The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Joint Strike Fighter B procured by the RAF will have Block 3i software.
Mr Philip Dunne
All UK F-35Bs delivered prior to the end of 2017 will be upgraded to, or delivered with, Block 3i software.
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 recent assessment he has made of the resources and effectiveness of the Commonwealth Human Rights Unit; and what discussions he has had with (a) his Commonwealth counterparts and (b) the Commonwealth Secretariat on the role of the Commonwealth Human Rights Unit.
Mr Hugo Swire
We support the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit and welcome the Secretariat’s recent statement confirming that the budget and staffing for the Unit has more than doubled under the Commonwealth’s four-year Strategic Plan, which was agreed by all Commonwealth members in May 2013.
We monitor the work of the Human Rights Unit through our membership of the Commonwealth Executive Committee and Board of Governors. The Board of Governors last met on 29 May.
The Human Rights Unit undertakes valuable work in assisting member states with the adoption of international standards on human rights; providing support to member states in the Universal Periodic Review process; and in enhancing the capacity of Commonwealth members’ national human rights institutions. Through our regular dialogue with the Secretariat on human rights, we urge them to work across the Commonwealth to uphold the values and principles agreed in the Commonwealth Charter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support the full release of the United States Select Intelligence Committee’s report on the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program.
Hugh Robertson
The release of the Committee’s report is a matter for the United States.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Clarke on 2014-06-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the threshold charge payable for a type 2 machine for the purposes of calculating machine gaming duty was set at £5.
Mr David Gauke
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Explanatory Note for Clause 117 of Finance Bill 2014, which can be found at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing a BSL interpreter for each individual needing one to fill an access to work position adequately.
Mike Penning
Access to Work is a discretionary grant award designed to assist disabled people and their employers to overcome individual barriers encountered at work. We assess thecosts for all awards, including those for BSL interpreter support, against the specific needs of individual customers. As such, there is no single estimate of the cost of the support the scheme provides.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will publish the findings of all market research on attitudes in Scotland towards Scottish independence and related matters commissioned by the Devolution Team in his Department since May 2011.
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 29 April 2014, Official Report, column 636W, on the Air Force, whether any such UK personnel are embedded or otherwise interact with the US Air Force’s 17th Reconnaissance Squadron.
Mr Mark Francois
732nd is an Operations Group which comprises four Reconnaissance Squadron’s – 17th, 22nd, 30th and 867th. No UK Remotely Piloted Air System personnel are embedded with, or interact with the 732nd Operations Group Squadrons.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Uppal on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart about the destruction of an historically important Bahá’í cemetery in Shiraz.
Hugh Robertson
I was deeply concerned to learn of the destruction of a Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz, where approximately 950 Baha’is are buried. On 14 May 2014, I made a statement on this issue, calling for Iran to abide by its international commitments to ensure all Iranians are free to practice their religion without fear of persecution. This includes protection of religious sites.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on its emergency ambulance cover.
Jane Ellison
There have been no recent discussions between the Department and the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on these matters. Decisions about ambulance services are a local matter and it is for clinical commissioning groups to ensure appropriate services are provided to their populations.
Patients have a right to high quality and reliable urgent and emergency care, whenever they call on it, and we expect all ambulance trusts to provide this.
The North West Ambulance Service met the three ambulance performance standards for 2013-14 and in April 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of compliance of operators with point 30 of the Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain guidance in Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services.
Stephen Hammond
‘Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services’, which was drafted by and consulted on by the Senior Traffic Commissioner, has not yet been finalised following the consultation period. There is, therefore, no ‘point 30′ within existing guidance on which to make any assessment.