Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent changes her Department has made to licensing criteria for badger control in England.

    George Eustice

    Following a public consultation, the following changes to licensing conditions were published on 17 December 2015:

    • Enabling Natural England to keep the duration of annual badger control operations under review rather than limiting them to six weeks.

    • Reducing the minimum size of an area from 150km2 to 100km2.

    • Removing the requirement for at least 70% of the land in candidate areas to be accessible but retaining a requirement that approximately 90% of the land in the control area be either accessible, or within 200m of accessible land.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will publish the latest proposals on the Trade in Services Agreement.

    Greg Hands

    Information on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) can be found on the European Commission’s dedicated TiSA website. In a bid to encourage transparency, the European Commission has published a large number of documents including its revised TiSA offer from May 2016, the EU proposals for institutional provisions and state-to-state dispute settlement, position papers and factsheets.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Margaret Hodge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ensure that any agreement on a central registry of beneficial ownership in the Turks and Caicos Islands will include access for the public with legitimate reason.

    James Duddridge

    I refer the Right Honourable Lady to the answer given by my Hon Friend the member for Hertfordshire South West (David Gauke), the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to questions 10437, 10438 and 10448, which sets out the criteria we expect the Overseas Territories to meet in relation to their central register of company beneficial ownership, or similarly effective system.

    We are in discussions with the Turks and Caicos Islands authorities on this and are offering technical assistance as they develop their proposals.

  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department or NHS England holds on the number and proportion of GP premises that have been refurbished or replaced since May 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    The NHS (General Medical Services – Premises Costs) Directions 2013 set out the circumstances under which NHS England may provide funding for general practitioner (GP) premises. NHS England does not provide funding for all refurbishments and replacements, and in some cases such works may be carried out by third party owners. As such neither the Department nor NHS England hold information on the number or proportion of GP premises that have been refurbished or replaced since May 2010.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of claims that Saudi Arabia has bombed several hospitals in Yemen, including Médecins Sans Frontières clinics.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of recent allegations regarding an attack on a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Sa’ada province on 10 January. We are also aware of reports of alleged attacks against a MSF hospital in Sa’ada on 26 October and on a MSF unit in Taiz on 2 December. We welcome the public announcement by Saudi Arabia to establish a fact finding committee into the alleged airstrike on the MSF mobile clinic in Taiz. It is important that Saudi Arabia conducts thorough and conclusive investigation into incidents that have raised concerns.

  • Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of the National Living Wage on horticultural businesses that employ large numbers of seasonal workers.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government’s Impact Assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage estimates that around 20,000 workers in the agriculture sector – including horticultural businesses – will be covered by the National Living Wage in its first year..

    To help businesses with the costs of implementing the National Living Wage Government is raising the Employer Allowance, cutting corporation tax, and setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000. The Government is also taking steps that will specifically help horticultural businesses with the introduction of the National Living Wage. The Government is enabling farmers to average their profits over five years rather than two for income tax purposes to provide greater financial security, and it is establishing Level 2/3 horticulture apprenticeships.

    The Government’s proposals to devolve the power to extend Sunday trading hours will benefit the horticultural sector. The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), which represents garden centres, many of which are rural SMEs, estimates that Sunday trading restrictions cost the industry £75 million per annum in lost sales.

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases of domestic servitude have been recorded where the victims have included more than one person from the same family.

    Lord Bates

    Data on the number of child cases of forced labour or domestic servitude recorded through the National Referral Mechanism is already publically available on the National Crime Agency website and can be found here: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

    The National Referral Mechanism is designed to gather evidence in order to determine whether someone is considered to be a victim of ‘slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour’ or ‘human trafficking’ in line with the offences set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Whether an individual is considered to be a victim of either of these offences in the form of domestic servitude or forced labour will be determined on the indicators present and the facts of each case. Additional consideration is given to the particular vulnerabilities of children and their inability to consent.

    Information on how many cases of domestic servitude have been prosecuted where the victim was a child or how many cases of domestic servitude have been recorded which involved more than one person from the same family is not recorded centrally.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what would be the residency status of UK expatriates currently living permanently in EU member states in the event that the UK votes to leave the EU.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    As set out in the Government’s White Paper: ‘The process for withdrawing from the European Union’, published on 29 February, the withdrawal process is unprecedented. No country has ever used Article 50 and this will be an area of discussion with EU member states in such a scenario.

  • Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of childhood obesity on the development of musculoskeletal conditions.

    Jane Ellison

    Our Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce anxiety disorder in women under 35.

    Alistair Burt

    Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services treat common mental health conditions, including anxiety. More than 3.5 million adults have entered the IAPT programme since its inception in 2008. Of that 3.5 million, over 2.1 million have completed treatment and over 725,000 are in recovery and more than 100,000 people have moved off sick pay and benefits.

    We have introduced waiting times standards to ensure better access to IAPT so that 75% of people referred to IAPT receive treatment within six weeks and 95% receive treatment within 18 weeks.

    In January 2016, the Government announced almost £1 billion of additional investment for mental health, which included £290 million of new investment over the next five years to provide mental healthcare for perinatal care.