Tag: Parliamentary Question

Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what involvement the UK armed forces have had in training armed forces of Gulf states in each of the last 15 years.

Mike Penning

Over the past 15 years, UK Armed Forces have provided support to armed forces of Gulf States both in-country and in the UK and continue to do so. Gulf States have attended international defence training courses in the UK such as the advanced command and staff course, Royal College of Defence Studies and Initial Officer Training.

UK Armed Forces have also provided training in-country through the delivery of tactical level Short Term Training Teams in the maritime, land and air domains. The Defence Academy has also delivered the strategic leadership programme and managing defence in wider security context courses to Gulf States along with the Royal Navy’s exclusive economic zone course.

January 1, 2023

Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-10-29.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many independent tribunals have been brought to challenge mandatory reconsiderations of tax credits by Concentrix in each month since that company has been under contract with his Department.

Damian Hinds

The following table outlines the number of applications HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) received from HM Court and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) as a result of a mandatory reconsideration decision made by Concentrix.

Month	Number of applications HMRC received from HMCTS following a mandatory reconsideration decision made by Concentrix
March 2015	3
April 2015	1
May 2015	6
June 2015	5
July 2015	3
August 2015	3
September 2015	19

Prior to March 2015 HMRC did not receive any applications from HMCTS challenging a mandatory reconsideration decision made by Concentrix.

January 1, 2023

Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

Mike Penning

The amount of funding allocated for research and development will be determined through the Ministry of Justice’s internal budget setting process. This process has not yet concluded so the amount is not known.

January 1, 2023
Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from (a) landfill operators and (b) environmental bodies on the proposed removal of third party contributions from the Landfill Communities Fund; and whether he plans to change that proposal in response to those representations.

Damian Hinds

Since its introduction in 1996, the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) has contributed over £1.4bn to community projects in areas affected by a local landfill site and the government acknowledges the positive impact of this funding for communities. However, as the LCF is a tax credit scheme, it reduces tax revenues and we therefore have a responsibility to seek value for money for the taxpayer.

Despite difficult decisions on spending, the government has decided to retain and reform the LCF. Following representations on the issue of contributing third parties, the government softened proposals in this area at Budget 2016, and the requirement for a 10% landfill operator contribution has not been set in legislation. However, the government wants landfill operators to make a greater contribution to the LCF, and the regulator of the scheme, ENTRUST, has published guidance setting out this expectation.

January 1, 2023

Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what UK bilateral and (b) multilateral funding to support health care system strengthening in countries determined by the WHO to be affected by, or at risk from the Zika virus, has been in each of the last six years.

Mr Nick Hurd

The table below shows UK bilateral disbursements, against a number of OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) health related classifications, to countries on the WHO list of those affected, or likely to be affected, by the Zika virus. These include basic health care, communicable disease control, health education and health personnel development, all of which contribute to strengthening health systems.

Table: UK ODA spend on health 2009-2014

£’000	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Barbados	3
Brazil	13	1,461	2,779	491	1,233	87
Costa Rica		191
Dominican Republic		10		16
Ecuador				3	5
Guatemala	26
Guyana			2	2
Haiti						1,000
Honduras					9
Mexico	61	1,061	105	835	202	363
Nicaragua	219	0
Paraguay			3	2
Venezuela		7
Total	322	2,730	2,890	1,349	1,448	1,450

Source: Statistics on International Development 2015

The UK has also provided support to these countries through core contributions to multilateral organisations, but data on expenditure on specific sectors to specific countries is not available.

DFID and the Department of Health will request the World Health Organisation to provide further guidance on which countries beyond those currently affected are at greatest risk from Zika, including the risks to other regions including Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia; this is scientifically very challenging.

January 1, 2023

Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made representations to the EU on its funding of aid and development projects in Eritrea.

Mr Nick Hurd

Between 2013 and 2015 DFID provided UNICEF in Eritrea with £10 million for child and maternal health and the provision of clean water and sanitation.

