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 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the site selection and assessment process of the Education Funding Agency, and how much weight is given to local public opinion during that process.

    Lord Nash

    The Education Funding Agency makes a value for money assessment of each site identified for a new free school. This takes into account factors such as the demand for places in the area and the suitability of the site, including any concerns from local residents.

    Local consultations should take place during the selection of the site and the views of residents are factored in at several stages of the process.

  • Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Docherty-Hughes on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Venezuelan counterpart on the humanitarian situation in Venezuela.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    This Government shares international concerns about the situation in Venezuela. Inflation and shortages of food and medicine are having a significant impact on ordinary Venezuelans, with many traveling temporarily across the border with Colombia to purchase basic goods.

    Earlier this year 60 Venezuelan non-governmental organisations called on the Venezuelan Government to accept humanitarian aid, highlighting the reported scarcity of 80% of medicines and medical supplies.

    We continue to encourage constructive dialogue between the Venezuelan Government and opposition political parties. We have raised our concerns over the deteriorating situation in the country directly with Venezuelan Ministers, urging respect for human rights and democratic values. We continue to encourage the Government to change its stance on humanitarian aid.

    Our Embassy in Caracas promotes human rights, democracy and good governance. In April, Venezuela was designated a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights priority country for 2016/17. This allows us to expand our work, collaborating with both Venezuelan and international partners, including using British Overseas Development funding, to help resolve issues around food and medicine shortages.

  • Byron Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Byron Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Byron Davies on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in how many instances his Department’s procurement section sought further information from a company with regard to potential corruption, bribery or fraud in the last two years.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) routinely carries out checks on potential contractors prior to contract award, including on criminal activity, such as convictions for tax evasion, bribery or fraud, and a review of a company’s audited accounts. These enquiries are conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.

    This process is reiterated in all competitive and single source tender documentation issued to tenderers prior to any contract award.

    Any suspicion of corruption is reported to the appropriate authority. Where justified, the MOD can exclude potential suppliers who pose an unacceptable risk to public money.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what average time his Department took to respond to freedom of information requests in each year since 2005.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including on timeliness. Information on the Department for Culture Media & Sport statistics and can be found at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

    “

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he intends to bring forward legislative proposals to replace the horserace betting levy with a horserace betting right.

    Tracey Crouch

    Work is continuing on the detailed policy design of the replacement for the existing levy. We will make a further announcement in due course.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20200, what estimate his Department has made of its total spend on mental health specialists in each of the last five years.

    Mark Lancaster

    The average costs for military, reserves and civilian personnel for each of the last three years, the period for which figures are available, are provided in the table below.

    Where gaps exist in military or civilian mental health services delivery staff, locums may be used, the costs of which are also provided.

    Year

    Military

    Reserves

    Civilian

    Locums

    million

    million

    million

    million

    2013

    £15.06

    £0.37

    £2.01

    £3.24

    2014

    £15.12

    £0.19

    £2.06

    £2.69

    2015

    £14.18

    £0.20

    £3.17

    £2.77

    AVERAGE

    £14.79

    £0.29

    £2.41

    £2.9

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who decides the agenda for discussions with the government of the Republic of Ireland under the Belfast Agreement 1998.

    Lord Dunlop

    Discussions with the Irish Government in matters relating to the Belfast Agreement are in accordance with the established three-stranded approach to Northern Ireland affairs. A commitment to continue to uphold the three-stranded approach was also contained in the Government’s Northern Ireland manifesto at the General Election.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent from the public purse on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

    Brandon Lewis

    The cost of Employment Tribunals can be found within the HM Courts & Tribunals Service annual accounts published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433948/hmcts-annual-report-accounts-2014-15.pdf

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what sanctions are in place to prevent the practice of nationality-based pay discrimination against EEA seafarers employed on (a) UK and (b) non-UK registered vessels working from UK ports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 makes clear that it is an offence to offer to pay or pay a person who is a national of an EEA State, or of a designated State (as defined in the Regulations), at a different rate based on that person’s nationality, where the seafarer is working wholly or partly in Great Britain and its adjacent waters and is working on a UK or EEA registered vessel.

    Similar legislation is applied in Northern Ireland.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any ground investigation work has been carried out in Eddisbury constituency in relation to the High Speed 2 project.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    No intrusive ground investigation work has been carried out at this stage. Some preparatory elements of ground investigation such as the study of available information and consultation with related stakeholders has been undertaken.

    Following a route decision in autumn 2016 HS2 Ltd will begin production of a full Environmental Impact Assessment.