UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of Turkish members of parliament being verbally abused, physically assaulted and threatened with murder within the parliament of that country; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is aware of disturbances in the Turkish parliament which took place in the context of its decision to lift parliamentary immunities for MPs. We continue to stress that, as a modern democracy, we would expect Turkey, following the lifting of immunity, to undertake any subsequent legal processes transparently and fully respect the rule of law.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Kosovo on the extradition of Abbot Laurence Soper.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    My Officials have been in close contact with the Kosovo authorities about this case. Abbot Laurence Soper was deported from Kosovo to the UK on 21 August as he was in breach of his immigration status in Kosovo. He was arrested by the UK Police on his arrival, and is now in custody in the UK.

  • Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the effect on the preparedness of complainants to report rape of the use of complainants’ previous sexual history in evidence in rape trials; and if she will make a statement.

    Sarah Newton

    This Government has made protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence a key priority.

    The most recent Crime Statistics published on 20 October by the Office for National Statistics show that police recorded rape increased by 16% (to 36,438) in the year ending July 2016 compared with the previous year. The ONS state that the increases are believed to result from an improvement in the recording of sexual offences by the police and an increased willingness of victims to come forward and report these crimes to the police. In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service annual Violence Against Women and Girls Report, published in September 2016, shows the highest volumes ever recorded of charged defendants, prosecutions and convictions for rape.

    We welcome the fact that more victims of rape are coming forward and reporting these crimes to the police. Victims must have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing that they will get the support they need to go through the criminal justice process and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.

    Section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 places a statutory restriction on introduction of evidence and questioning of complainants about their sexual history. Section 41 was introduced to protect complainants in proceedings for sexual offences, introducing a presumption that such evidence and questioning will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.

  • Phillip Lee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Phillip Lee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phillip Lee on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential efficacy of introducing restrictions on the advertising of foods high in saturated fats, sugars and salts on television before 9pm in reducing rates of childhood obesity.

    Jane Ellison

    There is a total ban in place on the advertising of foods high in fat, sugars and salt during children’s television programmes, on dedicated children’s broadcast channels and in programmes of particular appeal to children under the age of 16.

    We have noted Public Health England’s recent assessment of evidence on the impact of marketing to children as set out in their report Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action. We are considering this advice, along with other areas of potential action, as part of our plans to bring forward a childhood obesity strategy in the new year.

    Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action is available at:

    www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470179/Sugar_reduction_The_evidence_for_action.pdf

  • Bill Wiggin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Bill Wiggin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many single farm payments were issued by the Rural Payments Agency on 1 December 2015; and how many of those payments were calculated incorrectly.

    George Eustice

    The Secretary of State and I have regular meetings and discussions with the Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The Chief Executive of the RPA also attends the department’s weekly Executive Committee.

    Around 33,000 Basic Payment Scheme claims were paid promptly and accurately on 1st December, the first day of the payment window that runs through to 30 June.

  • Stephen Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Twigg on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many doses of pandemic H1N1 vaccine were administered in the UK in the 2010-11 influenza season.

    Jane Ellison

    An estimated 172,260 doses of pandemic flu vaccine were administered from 1 September 2010 to 28 February 2011.

    The Department issued a letter from the Chief Medical Officer on 6 January 2011 about seasonal influenza vaccine uptake and supply. It noted that if efforts to source seasonal flu locally had not been successful, then the H1N1 monovalent vaccine Pandemrix could be offered to those eligible for seasonal flu vaccine.

  • Lord Rooker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Rooker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 22 July 2014 (HL939), what was the ranking of the UK in the Health at a Glance 2015: OECD Indicators report for (1) infant mortality, (2) numbers of MRI and CT Scanners, (3) low birth weight infants, (4) overweight and obesity amongst adults, (5) overweight and obesity amongst children, (6) mortality from cardiovascular disease, and (7) mortality from cancer; how these rankings compared to those for 2013; and what plans they have to improve the UK rankings.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The United Kingdom’s rankings among OECD member states (as shown by the 2015 and 2013 Health at a Glance reports) are the following:

    Health at a Glance 2013

    Health at a Glance 2015

    Infant mortality

    25th lowest out of 34

    19th lowest out of 34

    Low birth weight infants

    21st lowest out of 34

    21st lowest out of 34

    MRI units

    7th lowest out of 28

    4th lowest out of 32

    CT scanners

    3rd lowest out of 29

    3rd lowest out of 32

    Obesity among adults

    28th lowest out of 34

    27th lowest out of 34

    Overweight and obesity among children (measured)

    18th lowest out of 34

    32th lowest out of 33

    Mortality from cardiovascular disease (ischemic heart disease)

    19th lowest out of 33

    18th lowest out of 34

    Mortality from cardiovascular disease (cerebrovascular disease)

    22nd lowest out of 33

    14th lowest out of 34

    Mortality from cancer

    25th lowest out of 33

    26th lowest out of 34

    The Government welcomes the OECD reports as an authoritative contribution to the development of health policy in the UK. For the health service in England, we have taken note of the OECD’s findings. The underlying data on health outcomes informs the development of our mandates and other guidance to the health and care system, in particular to NHS England and Public Health England.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date his Council of Economic Advisers last met in full; and how many times it met in full in the last 12 months.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Members of the Government’s Council of Economic Advisers meet daily with Ministers, officials and others to discuss the design and formation of government policy.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the UK economy has benefited from defence technology research and development.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As stated in National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cmd 9161), the UK conducts world-class innovation across all the major commercial technology sectors with national security applications, including aerospace, biotechnology and medical sciences, big data, cyber security, satellites, robotics and advanced materials.

    The defence and security industries make a major contribution to our prosperity. In the UK they employ over 215,000 people, predominantly highly skilled, and support a further 150,000, as well as 6,500 apprentices. In 2014, both industries had a collective turnover of over £30 billion, including defence and security export orders worth £11.9 billion.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has for consultation on proposed reforms to the UK’s human rights framework in the devolved regions; and what the form, timing and content of such consultation will be.

    Dominic Raab

    This Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. We will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation for a Bill of Rights and we will set out our proposals in due course.