In December 2015 DFID provided a further £3 million for nutrition support activities and water and sanitation in areas affected by El Nino in the Horn of Africa through UNICEF’s regional programme, which covers Eritrea.

Over the past 2 years funding to support primarily Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia totalled £1.6 million and focussed on child protection and related work on anti-smuggling and trafficking.

January 1, 2023
The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent of freedom of religion or belief in Iraq and in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government is firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion and belief in Iraq and condemns strongly all persecution on the grounds of faith or creed.

The situation for religious communities including Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and others in Iraq remains deeply concerning. Daesh has committed atrocities against religious groups and persecuted individuals and communities on the basis of their religion or beliefs.

Freedom of religion and belief is protected in the Iraqi constitution and we welcome the commitments made by the Government of Iraq to protect all Iraqis and address human rights abuses and violations.

We continue to engage with religious leaders both in the UK and in Iraq to discuss the situation of religious communities. We also encourage influential religious leaders in Iraq to speak out publicly and condemn sectarian violence. We are working to build consensus around the importance of freedom of religion and belief, as well as its promotion and protection. This includes funding a project to prevent intolerance and violence towards religious communities by inspiring key leaders in Iraqi society to publicly defend and support the right of all Iraqis to freedom of religion and belief.

January 1, 2023
Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the annual budget was for food and drink procured for his departmental offices in Whitehall in each of the last three years; and what proportion of all food procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jane Ellison

It is not possible to provide a breakdown of expenditure on food and drink solely for the Department’s building in Whitehall. The Department has spent the following on food and drink procured for Departmental offices in each of the last three financial years:

Financial year £

2013-14 193,591.20

2014-15 159,460.39

2015-16 118,364.32

These costs include the provision of refreshments for external meetings and visitors hosted in the Department’s buildings. Departmental policy is not to provide refreshments for internal meetings.

52% of all food procured for the Department was sourced from British producers for the last reporting period, January to March 2016.

This figure is skewed by the considerable spend on non-indigenous products purchased including large volumes of coffee as well as rice, pasta, tea, bananas, citrus, and exotic fruits. In terms of primary products we can confirm that:

― 100% of Beef is sourced from the United Kingdom

― 100% of Chicken is sourced from the UK

― 100% of Lamb is sourced from the UK

― 100% of Pork is sourced from the UK

― 100% of Free Range Eggs are sourced from the UK

― 100% of Milk is sourced from the UK

― 100% of Yoghurt is sourced from the UK

January 1, 2023

Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of staff in his Department were (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The table below sets out the proportion of payroll and non-payroll staff in each financial year from 2010/10 to 2014/15. Data for 2015/16 will be available in due course.

YEAR	Proportion on Payroll	Proportion off payroll
2010-11	98.64%	1.36%
2011-12	98.74%	1.26%
2012-13	98.28%	1.72%
2013-14	97.22%	2.78%
2014-15	96.43%	3.57%

Non-payroll covers staff categorised as consultants and contingent labour i.e. interim managers, specialist contractors and agency staff.

The increase in off-payroll engagements can be attributed to factors such as:

The merger of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and Driving Standards Agency into a single organisation (Driver & Vehicle Standards
Agency). This required certain roles to be temporarily filled by non-permanent employees.
Increased activity reflecting the Government’s investment in roads, rail and HS2, which has required the Department to bring in skills which were not available within the Department.

January 1, 2023

Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on claimants of no longer being eligible to receive employment and support allowance payments at the assessment rate when undergoing a mandatory reconsideration of a work capability assessment.

Penny Mordaunt

ESA claimants who are found fit for work and are waiting for their mandatory reconsideration application to be decided, are eligible to claim JSA. This is the right benefit for those who are capable of work, with Jobcentre work coaches fully supporting these claimants during this period – and the statistics released on 8 September show that this period is now a relatively short one – the median average being around 9 days.

January 1, 2023