Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of China on the persecution of Christians in (a) Zhejiang Province and (b) elsewhere in eastern China.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have concerns about restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in China, and I raise them regularly with my Chinese counterparts. We are aware of particular recent cases, such as the demolition of Sanjiang church in Zhejiang Province and the arrest of Pastor Zhang in Henan Province, and we raise them publicly through our Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.

    As the Honourable Member will recall, on 1 May, in a debate on the floor of the house on freedom of thought, conscience and religion, I also expressed my concern about violations of the right to freedom of belief in China, in particular the closure of house churches and the treatment of Falun Gong. We also plan to raise our wide range of concerns directly with Chinese officials during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that he receives independent scientific advice on the safety, effectiveness and humaneness of the second year of the badger cull pilots in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

    George Eustice

    Natural England, as the independent licensing authority, is the most appropriate organisation to continue carrying out the field monitoring of cage trapping and shooting to ensure that licence conditions and best practice guidance requirements are complied with. The outcome of this monitoring, together with the outcome of post-mortem examinations carried out by trained vets will be made publically available after the culls are completed, and will inform the decisions made about next steps.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many motorists were prosecuted for speeding offences in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) Ashfield constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Jeremy Wright

    The number of defendants proceeded against at Magistrates’ courts for speeding offences in the Nottinghamshire Police Force Area, from 2008 to 2012 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Information cannot be broken down by Parliamentary constituency

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many summons for non-payment of council tax have been issued by each local authority in each of the last three years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect figures on the number of people who have been issued with court summonses by local authorities for non-payment of council tax.

    Notwithstanding, I also refer the hon. Member to my answers of 17 October 2013, Official Report, Column 866W.

  • Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Baker on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of regulatory changes allowing registered medical practitioners to form an opinion about the mental or physical health of a female patient without meeting or examining her; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The approach to abortion in the United Kingdom is set out in the Abortion Act 1967 and this remains unchanged. The Act sets out that two doctors must certify that in their opinion, which must be formed in good faith, a request for an abortion meets at least one (and the same) of the grounds set out in the Act.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the palliative care service ratings for England were in the most recent period for which information is available.

    Norman Lamb

    There is no national rating system for palliative care services in England. However, The National End of Life Care Intelligence network (NEoLCIN), part of Public Health England, works with partner organisations including NHS England to collect, analyse and present end of life care intelligence, drawing together data and information from a range of sources.

    The NEoLCIN has published end of life care profiles at local authority and by clinical commissioning group level. These help commissioners and providers understand the end of life care needs of their populations. More information can be found at the following link:

    www.endoflifecare-intelligence.org.uk/home

    “

  • Nic Dakin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools and academies have (a) opened a new sixth form and (b) closed their sixth form in each year since 2005.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Department for Education does not collect the data in the format requested.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 594-5W, on official visits, if he will provide details of the six received requests for special mission status; and from which countries they were received.

    Mark Simmonds

    None of the six requests for special mission status to which I referred in my answer to the House of 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 594-5W, were refused. After consenting to the visits as special missions, two of the visits were subsequently cancelled by the country making the request.
    As I noted in my previous answer, in view of the confidentiality of diplomatic exchanges, we have no plans to make public further details about requests that have been granted or refused. But if those applying for special mission status wish to announce the details of their visit to the UK, they are of course at liberty to do so.

  • Dan Byles – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dan Byles – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Byles on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of (a) the readiness of markets for a Contract for Difference (CfD) competitive bidding process and (b) the effect on independent generators of early introduction of CfD auctioning.

    Michael Fallon

    The Department launched a consultation on our approach to competitive allocation of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in January 2014. This included proposals to move to auctioning of CfDs from the first allocation this autumn. We carefully considered the responses to the consultation before confirming our policy position in the Government Response published on 13 May 2014. Competitive allocation will deliver renewable energy at a lower cost for consumers.

    In developing our proposals for the move to competitive allocation, my officials have also worked closely with developers and other stakeholders, including representatives of independent renewable energy generators.

    In particular, we are introducing the Offtaker of Last Resort (OLR) to support independent renewable generators by guaranteeing a route-to-market and therefore improving their ability to raise project finance. The policy design is already at an advanced stage, and the detail of the proposals has been recently consulted on. We are on track to deliver the final policy and introduce enabling regulations ahead of the first allocation of CfDs. CfD applicants will, therefore, have a high degree of clarity about the arrangements for OLR well in advance of the first auctions.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to increase the number of dental practices piloting the National Health Service’s new contractual arrangements; and what is the timetable for those reforms to be completed.

    Earl Howe

    Decisions on the detailed shape of the next stage have not yet been taken. The forthcoming engagement exercise on the reforms with the dental community is intended to increase awareness of the process and allow an opportunity for the wider dental community to input.