The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects repairs to the Bexleyheath line to be completed; and if he will make a statement.
Claire Perry
I am glad to inform the House that Network Rail re-opened the Bexleyheath line on the morning of 15 January following the landslide that temporarily closed the line.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-02-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant proportion of religiously selective schools are not properly publishing their admission arrangements, thereby depriving parents of the information they need to navigate the admissions process.
Lord Nash
Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.
Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.
We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK armed forces personnel are currently deployed in (a) the Baltic states and (b) Poland as part of the Transatlantic Capability Enhancement and Training initiative; and from which units these personnel are drawn.
Penny Mordaunt
In February 2016 the UK became a Lead Nation, alongside Germany and the US, in the Transatlantic Capability Enhancement and Training initiative (TACET). Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force personnel have met Baltic States’ and Polish representatives to discuss how to deliver TACET’s objectives, and training needs analysis teams will deploy shortly to take the initiative forward. UK training deployments will start from April 2017, and we expect the initiative will be fully operational by the Warsaw Summit this July, but precise numbers to be deployed and their Units have not yet been confirmed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the incidence and nature of human rights violations in South Sudan.
Mr Philip Hammond
The UK is deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in South Sudan. A range of reports indicate that sexual violence and attacks on civilians remain widespread and that war crimes and/or crimes against humanity may have been committed, if established in a court of law. Bilaterally we are raising our serious concerns directly with the Government of South Sudan and pressing for action. At the regional level we are calling on the African Union to rapidly establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan. And internationally we are pressing for a UN arms embargo to be put in place. We also undertook extensive lobbying to help secure a new Commission for Human Rights for South Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council in March.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robin Walker on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of Flood Re on people seeking to access affordable flood insurance in areas of high flood risk.
Rory Stewart
Flood Re launched last month, and will ensure people will have access to affordable flood insurance. Flood Re will achieve this by providing reinsurance, with high risk customers having their policies ceded to Flood Re by their insurer. Flood insurance policies ceded to Flood Re have premiums and excesses within set limits based on Council Tax band.
As of today, 29 insurers are using Flood Re and it remains important that consumers shop around to obtain the best price. A review of the Flood Re scheme will take place in 2019.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reasons the Government did not extend the European Union Referendum (Voter Registration) Regulations 2016 to Northern Ireland to enable late registration by any method; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Ben Wallace
The registration deadline extension for the EU Referendum was implemented following system disruption to the online registration portal in Great Britain. The extension did not apply to Northern Ireland because online registration will not be available in Northern Ireland until later this year and voters there were not disadvantaged by the system disruption in GB.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many sailors have been recruited to the Royal Navy in each of the last five years.
Mike Penning
The number of Royal Navy personnel (excluding Royal Marines) recruited in each of the last five financial years is as follows:
|
2011-12 |
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
2015-16 |
|
|
Officers |
240 |
240 |
250 |
320 |
340 |
|
Ratings |
1,250 |
1,430 |
1,930 |
1,890 |
1,920 |
|
Total Intake |
1,490 |
1,670 |
2,170 |
2,210 |
2,250 |
In accordance with Departmental policy figures are rounded to the nearest 10 – totals may not always equal the sum of their rounded parts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects new rolling stock to be deployed on the Manchester to Stalybridge railway line.
Paul Maynard
TransPennine Express plan to see new rolling stock deployed on the Manchester to Stalybridge line progressively from mid-2018.
Northern plan to deploy refurbished rolling stock on the Manchester to Stalybridge line and will introduce their fleet refurbishment programme progressively across the network from 2018 up until the end of 2019 which includes recovering seats, new floor coverings, Wi-Fi, LED lighting, and passenger information system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how the Government plans to monitor and enforce clause 2 of the draft Wales Bill.
Stephen Crabb
Clause 2 of the draft Wales Bill will place the existing convention that Parliament will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the National Assembly for Wales on a statutory footing. The Government will continue to work with the Welsh Government to obtain the Assembly’s consent (via legislative consent motions) to legislation in devolved areas included in parliamentary Bills. Similarly,where Welsh Government is legislating in relation to the functions of reserved authorities, they should seek the consent of UK ministers, and the draft bill makes this clear.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-12-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the Scottish economy of devolution of corporation tax to Northern Ireland.
Mr David Gauke
Devolution of a corporation tax rate-setting power to the Northern Ireland Assembly has the potential to help rebalance the Northern Ireland economy. The UK Government will activate this power if the Northern Ireland parties meet their commitments in the Stormont House Agreement, which includes demonstrating that its finances are on a sustainable footing for the long-term.
It is not possible to determine the exact impact of devolution on any other parts of the UK as any impact will depend on a number of factors, including the rate set and when the regime comes into effect. But a thriving, prosperous Northern Ireland will have benefits for the whole UK economy, not just Northern Ireland.