Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the legal requirements for home-educated pupils to sit SATs.

    Lord Nash

    Legislation which requires the administration of the tests at the end of key stages 1 and 2 only applies to state-funded schools.

    Independent schools and home-educated pupils can choose to participate in the national curriculum tests if they wish. Home-educated pupils can only do so by registering with a maintained school, academy or other independent school that is participating in the tests.

    Parents are entitled to educate their children at home; when they do so they opt out of state education. The education provided must comply with the duty in section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to cause the child to receive efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs the child may have.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department has taken to support the Teesside Carbon Capture Storage Collective since the announcement of the reduction in government funds in that sector.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change continues to work closely with Teesside, including through providing funding to the Collective for further work on how Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), carbon usage, hydrogen production and other technologies could reduce carbon emissions from industrial processes.

    This support follows £1m previously awarded to Teesside as part of the 2013 Tees Valley City Deal, to undertake engineering and commercial studies into the scope for industrial CCS for the Tees Valley industrial cluster, and the October 2015 Tees Valley Devolution Deal, which committed DECC to work with Tees Valley to explore how it can continue to develop its industrial CCS proposals.

    Lord Heseltine’s recent report “Tees Valley: Opportunity Unlimited” welcomed the support that the Government is continuing to provide on industrial CCS in the Tees Valley area.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the Government has made to the government of Bahrain on reports of human rights abuses in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are concerned by recent developments in Bahrain, and have responded robustly in public and private. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) issued a statement on 17 July expressing concerns about the Bahraini High Administrative Court’s decision to dissolve the main Bahraini Shia opposition political society Al Wefaq. In addition, we have issued two further statements on 22 and 15 June expressing concerns about the nationality of Bahraini Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim being revoked, the suspension of Al Wefaq, the apparent prevention of human rights activists travelling to Geneva and the re-arrest of Nabeel Rajab. We regularly discuss human rights concerns and reform efforts with the Government of Bahrain, I did so during the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting in Bahrain on 2 June.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on issuing visas for overseas academies to participate in research at UK institutions (a) during negotiations on the UK leaving the EU and (b) once the UK has exited the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There will be no immediate changes to the immigration status of foreign students or the way universities are able to recruit students. While the UK remains in the EU, European Economic Area and Swiss students will continue to have the same rights and status they had before the referendum. The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living and working in the UK, and the only circumstances in which that would not be possible is if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return.

    The precise way in which the Government will control the movement of EU nationals, including students, to the UK after the UK has left the EU is yet to be determined and will be subject to the wider negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office on privatisation of Channel 4 in the last year.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office to discuss matters relating to DCMS policy. The government has made no decisions regarding reform of Channel 4. The government is considering a range of options as to how best to ensure Channel 4’s future sustainability while maintaining its ability to deliver against its remit, including options put forward by Channel 4.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to allow the free movement of citizens between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government has no plans to legislate to introduce free movement between the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

    The United Kingdom’s existing immigration arrangements, do nevertheless reflect the case for promoting mobility between countries. This includes the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme which allows 18-30 year olds from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other participating countries and territories to experience life in the UK for two years including the ability for them to work. We also continue to operate arrangements under which nationals of Commonwealth countries that have a UK-born grandparent may be admitted to work and settle in the United Kingdom through the UK Ancestry route. Also, citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand do not require a visa to visit the UK and the permitted activities of visitors include business related activities such as attending meetings and conferences, negotiating and signing business contracts and attending trade fairs for promotional work.

    We have also introduced new measures such as the registered traveller scheme which offers expedited entry to the UK through use of the e-gates at the border.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with (a) anxiety and (b) depression in each of the last five years.

    Alistair Burt

    Data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre on the number and prevalence of patients aged 18 and over on the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) depression register in England, as at 31 March for the years 2010/11-2014/15 is shown in the table below.

    Data on anxiety is not collected through QOF.

    Year

    Number of general practitioner (GP) practices

    Patient list size all ages

    Percentage aged 18 and over

    Estimated patient list size of those aged 18 and over

    Number of patients aged 18 and over on the depression register

    Prevalance

    2014/15
    2013/14
    2012/13
    2011/12
    2010/11

    7,779
    7,921
    8,020
    8,123
    8,245

    55,817,654
    56,324,887
    56,012,096
    55,525,732
    55,169,643

    79.3
    79.3
    79.0
    79.0
    79.0

    45,083,980
    44,667,478
    44,238,483
    43,855,136
    43,578,391

    3,305,363
    2,912,592
    2,582,233
    5,123,948
    4,878,188

    7.3
    6.5
    5.8
    11.7
    11.2

    Source: Quality and Outcomes Framework annual publications, 2010/11 to 2014/15

    Note:

    Data from years prior to 2012/13 are not comparable with data for years 2012/13 onwards as the QOF business rules for including patients on the depression register changed in 2012/13. Prior to 2012/13, all patients with a record of unresolved depression at any point in their GP patient record were included on the register. As of 1 April 2012, the register rules were changed to only include patients with a new diagnosis of depression in the preceding 1 April to 31 March, who have had a bio-psychosocial assessment by the point of diagnosis.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24141, how many (a) unauthorised entries to military bases and (b) thefts or losses of classified material took place in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011, (iv) 2012 and (v) 2013.

    Mark Lancaster

    The number of security incidents recorded within the Ministry of Defence in each of the years in question is set out in the table below.

    Year

    Unauthorised entries to Military Bases

    Thefts or losses of classified material

    2009

    8

    327

    2010

    13

    384

    2011

    21

    365

    2012

    12

    327

    2013

    13

    379
  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016, meets the definition of a treaty under Article 2 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016, meets the definition of a treaty under Article 2 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. The Decision was registered at the United Nations Treaty Office on 24 February 2016.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.59 of the Summer Budget 2015, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of restricting finance cost relief for landlords on the ability of private individuals who operate buy-to-let businesses with large private buy-to-let companies.

    Harriett Baldwin

    An individual’s property income is subject to a separate set of tax rules to those of a private company.

    Once the changes are fully in place by 2020-21, all individuals will get finance cost relief at the basic rate of income tax, 20%. Incorporated businesses will continue to receive relief at the corporate tax rate which is currently 20% and due to fall to 17% in 2020.