Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of (a) the total amount paid out in film tax relief and (b) the resultant benefit to the UK economy as a result of such tax relief since 2007; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    HMRC data indicates that between January 2007 and March 2013, over 1,200 film productions have claimed £1.3bn of tax relief.

    According to the Office of National Statistics and the BFI, the film and video production industry generates around 46,000 jobs and film investment is over £1 billion a year.


    To support this important sector the Government has modernised film tax relief and extended the relief to animation, high-end television and video games.

    The BFI statistics for 2013 show that these reforms are working, with an increase in overall UK film investment, and that the new TV and animation tax reliefs have supported growth in production in the UK.

  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

  • Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Audit Office report, Army 2020, HC 263, published on 11 June 2014, page 25, if he will provide details of (a) the 167 implementation orders that his Department has already issued as part of the Army 2020 reforms and (b) any implementation orders which have yet to be issued.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Implementation Orders are used to communicate structural changes within the Army. As at June 2014 over 170 orders have been issued for Army 2020. The Ministry of Defence does not routinely publish details of internal military orders.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date cage trapping and shooting of badgers was implemented alongside the free-shooting of badgers in the pilot badger cull in Somerset in 2013; and on what date free shooting had started in that cull.

    George Eustice

    Cage trapping was used from the outset in each of the pilot areas. Under the licence issued to each area, cage trapping and shooting and controlled shooting are both permitted control methods. No further authorisation from the Department was required.

    The Guidance issued to Natural England on issuing licenses to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB under section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, and the Government’s policy document on Bovine TB and badger control in England, both state ‘in order to ensure humaneness, only two culling methods will be permitted (which can be used in combination, or as single control methods): i. cage-trapping followed by shooting; and ii. controlled shooting.’ Both of these documents were published on 14th December 2011.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) male and (b) female recruits dropped out of training at Catterick Infantry Training Centre after completing phase one but before completing phase two in each year since 2006; how many such recruits in each category were aged under 18 years when they enlisted; how many had undertaken phase one training at Harrogate Army Foundation College; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    Infantry training at Catterick is comprised of the Combat Infantryman’s Course, which is a combined phase one and phase two course. For this reason it is not possible to provide the information requested for those who are recruited straight into Catterick.

    Separate Phase one training prior to attending Catterick is undertaken by those who attend the Army Foundation College at Harrogate. The numbers in the table relate only to recruits who attended the Army Foundation College and therefore all would have been under 18 on enlistment.

    No female recruits undergo infantry training and therefore figures shown relate to males only.

    Year

    Total Starts

    Junior Entry Starts

    Junior Entry Drop out

    Senior Entry Starts

    Senior Entry Drop out

    % Junior Entry Drop out

    % Senior Entry Drop out

    2006-07

    3410

    300

    40

    3,110

    950

    13%

    28%

    2007-08

    3550

    300

    30

    3,250

    1,090

    10%

    31%

    2008-09

    4020

    320

    40

    3,700

    1,060

    13%

    26%

    2009-10

    4170

    380

    50

    3,790

    1,340

    13%

    32%

    2010-11

    2600

    280

    40

    2,320

    840

    14%

    32%

    2011-12

    4050

    470

    70

    3,580

    1,260

    15%

    31%

    2012-13

    3870

    630

    100

    3,240

    910

    16%

    24%

    2013-14

    1950

    420

    40

    1,530

    680

    10%

    35%

    Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in ‘5′ are rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

  • Sir Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Sir Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Menzies Campbell on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Burma on protecting Burmese soldiers who refuse orders which could result in human rights abuses.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    During my second visit to Burma in January, I personally pressed the Burmese government and members of the Burmese military, including the Burmese Commander in Chief, to address our human rights concerns. I was also fortunate to visit Kachin State in January – the first British Minister to do so since Burma gained independence. I made clear to the government and the military that conflict should end and that there should be unhindered humanitarian access to the areas affected. I also raised our concerns about very serious allegations of sexual violence in conflict and the forced conscription of child soldiers.

    Whilst I did not discuss the issue of soldiers refusing orders which could result in human rights abuses, a discussion of the nature of illegal orders featured during the Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context course, delivered by the UK Defence Academy in Burma in January. The 30 course participants were a mix of mid-ranking military officers, members of the police and officials from Burma’s foreign ministry.

  • Jamie Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jamie Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teaching assistant training posts have been (a) commissioned and (b) filled in in (i) Copeland and (ii) Cumbria in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Mr David Laws

    The information requested is not collected centrally.

  • Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to increase public understanding of the services offered by independent pharmacies.

    Norman Lamb

    Pharmacy already plays a vital role in supporting the health of people in their local communities, providing high quality care and support, improving people’s health and reducing health inequalities. However, as we move to more integrated care, there is real potential for pharmacists and their teams to play an even greater role in the future, particularly in keeping people healthy, supporting those with long term conditions and helping make sure patients and the National Health Service get the best use from medicines.

    NHS England’s public consultation, Improving care through community pharmacy – a call to action, which closed on 18 March, has provided an important opportunity to explore the contribution community pharmacists and their teams can make. This will inform a strategic framework for commissioning wider primary care services in the autumn. A copy of the consultation document is at:

    www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/qual-clin-lead/calltoaction/pharm-cta/

    In the meantime, NHS England’s The earlier, the better campaign, launched in January 2014, specifically sought to raise the profile of community pharmacy with the public, to increase the number of people accessing community pharmacy services when they have a minor ailment and reduce pressures on other parts of the NHS.

    On 14 April, the Department and NHS England published Transforming Primary Care – Safe, proactive, personalised care for those who need it most. This sets out plans for more proactive, personalised and joined up care, part of which is harnessing the potential of pharmacists. This recognises the vital role that pharmacists have in optimising medicines use, helping to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and supporting people to manage their own care. A copy has been placed in the Library.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential for greater use of Thames to move freight.

    Baroness Kramer

    Transport for London has assessed the potential use of the Thames and other waterways in their London Freight Plan.　 The Port of London Authority (PLA), the Mayor of London / Greater London Authority (GLA), Transport for London (TfL) and their partners in the public and private sectors have been working to encourage greater use of the Thames for the movement of freight, including that associatedwith infrastructure products in central Londonsuch as Crossrail, the Tideway Tunnel and Blackfriars Station.

    The Department for Transport’s Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme provides grants to assist companies with the costs associated with running inland water freight transport instead of road, where inland waterway is more expensive. Grant support is being provided for a freight service on the Thames between Denton and Silvertown.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials in his Department have had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the development of NICE’s highly specialised technologies programme since 1 January 2014; what the content of those discussions was; and if he will make a statement.

    Norman Lamb

    Departmental officials have had no such discussions. Officials may discuss individual highly specialised technology topics with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, including at the topic selection stage.