Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2014-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the report of the Chilcot inquiry is likely to be published before the next General Election.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The Inquiry is independent of Government, and the timing of the delivery of its report to the Prime Minister is a matter for the Inquiry. Sir John Chilcot said in May that it was the Inquiry’s intention to do so as soon as possible. Government is doing everything it can to ensure this is possible.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much corporation tax was raised by HM Treasury in Northern Ireland in the last full financial year.

    Mr David Gauke

    The most recent available estimate of Corporation Tax receipts in respect of Northern Ireland relates to financial year 2012-13. This estimate was published by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in ‘A Disaggregation of HMRC Tax Receipts between England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland’. A link to the publication is provided below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285765/disagg-info.pdf

    For 2012-13 the estimated portion of onshore UK Corporation Tax receipts relating to Northern Ireland was £476m. Estimates of offshore Corporation Tax receipts relating to Northern Ireland are available as produced by two methods: a geographic basis and a population based apportionment. The estimates for 2012-13 are nil and £137m respectively.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) young people in custody and (b) other difficult-to-reach young people are able to access a digital-by-default careers service.

    Matthew Hancock

    Local authorities retain their legal responsibility, under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, to make available to young people aged 13-19 and to those up to the age of 25 with a Learning Difficulty Assessment or Education, Health and Care Plan, support that will encourage, enable or assist them to participate in education or training. Local authorities are expected to pay particular attention to young people who are not in education, employment or training or whose current activity is not known. This includes agreeing how these young people can access intensive support, drawn from the range of education and training support services available locally.

    It is for local authorities to determine what support is necessary to fulfil their statutory responsibilities and consider whether additional services are needed, including wto complement those available from young offender institutions. Local authorities should provide strategic leadership in their areas to support participation, agreeing ways of working with other partners such as voluntary and community sector organisations, young offender institutions and probation services.

    The National Careers Service complements the support available to young people, offering information and advice on education, training and employment options. We are reshaping the service from October 2014 to respond to the changing needs of the economy with a focus on local leadership and providing inspiring careers advice for customers, including a new brokerage service to facilitate relationships between schools and employers. Young people can continue to access support through a range of channels including a telephone helpline and website.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 710W, on Palestinians, what response Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office made on the issue of demolitions in East Jerusalem or the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Hugh Robertson

    Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office informed our officials that demolitions take place where building has occurred without a permit from the Israeli authorities. And that – as per the Oslo accords – Israel has planning authority over these areas. They also said that they therefore have the right to evict people and demolish structures, where they consider building to have taken place illegally under Israeli law.

  • Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made by the UK Computer Emergency Response Team since its launch on 31 March 2014; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Cyber Security is one of the Government’s top four security priorities. CERT-UK is working closely with partners across industry, government, academia and internationally, to enhance the UK’s ability to prepare for and manage national cyber security incidents. It collaborates with law enforcement colleagues to support campaigns aimed at combating cyber-crime and cyber fraud.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Belfast was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in (a) April 2014 and (b) May 2014.

    Stephen Hammond

    Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels during:

    a) April 2014 – 40 occasions out of 60 shifts

    b) May 2014 – 22 occasions out of 62 shifts

    Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty’s Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider assisting the international community in its fight against international trafficking originating from the Central African Republic, by creating a mechanism to fight against diamond, gold, and ivory trafficking and militarised poaching.

    Baroness Warsi

    International mechanisms to tackle illegal trafficking already exist, including the Kimberley Process to regulate the global trade in rough diamonds, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to protect endangered species. However, these are reliant of having an effective national government in the Central African Republic (CAR). To this end, our immediate priority is to de-escalate the levels of violence and improve the level of security, so that a legitimate government can be established in CAR with the support of the UN and other international organisations.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to reports that the government of Sudan has reconstituted the Janjaweed militias and that they are operating under its command and control.

    Baroness Warsi

    The latest report of the UN Secretary General on Darfur states that the Sudanese government’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), that use similar tactics to militia groups previously armed by government known as Janjaweed, have been responsible for widespread abuses against civilians, which include rape, looting and the burning of houses. The report also makes it clear that the armed opposition groups, in particular the Sudanese Liberation Army Minni Minnawi faction, bear heavy responsibility for civilian displacement.

    We have made it clear to the Sudanese government in the strongest terms that such behaviour is wholly unacceptable. On 7 April the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), publicly condemned attacks against civilians, and specifically raised the actions of the RSF with Sudanese Foreign Minister Karti on 28 April.

  • Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many councils in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland funded discretionary housing payments beyond the funds allocated to them by his Department in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

    Steve Webb

    In 2013/14, a) 85 (out of 326) English authorities, b) 15 (out of 27) Welsh authorities and c) 27 (out of 32) Scottish authorities spent more than the contribution provided by DWP towards Discretionary Housing Payments.

    Figures for 2014/15 will not be available until after 30 April 2015 – the deadline for local authority DHP returns for the year in question.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what Russian Navy ships HMS Severn intercepted in the English Channel on 25 June 2014; and whether HMS Severn was assigned to the Fleet Ready Escort role at that time.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Two Russian Federation Navy ships transited the English Channel on 25 June 2014. These were the Ropucha Class Landing Ships Olengorsky Gornyak and Georgiy Pobedonosets.

    As the hon. Member will be aware from my letter to him of 27 January 2014 (Official Report, columns 414-415W), there are usually a number of Royal Navy units available in UK waters at any one time and, if it is appropriate, one of those units could be reprioritised to undertake a required task. In this case, HMS Severn was better placed to respond, and it made the most operational sense to utilise her. At the same time the Fleet Ready Escort remained available at high readiness.