Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what contribution her Department has made to UN Sustainable Development Goal 1 on poverty eradication in the last six months; and if she will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    Eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 is the primary purpose of UK aid under the International Development Act and one of the UK Aid Strategy’s objectives. DFID’s 2015/16 Annual Report sets out progress against our Single Departmental Plan, and hence to delivery of the 2030 Agenda. Progress in 2016/17 will be set out in our next Annual Report.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are being put in place, in co-operation with the government of France, to support asylum seekers in Calais this winter.

    Lord Bates

    The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August committed the UK to providing £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

    The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to these migratory pressures and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 39 (d) of the North East Devolution Agreement, what representations he has received on north east Air Passenger Duty mitigation; and what steps he is considering to implement the commitment to protect Newcastle Airport from the impact of devolution of Air Passenger Duty to Scotland.

    Damian Hinds

    The government published a discussion paper at Summer Budget 2015 exploring three potential options to support English regional airports from the impacts of Air Passenger Duty devolution. We received a large number of responses, including from stakeholders in the North East. We will respond to the consultation in due course.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals, if any, they have made, and what further action they will take, to ensure that the voices of women are heard in all future negotiations about Syria.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have consistently urged the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, as well as representatives of the moderate Syrian opposition to ensure that women are fully represented in negotiations with the Syrian regime. This was the case at the Geneva peace talks two years ago where women were represented on the opposition negotiating team. Further UN-brokered talks between the Syrian regime and opposition are planned for late January; we and our partners will continue to encourage the opposition and organisers to involve women fully in the process.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the extent of the practice of nationality-based pay discrimination against non-EEA seafarers employed on (a) UK and (b) non-UK registered vessels working from UK ports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The department is currently seeking evidence on possible cases of discrimination, including on pay discrimination, through the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 which is due to complete in autumn 2016.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to answer Question 21634, tabled by the Right hon. Member for Tooting on 8 January 2016.

    Nick Boles

    We will collate this information and deposit it in the Libraries of the House shortly.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a deposit return scheme for single use drinks containers to reduce litter.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra analysed the costs and benefits of implementing a deposit return system (DRS) for single use drink containers as part of the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England, and sought views in the 2012 consultation on higher packaging recycling targets.

    This work showed that introducing a DRS may increase recycling and reduce litter but might impose additional costs on businesses, consumers and local authorities (which would lose revenue from recycling). However, we lack evidence to quantify these benefits and costs appropriately. The current approach has driven a significant increase in packaging waste recycling rates, from less than 47% in 2003 to nearly 65% in 2013.

    Last year, the Scottish Government published a feasibility study and a call for evidence investigating the implementation of a DRS for single use drink containers in Scotland. This valuable work highlighted significant uncertainties regarding the impacts and benefits that a DRS would have, notably regarding costs, environmental quality and littering, and existing waste collection systems. The Scottish Government is doing further work on the topic and we will review any new evidence arising from this in due course. However, in the meantime, we will continue to focus on improving existing waste collection and recycling systems, and developing a new National Litter Strategy for England to help coordinate and maximise the impact of anti-litter activity by local government, industry and others.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make available financial, activity and outcome data on the additional resources provided to enable prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection to meet the release test since 2012.

    Andrew Selous

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is not able to disaggregate spending on IPP prisoners from spending on all prisoners.

    Supporting IPP prisoners in progressing towards release once they have completed their tariff is a priority. In particular, there is considerable focus on getting IPP prisoners access to any accredited programmes and other interventions designed to help them reduce their risk of harm.

    In December 2014, NOMS established a Progression Regime in closed conditions for IPP and life sentence prisoners who are not eligible for open conditions. This provides such prisoners with an alternative way to demonstrate reduced risk to the Parole Board.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that NHS staff receive religious literacy training.

    Ben Gummer

    Religion or belief (or lack thereof) is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Public authorities, including all National Health Service organisations, must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited under that Act towards people sharing that protected characteristic in discharging their public functions. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that their employees do not behave unlawfully and should take all reasonable steps to prevent unlawful acts from happening. Employees can also be personally liable for any unlawful conduct.

    NHS organisations are subject to duties under the Equality Act in their own right. They are also directly subject to regulation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. To help them meet their statutory equality duties, NHS England published an Equality Delivery System for the NHS (https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/gov/equality-hub/eds/) which became part of the NHS Standard Contract from 2015.

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  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of requiring CCTV animal welfare standards monitoring in slaughterhouses; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) was commissioned by GB governments to produce an independent assessment of the benefits of CCTV in slaughterhouses. The report was published in February 2015. It concluded that CCTV can offer some real benefits but it cannot replace the need for businesses to have proper monitoring procedures in place on the ground. The FAWC report did not recommend legislation. However, the Government is keeping the issue under review.