Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of adults with brain damage caused by alcohol consumed by their mothers during pregnancy; and what assessment he has made of the level of awareness of health and other care professionals of the disability, and the consequences of that disability, which result from that activity.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not held centrally.

    Health Education England (HEE) works with the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Royal Colleges to seek to ensure training of health and care professionals meets the needs of the public.

    HEE has established a Patient Advisory Forum which provides advice to the HEE Board and other advisory groups to ensure that the needs of the patient are at the heart of the education, training and workforce planning process.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was paid in (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials of her Department in each of the last three years.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The following table provides the total paid in year-end performance related awards to DFID staff in each of the last three years.

    Performance Year

    Total Paid in Year-End Performance Related Awards

    2012/13

    £1,213,250

    2013/14

    £1,294,200

    2014/15

    £850,800

    DFID does not award in-year performance related awards.

    Non-consolidated performance related pay is only paid to reward excellence, for example to recognise and incentivise those responsible for delivering high quality public services and savings to the taxpayer. These one-off payments are not pensionable. Since 2010-11 the Government has restricted awards for senior civil servants to the top 25% of performers (from 65% in previous years), saving around £15 million overall

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to raise the case of any of the public executions in North Korea between 2010 and 2014 detailed in the latest report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain strongly opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances.

    The UK, working with the EU and Japan, has ensured that annual UN resolutions consistently call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to end its use of the death penalty. We also use our diplomatic relations to raise concerns directly with North Korean officials.

    British diplomats raised specific concerns with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pyongyang following the execution of Jang Song Thaek in December 2013.

    In October, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), met the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid, to discuss a coordinated approach to addressing human rights concerns across the globe, including the DPRK.

  • Lord Campbell-Savours – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Campbell-Savours – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell-Savours on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of whether denying a member of the House of Lords who is a Special Adviser the right to speak is in breach of the letters patent, which refer to seat” and “voice”.”

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    A member of the House of Lords who is eligible to take part in the work of the House, and who is also a serving special adviser, is not denied the right to speak. It has, however, been an accepted practice under successive administrations that members in that position vote but refrain from speaking.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what initiatives they are planning to encourage tourists to use the new airport on St Helena.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK Government is providing financial support of £4.8 million between 2013 and 2016 to Enterprise St Helena, the island’s economic development agency. Enterprise St Helena is supporting the tourism sector through tourist promotion, international advertising, hospitality training, and small business development grants. It is also working with Comair, the St Helena Government’s airline partner, to encourage tourists to visit the island.

  • Lord Soley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Soley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Soley on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to encourage research into sustainable aviation fuels and advanced fuels technologies.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Department for Transport ran an Advanced Fuels Call for Evidence in 2013/14 to examine the potential of advanced fuels in aviation and other transport sectors that cannot be easily decarbonised without low-carbon fuels. A summary of the evidence received was published with the Department’s response to the consultation on the post-implementation review of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) in April 2014. Amendments to the RTFO earlier this year increased rewards for gaseous fuels, such as biomethane used in freight, to better reflect their energy content.

    The Department also commissioned an independent feasibility study to examine the economic benefits and potential of advanced biofuels in the UK, published in February 2014, the study informed the design of the Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Plant Competition for £25m of matched grant funding. Winning projects were announced on 7th September 2015.

    Following the report of the Transport Energy Task Force in March 2015, we are assessing the benefits of making aviation biofuels eligible for certificates under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and support under that scheme for synthetic fuels from renewable electricity. We aim to include proposals in a public consultation next year on potential amendments to the RTFO scheme.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on granting Market Economy Status to China under World Trade Organisation rules.

    Anna Soubry

    The UK will examine the Commission’s legal analysis and proposal on addressing the commitment in article 15 of China’s protocol of accession to the World Trade Organisation when it is made available. The UK fully supports the China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Special Advisors Remuneration Committee last met.

    Matthew Hancock

    Information relating to meetings of internal committees is not normally disclosed.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what action the Government has taken to bring back into use long-term empty properties.

    Brandon Lewis

    The number of long term empty homes is at its lowest since records began. Over the last Parliament, the Government provided the right tools and incentives to tackle empty properties.

    • Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one. Since April 2011 almost £3.4 billion has been paid in recognition of the delivery of over 700,000 homes, plus over 100,000 long-term empty properties brought back into use. 75 per cent of local authorities are financially better off in 2014-15 than if New Homes Bonus scheme didn’t exist.
    • We made changes through the Local Government Finance Act 1992 so local authorities can charge up to 150% council tax for homes empty for over two years.
    • We extended permitted development rights to make it easier to convert property from business to residential to give new life to thousands of empty buildings.
    • We amended Empty Dwelling Management Orders to ensure they are only used to tackle the most problematic empty homes.
    • We provided £216 million direct funding to local authorities, registered providers and community groups between 2012- 2015 to help tackle the problem of empty homes and properties. This funding created 9,044 homes from empty properties.
  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 73 of his Department’s Defence Equipment Plan 2015, what the reasons are for the increase in planning spending on information systems and services; and on what items that additional funding will be spent.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the Defence Equipment Plan 2015, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2015. Paragraph 11 explains the movements in the high level elements of the equipment plan from the previous financial year. Each of the operating centre breakdowns in Section C of the Equipment Plan contains an explanation of any increase or decrease in spending from the previous financial year.

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