The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he or other Ministers of his Department have visited a foodbank in order to assess the contribution of foodbanks to public health and nutrition.
Dr Daniel Poulter
No Departmental Ministers have made a visit to a food bank since May 2010 on official Departmental business, but this does not preclude visits in their personal capacities or as constituency MPs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the newly-elected Ukranian President about the support the UK can offer to stabilise the situation in that country.
Mr William Hague
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to President Petro Poroshenko on 29 May, when he congratulated him on his election victory and praised the Ukrainian people for their determination to hold elections in such difficult circumstances and choose their own future. I also did so when I met him on 6 June. The Prime Minister praised Mr Poroshenko’s clear messages on democracy, as well as financial and political reform, and offered his continued support in helping him to build a secure and prosperous Ukraine, through an inclusive national dialogue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the Exchequer was of statutory maternity pay in the last year for which figures are available.
Steve Webb
The amount of Statutory Maternity Pay in the last year for which figures are available was £2,303 million for 2012/13 (nominal terms). Figures are subject to change due to more information becoming available through employers’ returns to HM Revenue and Customs.
The figure is for Great Britain only. Northern Ireland figures are the responsibility of the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland.
Source:
Original source is expenditure data from employer returns to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and is the amount recovered by employers rather than the amount received by claimants. This information is shown in DWP’s expenditure tables found on the Gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure-tables
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs were injured as a result of (a) dog fighting, (b) dog baiting and (c) unprovoked attacks by other dogs in each region of the UK in each of the last five years.
George Eustice
The data requested is not collected or held by Defra.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of average household earnings in 2014-15.
Mr Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received on the issuing of passports; and if she will make a statement.
James Brokenshire
Numerous representations have been made both about the general passport issuing
process as well as on behalf of individual applicants. They have been received
from Members of Parliament and the public. Those with concerns about imminent
travel plans for individuals will be prioritised. All will receive a reply. On
12 June my Rt. Hon. Friend the Home Secretary, made a statement in the
House where she announced the arrangements we are putting in place to
deal with the current level of demand for passports.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children at primary and secondary schools have access to a healthy and balanced dinner each day.
Mr David Laws
The independent School Food Plan, published in July 2013, is designed to increase the quality and take-up of school meals in England and ensure that the food available conforms to healthy standards. As part of the School Food Plan, we are introducing new statutory food-based standards for schools in England from January 2015 and funding three organisations to increase take-up in junior and secondary schools.
From September 2014 we are introducing free school meals for every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England, to ensure that every child in those year groups has access to a nutritious lunch. We are targeting infants in order to help establish good eating patterns early. Our intention is that by providing a meal when children start at school, they and their parents will see the benefits of school meals and continue to choose them throughout their education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Syms on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much of mean electricity generation in the UK will be represented by the proposed development at Navitus Bay over its lifetime.
Gregory Barker
The Department does not undertake analysis or hold information of this nature relating to specific developments. Provisional data for 2013 is that total UK electricity generation was 356,649 Gigawatt hours (GWh). Based on the average 5 year offshore wind load factor from 2008 to 2012 inclusive of 33.1% a wind farm of 1 Gigawatt (GW) of installed capacity is expected to produce 2.9GWh of electricity generation. The Department publishes estimated energy and emissions projections to 2030, the latest update can be accessed at this link:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2013
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robin Walker on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on co-ordinating efforts to secure the release from prison of Meriam Ibrahim.
Mark Simmonds
Through our Embassy in Khartoum, the UK has been coordinating international efforts, including EU, Troika and others, to secure the release of Meriam Ibrahim from prison. We are also working with EU partners in Brussels to ensure an effective EU response.
My Ministerial colleagues and I will continue to lobby forcefully, bilaterally and with other partners, for Meriam’s release.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Fox on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the threat ISIS and other Islamist groups in Syria pose to (a) the wider Middle East and (b) other areas.
Hugh Robertson
The UK is deeply concerned by the growth of terrorism in Syria and Iraq. ISIL are a brutal terrorist group who want to impose rule on people using their extremist ideology, violence and extortion.
ISIL’s advance in Iraq shows that they are a serious threat. It shows clearly the importance of taking a strong stand against extremists, and that is why we are giving our full backing to the moderate groups in Syria who are fighting them. It is not yet clear what the recent developments in Iraq mean in the longer term, but clearly ISIL’s ability to operate in both Syria and Iraq is a cause of concern for the international community.