The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether BT contributed funding to the phase 1 roll-out of superfast broadband.
Matt Hancock
BT made a total capital commitment for Phase 1 of the programme of £348 million.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2015-11-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what precedents there are in government for conducting a review of a similar nature to Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston
The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston):
Lord Strathclyde is being supported in his review by a panel of external experts and a small secretariat of civil servants in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat does not include political advisers. The expert panel comprises Sir Stephen Laws, former First Parliamentary Counsel; Jacqy Sharpe, a former Clerk in the House of Commons and Clerk to the Joint Committee on Conventions; and Sir Michael Pownall, former Clerk of the Parliaments.
Several reviews have examined the powers of the House of Lords, including the Royal Commission on the reform of the House of Lords (2000) and the Joint Committee on Conventions referenced above (2006).
The review led by Lord Strathclyde is due to consider how to protect the ability of elected Governments to secure their business in Parliament in the light of the operation of certain conventions. The review will consider in particular how to secure the decisive role of the elected House of Commons in relation to its primacy on financial matters; and secondary legislation.
Ministers regularly discuss a wide range of issues with the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.
Lord Strathclyde will determine the way in which the review is undertaken and the content of his recommendations, including any definitions required. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the exercise at this stage, but neither Lord Strathclyde nor his panel of experts will be paid a fee. Lord Strathclyde is expected to seek views from a wide range of Parliamentarians, parties and groups in undertaking his review, and has issued a letter to all Parliamentarians inviting their input. He is also seeking views from the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Clerk of the House. Lord Strathclyde will report to the Prime Minister, and the Government will decide how to proceed upon receipt of his recommendations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to version 4.3 of JSP 441 Defence Records Management Policy and Procedures, for what period training centres are required to maintain records in relation to (a) trainee attendance and (b) courses held; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Julian Brazier
The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) policy for the capture, management and final disposal, including transfer to The National Archives, of the MOD’s records is detailed in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 441-Defence Records Management Policy and Procedures. However it is important to note that not all documents are official records. The MOD only retains documents worthy of permanent preservation which are judged to have short or long term corporate value. For example a Training Centre may not retain attendance lists but the qualification attained would be included in the individual’s service record.
A copy of JSP 441 has been placed in the Library of the House and can also be found on the Gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-441-defence-records-management-policy-and-procedures–2
JSP 441 advises that records relating to the development of the business unit’s personnel or human resources through formally and informally delivered training activities, are to be retained for at least 15 years after which they are to be reviewed for on-going business reasons or potential historical value. These records may include records created by training centres relating to trainee attendance and courses held. If this review deems that these records are no longer required, then they are to be destroyed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on Hamas’ rearmament in Gaza; and if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on the Middle East Peace Process of that rearmament.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of reports of Hamas’ rearmament in Gaza. We remain deeply concerned by Hamas’ attempts to rearm and its efforts to rebuild infrastructure, including the tunnel network in Gaza. We are clear that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza must permanently end rocket fire and other attacks against Israel. Any Hamas rearmament undermines efforts to improve the situation in Gaza and harms prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many trusted partner pilots he plans to appoint for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements.
Priti Patel
The intention is to deliver 26 Trusted Partner pilot sites. In total we received just over 200 valid applications; 16 landlords have already commenced the pilot and work is in train to confirm the final 10.
We plan to let key stakeholders know once all landlords have been confirmed.
Tenants in accommodation such as supported or sheltered housing are not subject to the Alternative Payment Arrangement process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps are being taken to encourage youth engagement in (a) national and (b) local elections.
John Penrose
The Government is committed to maximising electoral registration to help ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote in polls is able to do so. The introduction of online voter registration has made it easier, simpler and faster to register to vote. Since its launch in June 2014, 3.6 million people aged 16-24 have applied to register to vote, with 2.6 million applications online.
The Government has worked with youth organisations such NUS and UK Youth to deliver activities to engage people in the democratic process.
In addition, The Government has previously funded the British Youth Council to deliver Youth Voice activities including the UK Youth Parliament and the associated ‘Make Your Mark’ ballot.
The ballot led to nearly a million young people, aged 11 to 18, voting in this UK wide ballot; a record turnout. This decided the issues debated at UK Youth Parliament, including mental health, a living wage and tackling religious discrimination.
The Government has committed to support the Youth Parliament and associated activities for the remainder of the Parliament until 2020.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33485, in what capacity those polygraph examinations have been conducted; and for what reasons polygraph examinations have been so used to examine sex offender behaviour.
Andrew Selous
The legal basis for the polygraph scheme is in the Offender Management Act 2007. Sections 28 to 30 enable a polygraph licence condition to be added to the release licence of certain sex offenders. In January 2014, following a successful pilot, the condition was introduced nationally.
Polygraph testing has proven to be a valuable additional tool for National Probation Service offender managers in the management of certain sex offenders in the community. It increases the chance that those sexual offenders will make critically significant disclosures relevant to their management, supervision, or risk assessment. Furthermore, it has increased the likelihood of preventative actions being taken by offender managers to protect the public from harm, such as warnings and recall to custody.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of all asylum appeals were made by Eritrean nationals or refugees in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In answer to Questions HL329 and HL331, I refer the noble Lady to my answer on 04/05/2016 for Question HL8090.
In answer to Question HL330, I refer the noble Lady to my answer on 04/05/2016 for Question HL8089.
In answer to Question HL332 and HL333, I refer the noble Lady to my answer on 11/05/2016 for Questions HL8091 and HL9092.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Berry on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government expects to receive the EU Commission’s assessment of the UK Air Quality Plan.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
The Government submitted a revised air quality plan to the European Commission on 17 December last year. There is no formal timetable under the Air Quality Directive for the Commission to assess the plan. The Government is working with the Commission to ensure compliance with the nitrogen dioxide limits in the Directive in the shortest possible time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of staff on the payroll of her Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.
Matt Hancock
All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.
More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. But there are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.