Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the potential effect on gateline staffing levels at (a) Birmingham New Street, (b) Coventry and (c) all stations on the London Midland line of London Midland’s proposals to reduce the number of revenue protection staff.

    Stephen Hammond

    Staffing levels and to which role staff are allocated are matters for the train operator, as long as they continue to deliver the services that meet the requirements of the Franchise Agreement.

  • Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making any representations concerning the choice of Qatar as the host of the World Cup in 2022 in the light of recent allegations of corruption.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    There is an investigation taking place into the bidding process and we should wait and see what this reports rather than prejudge it. We expect FIFA, and all other major sports organisations, to practise good governance and operate in a transparent manner.

  • Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to move responsibility for planning policy to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    No.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to continue enforced removals to Mogadishu, Somalia, pending the publication of an official decision on the country guidance case and an official statement by the Home Secretary; and, if so, why.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    There are no existing court judgments that have found that all removals to Somalia are unsafe or should be suspended. An existing country guidance judgment promulgated in November 2011 recognised that many but not all Somalis returning to the country after a significant time abroad would be at risk on return. However, the determination also recognised that the country situation was improving and each case needed to be considered on its individual merits.

    We are awaiting a country guidance determination on the country situation in Somalia. However, the High Court has previously ruled that automatic stays on removal simply because a country guidance case is pending are not necessary. A stay of removal is at the discretion of the courts in each particular case and on its own facts.

    We will continue to assess each case on its individual merits against the latest country information and existing, relevant caselaw.

    We will only enforce the return of Somali nationals who we, and the courts, are satisfied are not at risk on return and who do not elect to leave voluntarily.

  • Mel Stride – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mel Stride – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mel Stride on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made on increasing the number and quality of apprenticeships for 16 to 18 year olds.

    Matthew Hancock

    We are on track to deliver 2 million apprenticeships over this Parliament.

    We continue to focus on quality, insisting that all apprenticeships are jobs, have a minimum duration of a year, include on the job training and meet the needs of employers. As a result the number of ‘full’ 16-18 apprenticeship starts – those with a planned duration of a year – have doubled.

    Apprenticeship reforms will further increase quality and simplify the system, making it easier and more desirable for employers to offer more apprenticeships in the future.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they have made to support press freedoms in Sudan; and what role they consider such freedoms can play in the promotion of the National Dialogue process.

    Baroness Warsi

    Freedom of expression and an independent media are vital components of a genuinely open and transparent National Dialogue process. Our Embassy in Khartoum regularly raises this in discussions with the Sudanese Authorities, and jointly with the British Council is funding the Thompson Foundation programme to build capacity for Sudanese journalism. Examples include media training and a sponsored visit to London by Sudanese newspaper editors. During his visit to Sudan in January the Minister for Africa, my Hon Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), met Sudanese journalists and editors and stressed to senior members of the Sudanese government the importance of open democratic space and respect for fundamental freedoms.

  • Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thornton on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what monitoring they are conducting on the effect of the increase in tribunal costs on cases being brought concerning harassment in the workplace.

    Lord Faulks

    The Justice Secretary is committed to reviewing the impact of the introduction of fees in the employment tribunals system. The Ministry of Justice is currently finalising arrangements for the timing and scope of this review, to enable the impacts to be properly assessed, and we will be making an announcement in due course.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the European Union Fourth Railway Package is likely to preclude nationalisation or re-nationalisation of national railways as a whole or in part.

    Baroness Kramer

    The proposals published by the European Commission on 30 January 2013 would, if adopted, strengthen requirements for the formal separation of infrastructure manager and train operator responsibilities. The proposals make no assumption about the status of the infrastructure manager. They do, however, require the competitive tendering of rail public service contracts in most circumstances.

    There is no particular bar on public companies competing for such tenders, and exemptions to tendering are proposed for small networks and in emergency situations.

    The Italian Council Presidency (Jul-Dec 2014) intends to start Member State level Working Groups about the market opening proposals in July. As these proposals are still under discussion it is too early to say what we think the effect is likely to be.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the sub-committee of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation which is investigating extending the human papillomavirus immunisation programme is expected to publish its conclusions and recommendations.

    Earl Howe

    The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Human papilloma virus (HPV) sub-committee will report its findings to JCVI following consideration of ongoing studies by Public Health England on the impact and cost-effectiveness of extending HPV vaccination to men who have sex with men (MSM) and/or adolescent boys.

    It is expected that the MSM modelling study will be completed at the end of 2014 at the earliest, and the adolescent boys modelling study will be completed at the end of 2015 at the earliest. The JCVI will then consider the findings of the HPV subcommittee before deciding what advice or recommendations can be made.

  • Bob Stewart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Bob Stewart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Stewart on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the practice of Palestinian youths being tried by military courts and sentenced to prison for minor offences.

    Hugh Robertson

    The Government is concerned over the dual court system that is employed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, under which all Palestinians, except those living in East Jerusalem, are subject to trial in military courts irrespective of the charges against them while Israeli youths are tried in civil courts. We also have serious concerns about the treatment of Palestinian children under the Israeli military court system, which we raise regularly with the Israeli authorities. More details can be found at: http://www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories/

    “