The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the Repair and Renew Grant for flooded businesses or households has been (a) allocated to local authorities and (b) received by households or businesses to date.
Dan Rogerson
Local authorities make payments to households and businesses and invoice Defra quarterly for these amounts. We are expecting the first invoices in July.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many high-temperature concrete vertical landing pads will be constructed to accommodate the Joint Strike Fighter; where they will be located; and what estimate he has made of their cost.
Mr Philip Dunne
On current plans there will be three high-temperature concrete vertical landing pads constructed to accommodate the Joint Strike Fighter. These landing pads will be located at RAF Marham and the estimated cost is in the region of £7.5 million. This figure will be refined once planning for this matter progresses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Montrose will take over the Fleet Ready Escort task; and what ship it will replace in that role.
Mr Mark Francois
HMS Montrose was previously deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. She returned to the UK for a period of planned maintenance and post-deployment leave before conducting a short port visit in London and then participating in a NATO Exercise.
Royal Navy ships are programmed in accordance with our operational requirements, but for security reasons we do not discuss specific future operational tasking.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions on (a) collective action to promote human rights and (b) accountability for violations of the Commonwealth Charter were held at the Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Meeting in May 2014.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Commonwealth Law Ministers discussed a wide range of issues relating to human rights, rule of law and preventing violence against women, as well as the Commonwealth’s activities in these areas, during their meeting in May 2014. We welcomed their acknowledgement that a number of challenges and gaps remain in the Commonwealth, particularly in members’ ratification of the nine core international human rights treaties, their engagement with the United Nations Universal Periodical Review (UPR) mechanism and in their establishment of national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles.
The UK underlined the need for the Commonwealth and its members to adhere to the values and principles in the Commonwealth Charter at all times and secured improved wording in the final communiqué – not least agreement that the fundamental values of the Commonwealth Charter must be taken into account in the context of work to tackle violence against women and a commitment to review implementation of the Latimer House Principles.
We continue to encourage the Commonwealth Secretariat and member states to uphold the commitments in the Commonwealth Charter. We also continue to urge the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, as the custodian of Commonwealth values, to take action where infringments of the charter occur.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to reply to the letters to him of 2 April and 9 May 2014 from the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse.
Mr Mark Francois
I replied to the hon. Member on 25 September 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Clarke on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on a minimum monetary threshold for a late payment which affects an individual’s credit rating.
Matthew Hancock
Credit ratings will take into account a number of different variables, including late payment, but it is a commercial judgement taken by Credit Reference Agencies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils have applied to be assessed for a GCSE grade on the basis of coursework under the 50 per cent rule in each of the last five years.
Elizabeth Truss
The Secretary of State for Education recently received a letter from the hon Member for Thirsk and Malton on this issue, raising the case of a student in her constituency, to which he has responded. From time to time Ministers receive representations from members of the public, and from hon Members on their behalf, on the same matter.
Neither the Department nor the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation holds information on the number of pupils who have applied to be assessed for a GCSE grade on the basis of coursework. This information may be held by individual awarding bodies.
The rules governing the circumstances in which a GCSE grade may be awarded to a student who has not completed all the elements of the assessment are a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey to write directly to the hon Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans his Department has to commission polling on attitudes in Scotland towards Scottish independence and related matters before 18 September 2014; and what the (a) scope and (b) value of each such contract is.
Greg Clark
The UK Government regularly commissions independent research to inform and evaluate major policy programmes. Cabinet Office has contracted Ipsos MORI for the purposes of providing market research in relation to the Scotland Analysis Programme. Two formal tenders for this research were issued in March and August 2013 respectively and, as with other tenders for Government contracts, these processes were managed by the Government Procurement Service (now part of the Crown Commercial Service).
Cabinet Office has also contracted Engine Partners LLP for the purposes of providing communications support work in relation to the Scottish independence referendum. A formal tender for this work was issued in September 2013 and was managed by the Government Procurement Service.
As part of the Government’s commitment to transparency in expenditure information relating to the costs of both sets of work is publicly available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 169W, on Djibouti, whether the UK personnel embedded with US forces under US command at Camp Lemonnier provide any support to the US drone programme in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Mark Francois
UK Armed Forces personnel embedded in Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, are responsible for the planning and support of US military operations in East Africa. They do not provide any support to US Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations in Yemen; CJTF-HOA does not oversee operations in the Middle East.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Henderson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that food labels include details of any genetically modified ingredients used in a product’s manufacture; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison
The Food Standards Agency advises that EC Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed requires that food derived from genetically modified (GM) sources must be labelled, regardless of the presence of detectable GM material in the final product or of the quantity of intentionally used GM ingredients. This Regulation applies to all food that is marketed in the United Kingdom and in other member states.