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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Margot James – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Margot James – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margot James on 2015-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils in each primary school in Stourbridge constituency met the required standard of phonic decoding in the 2013-14 academic year.

    Mr Nick Gibb

    School level performance in the phonics screening check is not published in the performance tables. Schools are not held to account for their performance in this diagnostic check, although they do have to inform parents of their child’s result in the way they think most suitable. The results are available on www.raiseonline.org for schools to use and for local authorities and Ofsted as part of their inspections process.

    The overall proportion of pupils attending schools in Stourbridge constituency who met the required standard of phonics decoding by the end of year 1 in the 2013/14 academic year was 77%. Nationally 74% of year 1 pupils met the required standard of phonic decoding in the 2013/14 academic year.

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  • Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many officials work in each section of the Northern Ireland Office.

    Baroness Randerson

    The number of staff working in each business group of the Northern Ireland Office in January 2015, the latest period for which figures are available, is shown below:

    Business Group

    Number of Staff

    Senior Management

    6

    Business Delivery

    40

    Security and Protection

    31

    Legacy

    23

    Community Engagement

    15

    Economic Constitutional and Political

    19

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

    Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the proposed acquisition of Aer Lingus by International Consolidated Airlines, whether they have made representations to safeguard the slots at Heathrow airport for flights by British Airways and Aer Lingus to Belfast City; and whether they have made representations to safeguard the slots at Gatwick airport for flights to Belfast City.

    Baroness Kramer

    The Government does not currently consider that there is a risk of air services between Belfast and London being lost. The routes remain commercially viable, with nearly two million passengers carried on almost 19,000 flights between the two Belfast airports and the five main London airports in 2013.

    EU Regulations govern the allocation, transfer and exchange of slots at Heathrow, Gatwick and other slot co-ordinated airports in the UK. The purpose of the EU Slot Regulations is to support the operation of a single market for aviation by seeking to ensure airlines have fair and equal access to airports across the EU through the application of independent, non-discriminatory and transparent slot allocation procedures. The Regulations stipulate that the actual process of slot allocation is undertaken entirely independently of the Government, the UK Civil Aviation Authority or other parties. The Government has therefore made no representations to safeguard Heathrow or Gatwick slots for air services from Belfast.

    In circumstances where vital air connectivity would be lost, EU law does provide some limited scope to protect regional air services by allowing Member States to establish public service obligations (PSOs) to protect air services to airports serving a peripheral or development region, or on thin routes considered vital for a region’s economic and social development. Where a PSO has been approved, this would permit slots to be ring-fenced at a London airport. There is no other mechanism for the Government to intervene in the allocation of slots at London airports.

    As part of the 2013 Spending Round the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced that £20million would be made available over the two years 2014-15 and 2015-16 through a Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain regional air access to London through the establishment of PSOs where there was the probability that an existing air service would be lost. The 2014 Budget announced a doubling of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain existing connectivity to London.

  • Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which European Union legislation they have considered in framing the proposed draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015; what view they have taken on the applicability of the European Union legislation; and what is the basis for their view.

    Earl Howe

    As I said in the debate on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 on 24 February 2015 (columns 1570 and 1617-8) the Government is satisfied that the Regulations do not contravene any aspect of European Union law. It has carefully considered recent arguments relating to the Clinical Trials Directive (Directive 2001/20/EC) but is satisfied that the Directive is not relevant in this context as it relates to clinical trials of medicines.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what incentives he is providing to encourage investment from Commonwealth countries in the UK.

    Matthew Hancock

    UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the Government department that works to encourage foreign direct investment into the UK.

    UKTI’s has teams focussed on attracting inward investment in Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand and all UKTI teams in Commonwealth countries together with UK based UKTI staff provide support for companies or funds considering inward investment into the UK.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to publish the Government’s response to the review of gambling advertising before the General Election.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    Yes.

  • Steve Baker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Steve Baker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Baker on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Germany on financial contributions for British victims of thalidomide.

    Mr David Lidington

    The British Ambassador to Berlin has recently raised the issue of compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide with the German Families Minister Manuela Schwesig. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently working with the Thalidomide Trust to secure a meeting between the Trust and the relevant German authorities in support of their campaign to seek compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide.

  • Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2013-14.

    Jane Ellison

    Figures for the number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2013-14 are not yet available. The National Diabetes Audit for 2013-14, which will contain the information requested, is due to be published in late 2015.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the success of efforts to reduce the potential radicalisation of British Muslims in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Work to stop people being drawn into extremist and terrorist activity remains
    a priority and is focused on: limiting the circulation of terrorist and extremist
    material on the internet, supporting more resilient communities and ensuring
    individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism are provided with the support they
    need.

    In March 2014 we launched a new tool for the public to report terrorist
    material to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU). Public
    referrals have tripled since it launched. Working in partnership with industry,
    the CTIRU refers unlawful terrorist content to them for removal.

    Since February 2010, CTIRU has secured the removal of over 75,000
    pieces of unlawful terrorist content with 75% of this total removed since
    December 2013.

    Radicalisation does not only happen online. We continue to disrupt
    propagandists who seek to radicalise vulnerable people directly and counter
    their narrative. The police and agencies routinely take action against those
    who promote terrorism under our existing terrorist legislation. In the year
    ending 30 June 2014, there were 239 persons arrested for terrorism related
    offences.

    We also exclude foreign nationals from the UK on the grounds of
    unacceptable behaviour. Training on awareness of radicalisation now includes
    specific advice in relation to travel to Syria and Iraq. We have trained
    130,000 frontline staff who may come into contact with potential travellers and
    run courses equipping parents to identify risks and have the confidence to seek
    support should they need it.

    The police, local authorities and all sectors included in the Prevent duty have
    a vital role to play in responding to concerns that individuals are being drawn
    into terrorism and extremism. Where specific concerns have been raised and
    individuals consent, the multi-agency Channel programme provides tailored
    support to people identified as at risk of radicalisation.

  • Russell Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Russell Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Russell Brown on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vaccine damage payments have been awarded in each year since 2003.

    Mr Mark Harper

    The number of Vaccine Damage Payments made each year since 2003:

    2002/03 5

    2003/04 5

    2004/05 4

    2005/06 5

    2006/07 4

    2007/08 2

    2008/09 0

    2009/10 3

    2010/11 1

    2011/12 0

    2012/13 0

    2013/14 0

    2014/15 0