The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much funding her Department plans to make available for tidal energy research in the next financial year.
Andrea Leadsom
The Department is currently formulating its spending plans on innovation within HM Treasury guidance announced in the March 2016 budget and a further announcement will be made in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to support widows of genocide and conflict in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr Nick Hurd
Supporting women and girls, including widows, is a top priority for DFID. In Rwanda, DFID supports the Government’s flagship social protection programme, which provides cash transfers to the poorest households with no labour capacity, including widows and those with disabilities.
DFID DRC has committed up to £80 million over five years to promote peace, stability and recovery in eastern DRC. DFID addresses sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) across the DRC, both within and outside conflict zones, through its programmes and by addressing gender inequality. DFID DRC’s Humanitarian Programme is worth £168 million, of which £3.8 million provides direct support to survivors and those at risk of sexual violence.
In Burundi, DFID is greatly concerned about the status of women and children in provinces affected by the political unrest. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has reported rape and abuses against women. HMG continues to raise the issue with the Government of Burundi, the UN and international partners.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2016 to Question 39850, what proportion of the senior civil servants in the Cities and Local Growth Unit of his Department are working on devolution issues are based in London.
Mr Mark Francois
The Cities and Local Growth Unit is a joint BIS-DCLG team that supports places in developing and agreeing devolution deals with the Government. Six Senior Civil Servants out of ten in the Unit are based in London.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many grammar schools take account of whether applicants to that school are (a) in receipt of pupil premium and (b) eligible for free school meals.
Nick Gibb
Other than ensuring compliance with the Admissions Code, the Government does not monitor the admission policies of state-funded schools.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they still intend to publish their Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in summer 2016.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Department for Transport is in the early stages of developing its first Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) with the intention to publish by summer 2016 following a public consultation on the draft in spring 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he plans to publish the Government’s response to the report, The role and contribution of women in the Scottish economy, published in March 2015.
David Mundell
The Government will be responding to the recommendations in the report in due course, and discussions between Professor Sawers and the UK Government are continuing on this matter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s policy is on its officials engaging in secondary employment.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Staff are permitted to take up secondary employment providing it does not affect or impinge upon their work for the FCO. They are required to obtain prior written approval before accepting secondary employment and may also be required to sign an agreement to opt out of working time limits in their second job if it would mean they exceed the maximum number of weekly average hours under the Working Time Regulations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all patients who are subject to the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 have all their rights discussed or explained to them before any treatment is carried out, as recommended by the Care Quality Commission’s sixth annual report, HC483, published on 14 October 2015.
Alistair Burt
The Mental Health Act 1983: Code of Practice, which came into force in April 2015, provides statutory guidance on how functions under the Mental Health Act 1983 (the Act) should be carried out. All providers of mental health services under the Act have a duty to abide by both the provisions of the Act and the detailed guidance on how implement those provisions contained in the Code of Practice. That includes the duty of all such mental health providers to ensure their staff know and understand their responsibilities under the Act.
Empowerment and the involvement of patients are key principles underpinning the Act, and the Code of Practice is clear that detained patients must be informed of their rights; that it is the responsibility of those treating them to ensure that patients understand their rights; and that patients are aware that they are entitled to ask for the assistance of an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) to help them understand this information.
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual report Monitoring the Mental Health Act 2014/15 indicates that CQC have already taken action where providers are failing to effectively monitor the Act, train staff and support patients and recommends that services use the findings of that report to make sure staff have the right skills and knowledge and decide what action needs to be taken to improve the care and support available for patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Argar on 2016-03-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Financial Conduct Authority plans to report the findings of its consultation on the Financial Advice Market Review.
Harriett Baldwin
The Financial Advice Market Review, a joint review undertaken by HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority, will report around Budget 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to respond to the oil spill on the River Lea near Tottenham Lock.
Rory Stewart
The Environment Agency attended the site on the morning of 5 April and worked with Thames Water Utilities (TWU) Ltd to trace the source, identifying it as a ruptured diesel oil tank.
The Environment Agency is working alongside contractors and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) to clear up the oil. Absorbent booms are in place to contain the spread of the oil. Any residual patches of oil not trapped by the booms are being mopped up by absorbent pads. The Environment Agency attended the site on 11 April and will continue to oversee the clean-up operation.
The Environment Agency is continuing investigations with a view to possible enforcement action.