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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of civilians who have died in South East Turkey during the current conflict in that region.

    Mr David Lidington

    We are aware of reports of civilian casualties in south east Turkey. The Turkish Government have said that 120 civilians and more than twice that number of Turkish police and military personnel have lost their lives in clashes between 20 July 2015 and 17 February 2016. We continue to believe Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), whose attacks we condemn as we condemn all terrorism. Our thoughts are with the victims of these attacks, and the civilians who have been caught up in the violence. As in any conflict, civilian casualties should be avoided and human rights need to be fully protected.

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our Ambassador in Turkey have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process. We have been clear, in public and private, that PKK violence must end and we support a return to the peace process, in the interests of Turkey and the region. We stand ready to help in any way we can. I raised these issues when I met Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister on 12 March and with my Turkish counterpart the last time we met in August 2015.

  • Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations into crimes categorised as violent crimes and sexual offences were assigned an outcome of investigation complete – no suspect identified in (a) each year since 2010 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Mike Penning

    In April 2014, the Government reformed crime outcome data to give greater transparency to the public about the investigation and prosecution of crime.

    The requested outcomes data have been provided for the first available year (12 months to March 2015) and the most recent rolling year (12 months to September 2015) in the accompanying table. These have been given as proportions of recorded crimes recorded during the period rather than numbers as some forces were unable to supply data based on the new outcomes framework at the start of the period. The table also includes the proportion of crimes under active investigation awaiting an outcome from each period for further context.

    More recent figures for the year to December 2015 will be published on Thursday April 21, 2016.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of torture in Ethiopia.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to be concerned about allegations of torture in Ethiopia made by organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in relation to people detained under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. Those include members of the opposition groups, journalists, peaceful protestors, and others seeking to express their rights to freedom of assembly or expression. We continually monitor and assess a range of human rights issues in Ethiopia, including allegations of torture. We continue to make representations to the Government of Ethiopia on individual cases as well as more broadly through our Human Rights Dialogue. We also support the continued human rights discussions between international partners and the Government of Ethiopia.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure that people recently displaced by violence in South Sudan receive humanitarian protection.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are working with humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (who both receive Department for International Development funding) to assess the situation and mobilise responses where possible, including the provision of water, food and health services for internally displaced persons. However, at present, continued insecurity is a significant barrier to humanitarian operations in some areas. We are pressing for action at the UN Security Council to ensure that United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan has the equipment and unrestricted access it needs to fulfil its mandated task of providing a secure environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for UK foreign policy of the President of the European Commission’s State of the Union Address of 14 September 2016.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    ​The UK will continue to share foreign and security interests and common challenges with EU Member States and other partners. We will continue to be an influential international actor, remaining a leading member of NATO, the G7 and G20, and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We do not assess President Juncker’s speech as fundamentally altering this.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that the FCO’s cleaning contractor, Interserve, pays the London Living Wage to its employees.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Interserve is responsible for setting the terms and conditions of its staff, including pay. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office supports its contractors in paying the London and UK Living Wage when it is affordable and does not cost jobs, however this should be for individual employers to decide. Interserve will have to pay its staff the National Living Wage from April.

  • Jenny Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jenny Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jenny Chapman on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on female prison staff took place in each of the last 10 years.

    Andrew Selous

    We do not tolerate violence of any kind in prison and any assault is treated extremely seriously. Any prisoner who commits an act of violence can expect to have action taken against them.

    Quarterly statistics on the numbers of assaults on prison staff are published in the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin, located at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/472712/Safety-in-custody-summary-q2-2015.xls

    Information on the gender of those staff who have been assaulted is not held centrally.

    “

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) statutory and (b) other guidance is available to higher education institutions on their duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards disabled students.

    Joseph Johnson

    Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have clear legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities.

    The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has produced a range of guidance for institutions on their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including technical guidance setting out the detail of the law.

    Guidance is also produced by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), a higher education sector body that supports equality and diversity for staff and students across the UK, including for disabled staff and students on managing “reasonable adjustments”. The ECU also published a report on the implications for institutions of the key issues contained in the Equality Act 2010.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 29 January (HL5640), whether they request and collate statistics from each local authority about pupils who are regularly absent from school, or who have been deleted from the admission register in certain circumstances.

    Lord Nash

    Pupil absence information is collected by the Department at an enrolment level through the School Census.

    Absence information, including figures relating to those pupils who are persistent absentees, is published three times a year in the following National Statistics releases:

    • Pupil absence in schools in England: autumn term

    • Pupil absence in schools in England: autumn and spring term

    • Pupil absence in schools in England: full academic year

    The Department does not collect information on pupils who have been deleted from the admission register for specific circumstances.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department provides for local authorities to share best practice on adult social work.

    Alistair Burt

    Raising the quality and consistency of social work practice remains a priority for the Department and for Government. We continue to provide local authorities with the tools and resources to enable them to share good practice.

    Principal Social Workers are now in place in nearly every local authority and a number of National Health Service trusts, responsible for strong practice leadership in their organisations. They are supported by strong national and regional networks, with links to regional Association of Directors of Adult Social Services networks, helping to identify and share good social work practice. A statement on the role and the responsibility of local authorities to appoint a principal social worker in adult social care, has been included in revised statutory guidance accompanying the Care Act, which the Department published on 10 March.

    In addition, the Department is working with Skills for Care and the Social Care Institute for Excellence to assist local authorities in the implementation of the Care Act and the sharing of best practice across the whole of the adult social care sector, including social work.