Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Laird – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what searches have been undertaken to find the missing files on pre-1998 Northern Ireland royal prerogative of mercy cases; how many are absent; where the paperwork would normally be filed; and whether such paperwork is passed to the National Archives on a routine basis after 30 years.

    Baroness Randerson

    Before 1998, the use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) in Northern Ireland was relatively common since this pre-dated a number of statutory schemes which enabled sentences to be shortened for various reasons, for example where evidence had been given by prisoners to enable others to be convicted. The overwhelming majority of RPM cases during this period were not terrorist-related.

    The Northern Ireland Office continues to seek information on the use of the RPM between 1987 and 1997, including through contacts with other parts of Government which might hold relevant information.

    The NIO takes its records management responsibilities seriously and is compliant with all public records legislation and National Archives guidance. This includes routine reviews of records, compliance with records disposal schedules and transfers of records at 30 years to the National Archives.

  • Lord Beecham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many cases since the passage of the Justice and Security Act 2013 applications have been made for closed material procedures to be employed; and how many have been successful.

    Lord Faulks

    In accordance with section 12 of the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Government will lay before Parliament, in the course of 2014, a report on the use of the closed material procedure under section 6 of that Act. This will include the numbers of applications made and whether such applications have been granted.

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the value of exports from businesses in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow and (c) Scotland to other EU member states in each of the last five years.

    Michael Fallon

    The value of goods exported by businesses in Scotland to other EU countries in each of the last five years is given in Table 1 below. Figures are not compiled for areas below Government Office Region (NUTS 1) level, such as Glasgow and Glasgow North West.

    These figures relate to exports of goods only. Regional data on exports of services is not available.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of jobseekers excluded from the claimant count because their benefit has been sanctioned; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    No-one is excluded from the claimant count simply due to their benefit being sanctioned.

  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department will give childcare provides on the introduction of tax-free childcare.

    Nicky Morgan

    The Government’s response to the consultation on design and operation of Tax-Free Childcare, published on 18th March 2014, sets out that the Government will work with stakeholders to develop guidance and communications to support childcare providers to understand the scheme.

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of public libraries with a catchment area of more than 40,000 resident population were open at least 45 hours per week in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The detail requested is not held centrally by this Department. However the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) collect, annually, from the individual library authorities comprehensive information relating to library service provision in the United Kingdom, which includes data relating to the questions raised. Copies of CIPFA statistics are available in the House Library.

  • 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 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the loudest decibel levels are that are produced by JSF 35B during operations aboard an aircraft carrier.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The loudest operation to be conducted by the F-35B onboard an aircraft carrier is a Military Power take-off. The measured aircraft sound level of a Military Power take-off is approximately 145 dB at 135 degrees from the aircraft nose centre line, at a distance of 50 feet from the rear of the aircraft. The Military Power take-off is a standard operating procedure and managing exposure to noise is an integral part of normal embarked operations. This level of noise is similar to that of the Harrier, F18’s, F15’s and the same level as produced by an F-16.

  • Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Buckland on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department’s review of arrangements for complaints and redress for people with education, health and care needs under the Children and Families Act 2014 will commence.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education, in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and others, is in the process of developing proposals for the review of redress and complaint arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The review will consider:

    1. Whether the amended mediation arrangements set out in the Act provide parents and young people with a way of having their complaints considered in a holistic way and whether they reduce the number of appeals to tribunals.
    2. How successful the new assessment and EHC planning process itself is at resolving disagreements.
    3. If health and social care complaint arrangements are working for parents and young people.
    4. What role the Tribunal might play in hearing appeals and complaints across education, health and social care.

    Running parallel to the review will be pilots to test an expansion of the powers of the first tier tribunal to make recommendations about the health and social care elements of EHC Plans. We estimate that the pilots will begin in the spring of 2015 as the first appeals about the new Education, Health and Care Plans begin to be heard and that the pilots will last for two years as they build up the evidence on which to base any recommendations.

    The Secretary of State for Education and the Lord Chancellor must lay a report on the outcome of the review before Parliament within three years of any of the provisions of Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 coming into force in September 2014. Interim findings from the pilots could be published before the final report on the review.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the UK has made to Israel following the Israeli parliament’s consideration of legislation to allow force-feeding of Palestinian administrative detainees on hunger strike.

    Hugh Robertson

    Officials from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv met with an official from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office on 17 June, they expressed our concern over the bill.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to reduce child obesity in Barnsley.

    Jane Ellison

    In April 2013, local responsibility for the prevention and management of obesity transferred from primary care trusts to local authorities.

    Barnsley’s Health and Wellbeing board, run by Barnsley Council, is drafting a Health and Wellbeing strategy for the borough to support children and young people in avoiding the potential health problems related to child obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases later in life.

    Our national approach to tackling obesity includes engaging with a wide range of partners including businesses, health professionals and individuals. We have set national ambition for a downward trend in excess weight in children and have a well-developed and wide-ranging programme of actions. Obesity rates in children are levelling off.

    Some of the key initiatives are Change4Life, Change4Life Sports Clubs, the National Child Measurement Programme and School Sports Funding.

    This is in addition to measures being taken by other Government departments such as the School Food Plan, published by the Department for Education last year.