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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department provides to reserve military personnel forced to leave military service as a result of injury sustained in the course of duty.

    Anna Soubry

    The provision of healthcare for veterans in the UK is the responsibility of NHS(England) and the Devolved Administrations. For NHS(England) this is the responsibility of individual GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The comprehensive services CCGs commission reflect local priorities and the aspirations of the Armed Forces Covenant.

    When mobilised, a Reservist has the same entitlement to healthcare provided by Defence Medical Services as a Regular Service person. The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Programme provides rehabilitation for injured or ill personnel, including Reservists mobilised for operations. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is extending rehabilitation services to Reservists injured during training; which will facilitate their return to fitness.

    The MOD also provides War Disablement Pensions under the War Pensions Scheme if Reservists are no longer serving in HM Armed Forces and their disablement arose before 6 April 2005. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme provides compensation for any injury, illness or death which is caused by service on or after 6 April 2005.

    Help and advice is available to all veterans, including Reserves, from Veterans UK (formerly the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency). Information about how to claim a war pension or AFCS is available from Veterans UK at www.veterans.uk.info, or email veterans.help@spva.gsi.gov.uk or free helpline 0808 1914 2 18. Veterans UK can signpost individuals to other sources of assistance including the Veteran’s Welfare Service, which provides dedicated welfare support to veterans (including Reserves), their families, and dependants.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 517-8W, on railways: passengers, what the evidential basis is for the stated forecast of increases in passenger numbers on the West Coast Main Line over the next 10 years.

    Stephen Hammond

    Chapter 4 of Network Rail’s West Coast Route Utilisation Strategy describes the evidential basis and modelling approach of the anticipated changes in demand to 2024-25 which are contained in the same document. This is now available at:

    http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/imagelibrary/downloadMedia.ashx?MediaDetailsID=4675

    “

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the new protocol to the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement will benefit the Saharawi population or Moroccan settlers.

    Hugh Robertson

    The protocol requires Morocco to provide regular and detailed reports on the geographical distribution of European funds for structural support and infrastructure as well as the impact on jobs and investments. Since the protocol has not yet entered into force this reporting has not yet begun.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Brunei about its policies involving stoning as punishment for adultery and dismemberment as punishment for theft.

    Baroness Warsi

    I discussed the possible implementation of a new sharia criminal code in Brunei with the Sultan and other government figures during a visit to Brunei in April. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara), also discussed this with the Bruneian Attorney General at the Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting on 6 May. The Secretary of State for Health, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), also raised concerns with his opposite number at a Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting on 18 May 2014.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure that financial education is taught, to a high standard, in non-state-maintained secondary schools.

    Lord Nash

    Independent Schools in England do not have to follow the national curriculum, though they do have to have a curriculum which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education.

    We will shortly be consulting on strengthening the standards which independent schools must meet, but there are no plans to introduce a requirement on financial education.

  • Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what value of trade will be covered by the European Union agreement of 23 April to reduce trade barriers with Ukraine.

    Baroness Warsi

    The European Commission estimates the annual value of the Autonomous Support Measures to be nearly €500 million (£413.15 million) in tariff reductions of which almost €400 million (£330.52 million) accrue to the agricultural sector.

  • Lord Tebbit – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Tebbit – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 6 May (WA 359), whether they intend to make it an offence for a British subject to be taken from the United Kingdom to be forced into marriage outside their jurisdiction.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The Coalition Government has passed legislation to make the act of forcing someone to marry a criminal offence, by means of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. The legislation comes into force on 16 June 2014.

    The extra-territorial provision in this legislation means that if the prohibited acts take place outside the UK by, or to, a UK national, or a person habitually resident in England or Wales, it will be an offence under domestic law and triable in the courts of England and Wales.

  • Lord Donoughue – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Donoughue – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord de Mauley on 11 March (WA 374), further to making a complaint about an RSPCA inspector directly to that organisation, what other bodies have the power to regulate the conduct of RSPCA inspectors; and what advice is publicly available to individuals wishing to make a complaint about an investigator.

    Lord De Mauley

    A complaint can also be made to the police or the Charity Commission depending on the nature of the complaint.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the number of refugees in the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Northover

    The ongoing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to take a distressing toll on the civilian population, compounding an already acute humanitarian crisis. The UN estimates that 557,000 people have been displaced within CAR, with 483,000 estimated to have fled the country, of whom 358,000 are refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

    Prior to the crisis, CAR was host to over 15,000 refugees from DRC and Sudan; however the deteriorating security situation has led to the voluntary repatriation of many refugees with support from UNHCR. In April over 6,000 Congolese refugees were voluntarily repatriated to Equateur province in DRC – a further sign of the gravity of the situation in CAR.

    The crisis is having a marked impact on education provision, with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that 400,000 vulnerable children are in need of emergency access to education. Many schools outside the capital have been closed since the onset of the crisis and whilst some schools in Bangui have reopened, work on rebuilding educational institutions as well as infrastructure is needed. The Multi-Cluster Initial Rapid Assessment in January 2014 placed the level of functioning schools at 4%, with many looted and occupied by displaced people, but did not report military use of schools. The interruption of education affects both girls and boys.

    The most important need continues to be security, and the UK has worked closely with international partners, including the African Union (AU), to support efforts to bring stability to the country. We have provided £2m in non-lethal support to the UN-mandated AU force, MISCA, which despite serious challenges, has worked well with the French Operation Sangaris to bring some security to the country. We will continue to work with the AU and others as we approach the handover to the UN Peace Keeping Operation, MINUSCA, in September 2014, and as preparations are made for elections, currently scheduled for 2015.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the standards of design used for new homes in large-scale greenfield developments in England since 2010.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The Government is keen to ensure that new homes are well-designed and the National Planning Policy Framework and accompanying Practice Guidance strongly encourages local authorities, working with local partners, to achieve this. However, information about the standard of design for new homes is not collected centrally.