Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Audit Office report, Army 2020, HC 263, published on 11 June 2014, page 30, if he will provide a breakdown of the extra £70 million in costs that will be borne by his Department for the decision to revert to a hosting environment provided by Capita as part of the Recruiting Partnering Project.

    Anna Soubry

    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) set out on 14 January 2014 (Official Report, column 716) the cost of Capita providing a new Information Technology platform as part of the Recruiting Partnering Project. At the time, these costs were expected to be around £47.7 million directly linked to the change of hosting provision. Since this statement, the £47.7 million has reduced to £42.9 million.

    As previously stated by the Secretary of State on 14 January, there has been an additional cost of around £1 million per month to run the Capita system. This includes costs for additional manpower.

    The Recruiting Partnering Project remains within the overall agreed cost of £1.360 billion.

  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Dan Rogerson

    Core Defra does not hold this information because some stocks are held locally and some are ordered centrally.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruits are expected to commence Phase 1 training at AFC Harrogate in financial year 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The number of recruits programmed to start training at AFC Harrogate and ITC Catterick in financial year 2014-15 is shown in the table.

    Establishment

    2014-15

    AFC Harrogate

    1,450

    ITC Catterick

    2,750

    Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in ‘5′ are rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK of international sanctions against Russia.

    Mr David Lidington

    The effect of sanctions so far imposed by the EU is on individuals from Crimea and Russia most closely involved in violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The EU has been clear that it would move to impose a package of wider economic sanctions if there is a lack of progress on the diplomatic front and further moves by Russia against Ukraine. Such measures would have consequences for the UK’s commercial relationship with Russia, and for those of other EU Member States, but the clear aim would be to demonstrate to Russia that there are wider consequences for its actions in Ukraine, while minimising the impact on the EU.

  • Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne McIntosh on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent representations he has received on funding sixth forms in rural schools.

    Mr David Laws

    The Department for Education has received three letters recently on funding sixth forms in rural schools. We recognise the importance of rural schools, many of which are small schools, and the need to maintain access to a local school in rural areas. Often these schools are at the heart of their community.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS staff have the appropriate training to communicate effectively and compassionately with patients at difficult times in the diagnosis and treatment process; and if he will make a statement.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The content and standard of healthcare professional training is the responsibility of healthcare regulators, which are independent statutory bodies. They have the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that students and newly qualified professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

    The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the National Health Service. HEE will work with stakeholders to influence training curricula as appropriate.

    The Government has announced a series of actions that demonstrate its commitment to creating a culture of openness, candour, learning and accountability in an NHS which puts compassion at its heart. These include placing compassionate care at the heart of the training and recruitment of NHS staff; implementing the Compassion in Practice strategy for nursing and midwifery; and a new care certificate for healthcare assistants.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with representatives of the haulage industry about improving the safety of cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

    Baroness Kramer

    There have been discussions with representatives of the haulage industry in a number of broader meetings. The meetings included the Commercial Vehicle Road Safety Forum, the Road Haulage Forum and a driver certificates of professional competence (DCPC) stakeholder meeting for the EU review. The subjects discussed included the potential for DCPC, vehicle design and enforcement to improve safety, including of cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

    Department for Transport officials have also attended meetings about vehicle construction and to develop a best practice standard for construction logistics. These have been in collaboration with the haulage industry and Transport for London, with the objective of improving road safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

    The Department runs a Safety Sub Group of the Minister’s Cycling Stakeholder Forum. This includes members from the haulage industry, such as the Freight Transport Association, Road Haulage Association and Minerals Products Association.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what pharmaceutical companies supplied the Government’s stockpile of Tamiflu.

    Jane Ellison

    Roche is the only supplier of the Government’s stockpile of Tamiflu. There are currently no other suppliers of Tamiflu.

  • Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many complaints about payment of the National Minimum Wage (a) were made, (b) were resolved within the required Departmental timescales and (c) were not resolved within the required Departmental timescales in 2013-14.

    Jenny Willott

    The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) enforces the National Minimum Wage (NMW) on behalf of BIS.

    HMRC investigates every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights helpline and deals with each NMW complaint on a case-by-case basis. The timescale for each case is dependent on a number of factors:

    • the complexity of the issues
    • the size of employer
    • the cooperation of the employer
    • the enforcement route required

    In 2013/14, HMRC investigated 1631 cases. Of these, 1084 cases were closed; 565 cases were closed within 120 days; 519 cases were closed outside of 120 days and 547 cases are still open and yet to be concluded.

    Please note that investigations may not commence and be completed in the same financial year.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the pilot advocate scheme will begin.

    Karen Bradley

    In January 2014 the Home Office announced proposals to trial specialist,
    independent advocates for trafficked children which is due to begin this
    summer. This trial forms part of the Government’s work to eradicate modern day
    slavery and as such there are no plans for this trial to be extended to
    unaccompanied children.

    The Child Trafficking Advocate will be fully independent from the local
    authority, but will need to work with the existing structures around the Child
    Trafficking Victim, such as children’s services, education, criminal justice
    system and immigration system.

    The advocate role is intended to deliver the best outcomes for children. The
    advocate’s role will include the following activities but this is not an
    exhaustive list and we expect the advocate to respond to the specific needs of
    the child.

    • being a consistent point of contact for the Child Trafficking Victim;
    • assisting the local authority to assess the needs of the Child Trafficking
    Victim as a victim of trafficking, thereby promoting the safety and wellbeing
    of the Child Trafficking Victim (in particular in light of the risk of
    re-trafficking);
    • making recommendations for referrals to other services (e.g. mental health
    services) to ensure the Child Trafficking Victim receives educational, medical,
    practical and legal support they need and deserve;
    • accompanying the Child Trafficking Victim to certain meetings – e.g. with an
    immigration lawyer;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in any age assessment process;
    • supporting the Child Trafficking Victim in overcoming language and cultural
    barriers;
    • supporting witnesses through the criminal justice system;
    • supporting looked after children and children in need through the care
    system, in particular in safety planning, age assessment and future planning;
    • assisting the local authority to plan for the Child Trafficking Victim’s
    future and receive any compensation that they may be entitled to;
    • helping prevent the Child Trafficking Victim from facing further exploitation
    or harm from traffickers (and the risks of going missing);
    • providing advice on immigration, criminal justice and welfare matters to the
    Child Trafficking Victim and arranging effective legal representation;
    • involvement in the key decisions relating to the Child Trafficking Victim
    (but final decisions would remain the responsibility of the local authority or
    Home Office, where relevant).

    The Home Office is commissioning an independent evaluation of the trial which
    will report six months after the trial commences. The evaluation will include
    the terms of reference for the trial.