and levels they employ apprentices in.

    Employer-led Trailblazers are designing apprenticeship standards at a range of levels to meet the skill needs of their industries.

    We will continue to encourage the growth of apprenticeships at all levels to meet our commitment to 3 million new starts in England by 2020, including Level 3, Level 4 and Degree Apprenticeships.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the status of Public Health England’s Missed Opportunity Programme referenced in the 2014 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer, and whether they will place in the Library of the House any research findings related to that programme.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government’s Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England sets out the need to increase access to all methods of contraception including long acting (LARC) methods and that better support is needed to access contraception after childbirth. Local authorities are mandated to provide access to the full range of contraception services and should work with clinical commissioning groups to ensure that contraception is discussed and all methods of contraception, including LARC, are accessible as part of the post-natal maternity pathway. Further guidance will be available in Public Health England’s Missed Opportunities in Pregnancy report. This addresses the missed opportunities for the provision of contraception along the maternity, abortion and early pregnancy loss pathways, and is now in the final stage of revisions and is expected to be published later in 2016.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2016 to Question 32928, what issues of prisoner payments were raised with the Palestinian Authority Finance Minister Bishara in September 2015; which prisoners were discussed with that Minister; and what representations she has received on reported payments made to Kifah and Ibrahim Ghanimat.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    No UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners, or their families. UK direct financial assistance to the PA is used to pay the salaries of civil servant and pensioners. I discussed with Minister Bishara a broad range of issues regarding prisoner payments including their administration by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. The UK continues to lobby for the payments to be more transparent, affordable and needs-based.

  • Marion Fellows – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Marion Fellows – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marion Fellows on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make representations to the International Olympic Committee on upgrading the medals of British athletes who were placed behind athletes found guilty of doping in competitions.

    Tracey Crouch

    Recommendation 17 of the International Olympic Committee’s Agenda 2020 seeks to honour clean athletes by awarding an Olympic medal following a positive doping case. This involves organising formal medal ceremonies for medal-winners who receive their Olympic medal following the disqualification of a competitor.

    Last month Australian athlete Jared Tallent was presented with an Olympic gold medal for the 50km walk at the London 2012 Games following the disqualification of a Russian athlete for a doping offence. We expect the same treatment for British athletes.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of supported housing properties likely to be affected by the proposed reduction in housing benefit, and what is their estimate of the range of weekly costs to tenants of such properties.

    Lord Freud

    Supported accommodation plays a vital role in the lives of many vulnerable people. That is why on 15 September 2016 we announced, via a Written Ministerial Statement, that we would be deferring the application of Local Housing Allowance Rates in the social sector for supported housing until 2019/20, at which point we will bring in a new funding model which will ensure that the sector continues to be funded at current levels, taking into account the effect of Government policy on social sector rents.