UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with B&K Universal Ltd, Yorkshire Evergreen or their associates about their planning application for a facility at Grimston, Yorkshire for the breeding of dogs and other animals for laboratory use in the last 12 months.

    Nick Boles

    There have been no discussions between my Department and this company or their associates in the last 12 months. However, I can confirm that a planning appeal of an application to develop their facilities has recently been received, necessitating standard procedural communications with the Planning Inspectorate.

  • Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making in respect of Morocco’s international human rights obligations in regard to the citizens of Western Sahara; and what steps they have taken in respect of neutralising the Moroccan wall and associated weaponry.

    Baroness Warsi

    We encourage concrete progress towards improving human rights in Western Sahara in discussions with the parties to the dispute over the territory, and at the UN Security Council. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Robertson), discussed human rights in Western Sahara during his visit to Morocco in March. We welcome Morocco’s recent commitments to investigate complaints of human rights violations made to the National Council for Human Rights within three months, and to end military tribunal trials for civilians.

    Demining teams from the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the Moroccan Army and Polisario continue to co-operate to clear unexploded ordnance on both sides of the Moroccan wall.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in relation to their proposals to extend the power for local authorities to outsource their children’s social work functions including child protection, what assessment has been made of (1) the risks to children and young people, (2) the risks to the impartiality and integrity of statutory decision-making and interventions, and (3) the risks of conflicts of interest arising for third-party providers that bid for social work functions and for commissioned care placement.

    Lord Nash

    The Government is considering the outcome of its consultation on delegation of children’s social care functions. The proposals would place no obligations on local authorities and do not remove their statutory accountability for child protection and wider children’s social care.

    Should the proposals proceed, local authorities will need to ensure that any arrangements they put in place allow them to meet their statutory duties and properly manage questions of risk and conflicts of interest.

    Ofsted will consider these arrangements as part of local authority inspections and hold the authority to account for the quality of its children’s services.

  • Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Huppert on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effects on the Middle East Peace Process of the new unity Palestinian government.

    Mr William Hague

    I welcome the formation of the new interim technocratic government for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a government committed to the Quartet Principles is a necessary condition for resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. We now look to this government to demonstrate commitment through its actions as well words.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Jenny Willott

    I refer the hon. Member to the answergiven by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Francis Maude) on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 433W.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    The table shows the proportion of staff within the Department for Culture, media and Sport who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years and declared themselves as white British.

    Year

    Percentage of DCMS headcount who have been dismissed

    Proportion of staff dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings who declared themselves as white British

    Proportion of staff subject to disciplinary proceedings who declared their nationality as British but ethnicity is undeclared

    1 April 2009 – 31 March 2010

    0%

    –

    –

    1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011

    0%

    –

    –

    1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012

    0.2%

    100%

    0%

    1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013

    0%

    –

    –

    1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014

    0%

    –

    –

    The figures as they relate to the period from September 2012 include the Government Equalities Office, which joined the Department in that month as part of a machinery of Government move. Before September 2012, the Government Equalities Office was part of the Home Office and the information requested for this period is not available.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what targets his Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.

    Gregory Barker

    The Department currently works towards meeting the diversity representation targets set by the Cabinet Office for Senior Civil Servants. Our current rates against those targets are:

    • Females in SCS – 34% (Target 39%)
    • Females at PB2 or above – 21% (Target 34%)
    • Disability – 3% (Target 5%)
    • Ethnicity – 1% (Target 5%)

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department as part of its commercial contracts already includes discrimination and human rights provisions in its standard terms and conditions of contract and by submitting a tender or quotation to the Department, a supplier agrees to these terms.

    The Department is currently enhancing its approach to addressing equality issues in the procurement process.

    All organisations applying to the Department’s competed grant schemes are asked to confirm that they have an Equal Opportunities Policy Statement in place. Only applicants with a policy in place or in the process of being produced would meet the eligibility criteria for grant funding.

    The standard terms and conditions for grant awards contain a clause covering equality. All organisations that are awarded grants confirm that they agree to the terms and conditions prior to the release of the grant payment.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what consideration her Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    My Department receives procurement services from the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Central Procurement Directorate (CPD). The consideration given to diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering the bids for commercial contracts or grants will be in line with their respective policies and procedures.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to increase the number of Registered Intermediaries available for use by child victims and witnesses of sexual abuse; and if he will make a statement.

    Damian Green

    As at 19 June 2014, 29 Registered Intermediaries (RIs) were available for use by child victims and witnesses in the Greater Manchester police force area that covers Bolton, 25 RIs for Lancashire, 81 RIs for England and 26 RIs for Wales. Support for vulnerable witnesses is a devolved matter in Scotland.

    We recruited over 25 RIs this year, to increase the numbers of Active Registered Intermediaries to be used across the 43 police forces to help vulnerable witnesses.

    Registered Intermediaries are available for work across multiple police force areas and the numbers quoted above do not reveal the total number of active RIs.

    The number of child victims and witnesses involved in sexual abuse cases that have benefitted from the use of an RI in the last four years since the Witness Intermediary Scheme has been operational are provided in the table below. We do not hold data on cases before this time.

    Age
    0 to 4

    Age
    5 to 11

    Age
    12 to 17

    Yearly
    Total

    2010

    131

    152

    351

    2011

    62

    107

    171

    340

    2012

    87

    173

    165

    425

    2013

    168

    257

    261

    686

    TOTAL

    385

    668

    749

    1802

    The Ministry of Justice continues to monitor the number of Registered Intermediaries and is considering future recruitment plans. We are working with the CPS and police so that RIs are used to help more vulnerable witnesses to give their best evidence.