The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many people of each gender have worked as special advisers in the Government Equalities Office since 2010.
Caroline Dinenage
Since May 2010, four female and two male special advisers working for successive Ministers for Women and Equalities have had responsibilities which have included women and equalities issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the level of potential exposure to risk transferred to the public purse due to the introduction of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Harriett Baldwin
The Treasury publishes annually an assessment of risk from the Government’s financial interventions, including the risk borne by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) due to these interventions. This was most recently disclosed in the Treasury Group 2014/15 Annual Accounts published in July last year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Prime Minister will make an assessment of the potential merits of each proposal on noise mitigation from aviation in the letter to him of 18 February 2016 from the Aviation Environment Federation.
Mr Robert Goodwill
As part of the Government’s ongoing review of noise and airspace policies it will consider the proposals set out the Aviation Environment Federation’s letter to the Prime Minister of 18 February.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33699, what the duties of the board members of the Institute for Apprenticeships will be prior to the launch of that Institute in April 2017.
Nick Boles
The Institute for Apprenticeship’s Board will be appointed via a public appointments process later this year. In shadow form, the Board will be expected to oversee the finalisation of the organisation’s workplan and the transition to taking on the Institute’s statutory functions in April 2017. Further information about the roles and duties of the Board members will be provided when the public appointments process is complete.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33645, how many Puma Mk2 helicopters are fitted with the Wire Strike Protection System; and whether the Puma Mk2 that crashed in Afghanistan on 11 October 2015 was fitted with such a system.
Mr Philip Dunne
Seven Puma Mk2 helicopters have been fitted with the Wire Strike Protection System. The remainder of the fleet will have the system fitted by the end of summer 2017.
The helicopter you refer to (XW229) was not fitted with the Wire Strike Protection System. The Service Inquiry into the incident is on-going and findings are yet to be published.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to increase awareness of the Disability Confident campaign; and how his Department plans to measure the effectiveness of that campaign.
Penny Mordaunt
We have developed a new Disability Confident employer accreditation scheme. This went live in July.
This will be core to our engagement with employers to raise awareness, improve performance and drive up engagement on the disability employment agenda.
We are developing plans to formally launch the scheme in the Autumn and more information on take up and effectiveness measures will be available from then.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report, published on 12 October 2016, on the collision involving the MV Karen fishing boat from Ardglass, County Down in the Irish Sea on 15 April 2016.
Mike Penning
As recognised in the Marine Accident Investigation Report (MAIB), the Royal Navy has already taken actions as a result of this incident. We are now considering the MAIB’s report and its conclusions and recommendations to identify what further actions may be required. I will be visiting Northern Ireland soon and go to Ardglass.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of cascading Class 319 rolling stock to Southern’s Coastway Stopping services once the full fleet of Class 700 trains are in operation on the Thameslink routes.
Claire Perry
The Government remains determined to provide better, more comfortable journeys for passengers. However, it is for the relevant train operator to determine the type and quantity of rolling stock that is deployed on a particular route. When cascaded stock is available, it is for the operator to decide whether to bid for them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-30.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2015, which found that women are being paid the average wage men earned in 2006.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
New figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the gender pay gap in the UK remains the lowest on record.
There are now also more women on FTSE Boards and running businesses than ever before, and this year the UK was ranked as the best place in Europe for female entrepreneurs.
I am proud of our achievements, but recognise there is still more we must do. This is why the government is introducing new regulations that will require larger employers to publish their gender pay gap information. This will encourage companies to take action and drive change on this important issue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical steps they are taking to achieve the maximum use of vacant residential, commercial, and industrial premises for temporary or interim housing, in particular for homeless people or refugees; and whether they have released government properties for such purposes.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Government has taken a range of steps to increase housing supply by providing more homes for rent and ownership, as well as encouraging local authorities to bring empty homes back into use. As a result, the number of homes that stand empty for more than six months is at an all time low. The Government is committed to releasing surplus assets to drive economic growth and release land for housing. The Spending Review announced that departments have committed to release land for more than 160,000 homes.