The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what budget was allocated by her Department to the Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund in each financial year from 2009-10; and what budget is allocated to that organisation for 2015-16.
Justine Greening
Information on previous budget allocations is available at http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. 2015-16 allocations remain subject to ministerial approval.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Griffiths on 2015-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of registered sex offenders who travel abroad each year.
Lynne Featherstone
Public protection is a priority for this government, and the notification requirements for registered sex offenders form an invaluable tool in the management of offenders within the community. The UK has some of the toughest
powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and we are committed to ensuring that the system is as robust as it can be.
In 2012 this government extended and strengthened the system, including requiring offenders subject to the to the notification requirements to notify the police of all foreign travel.
Registered sex offenders are managed by the local police force, and data on the number of registered sex offenders who travel abroad are not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to provide retraining opportunities for (a) former employees of City Link and (b) others who have been made redundant in the parcel delivery sector.
Esther McVey
Jobcentre Plus through its Rapid Response Service (RRS) aims to address the effects of redundancies on individuals and the local community by helping those affected move into alternative employment quickly.
RRS offers a range of support, tailored at a local level to the needs of the individual and the local labour market.
Former City Link employees, or any other employee who has been made redundant in the parcel delivery sector would be eligible for RRS support and anyone who approaches their local Jobcentre will be advised and directed accordingly.
In Scotland and Wales, RRS support is delivered in partnership with Skills Development Scotland (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) and the Welsh Assembly Government (Redundancy Action Scheme), respectively. The Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland (DELNI) leads support there. Each service is similarly serving the needs of City Link employees based there.
Both DWP and BIS continue to work with the Administrator Ernst & Young and trade unions to see how we might further assist and support City Link employees in their movement back into employment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-01-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses were ordered by the Financial Services Ombudsman to award consumers fair compensation up to the £100,000 limit in each year from 2001 to 2011.
Andrea Leadsom
The issues raised are a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) who are operationally independent from Government.
These questions have been passed on to the FOS. The FOS will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 10 February (HL4473) concerning meetings with Action on Smoking and Health, whether they have had meetings with the Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco; and whether they continue to uphold an embargo on closed meetings with the tobacco industry.
Earl Howe
Ministers and officials meet a range of organisations on a regular basis to discuss tobacco control. Details of Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the Gov.UK website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings
No meetings were held by the Department over the period 1 January 2012 and 27 January 2015 with the Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco.
The Department does not have an embargo on meeting any business or organisation.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to undertake a comprehensive, cross-government strategy and programme for health and work, as recommended by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance.
Earl Howe
The Government currently does not have plans to undertake a comprehensive cross-Government strategy and programme for health and work, as recommended by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the oral statement by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 19 November 2014 (HL Deb, col 505), whether they will confirm the terms of reference for their review of unsafe product recall, and name the chair of the review and the date by which it will report.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
I expect the review of consumer product recalls to be launched in early March 2015, The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) will make public the Terms of Reference, the name of the Chair and the timescale for the Review at that time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs has asked the (i) Panorama programme or (ii) Guardian for the documents reporting on the use by UK citizens of unregistered accounts in jurisdictions abroad to evade paying tax in the UK was based.
Mr David Gauke
I can confirm that HM Revenue and Custom (HMRC) has formally asked the BBC Panorama programme, the Guardian newspaper and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists for all data in their possession relating to off shore tax evasion.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Regular Forces were stationed in Northern Ireland in 2014.
Mr Mark Francois
The number of UK Regular Forces stationed in Northern Ireland in 2014 can be found in the Ministry of Defence Quarterly Location Statistics on the Gov.UK website at the following link:
www.gov.uk/location-of-all-uk-regular-service-and-civilian-personnel-quarterly-statistics-index
The information is reproduced below.
UK Regular Forces stationed in Northern Ireland in 2014 (as at October 2014)
Officers
210
Other ranks
2,130
Total
2,340
Due to the rounding methods used, figures may not always equal the sum of their rounded parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias.
UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Jordanian counterpart on tackling ISIL.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK works closely with Jordan as they play a key and active role on the front lines of the fight against ISIL. Most recently, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) wrote to the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Nasser Judeh, to extend his condolences following the brutal murder of Lieutenant Al Kassasbeh and to reiterate that the UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Jordan in the struggle against ISIL. The Foreign Secretary also met Foreign Minister Judeh twice in January, including at the Counter-ISIL Small Group Conference in London on 22 January, where discussions focussed on reviewing progress, strengthening coalition coordination, and providing further support to the Government of Iraq.