The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Saudi Arabian government on the role of religious police in that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We have not recently discussed the role of the religious police in Saudi Arabia with the Saudi Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on delivering reforms agreed at the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014.
Mr Julian Brazier
Good progress is being made towards delivery of the commitments made at the Wales Summit. The UK is taking a leading role in the implementation of the Readiness Action Plan with delivery of a capable and effective UK-led Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Land) Brigade in 2017 well on track. The Defence Investment Pledge to spend 2% of GDP on Defence, and 20% of that on equipment, has been met by the UK and some others. Enhanced partnership cooperation across many of NATO’s partnership frameworks and the Defence Capacity Building Initiative is steadily progressing. These commitments will be reviewed at the NATO summit in Warsaw in July, as part of NATO’s move to being "adaptable by design".
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 32812, whether the figures provided for sums to be spent annually and in total are additional to each other; and if he will make a statement.
Priti Patel
The 2015 Spending Review agreed funding rising to £130m per year for the Work and Health Programme, focussing support for people with a disability or health condition and the long term unemployed (over 24 months). This figure is separate and in addition to the Prime Minister’s announced plans to provide further support and funding for people with mental health issues to retain or regain employment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated for Network Rail to produce a feasibility study on the Brighton Mainline Upgrade; and whether he plans for that funding to continue up to 2020.
Claire Perry
Network Rail has authorised £8m from its current financial settlement to develop proposals for the upgrade of the Brighton Main Line. The Government will subsequently consider what, if any, additional funding is required, based on its emerging priorities for improvements to the national network.
This feasibility study is additional to the improvements that will already be delivered in the years up to 2020 by the massive Thameslink programme which will provide substantial additional capacity and improved frequencies together with 1,140 new carriages serving destinations including Brighton.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve access to public transport for disabled people.
Andrew Jones
The Government recognises how important improving access to public transport is for disabled people and is committed to making transport more inclusive.
Since its launch in 2006, the £390m Access for All rail programme (which was further extended with £160m in 2014) has delivered accessible routes at over 150 stations. There are also 68 further projects at various stages of construction or development.
We also recognise that positive interactions with bus drivers can make a big difference to disabled people’s experience of taking the bus. We are working with the bus industry and disabled people to design best practice guidance in delivering disability awareness training which, we hope, will help to give bus drivers the skills and knowledge to assist every disabled passenger.
In addition, the Bus Services Bill will specifically allow enhanced partnership schemes to require all buses within a local area to provide audible and visual next stop information. Authorities using the new franchising powers will be able to place similar requirements on affected operators. The Government has also agreed to consider amendments on this issue which were tabled during the Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords.
The Government intends to publish an Accessibility Action Plan by the end of the year which will present its ambition for further progress on this important agenda.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hamwee on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) parents of a minor, (2) siblings of a minor, and (3) other persons, were granted, on the basis of exceptional compelling, compassionate circumstances outside the Immigration Rules, a family reunion visa for reunion with a family member in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection, in each year from 2011 to date; and from which countries those persons have come.
Lord Bates
Family reunion applications are considered within the scope of the Immigration Rules. Under these Rules, only pre-existing families are eligible for family reunion i.e. spouse, civil partner, unmarried/same sex partner and minor children who formed part of the family unit at the time the sponsor (the person granted protection in the UK) fled to seek asylum.
Family reunion visas are available to help families that become fragmented. Family reunion is intended to allow family members who formed part of the family unit before the refugee fled their country of origin, to reunite in the UK.
The number of Family reunion visas issued and the country of application from 2011 to date can be found in the table below. It is not possible to break down the data to the applicant’s relationship with the individual that has already gained asylum in the UK.
To note: ‘*’ appears where there are less than three applications.
|
Applications issued |
|||||
|
Country of application |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Albania |
* |
* |
* |
5 |
– |
|
Algeria |
– |
– |
* |
– |
5 |
|
Bahrain |
* |
15 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
|
Bangladesh |
– |
10 |
5 |
10 |
10 |
|
Belarus |
* |
5 |
– |
5 |
– |
|
Belgium |
– |
5 |
5 |
– |
5 |
|
Burma |
20 |
25 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Cameroon |
60 |
40 |
30 |
55 |
15 |
|
Canada |
* |
* |
* |
– |
* |
|
China |
25 |
15 |
20 |
20 |
10 |
|
Congo (Dem. Rep.) |
80 |
55 |
70 |
45 |
15 |
|
Cuba |
– |
* |
– |
5 |
– |
|
Denmark |
– |
* |
5 |
– |
5 |
|
Egypt |
20 |
50 |
145 |
135 |
120 |
|
Ethiopia |
685 |
475 |
450 |
295 |
85 |
|
France |
5 |
– |
5 |
* |
– |
|
Gambia |
40 |
40 |
40 |
80 |
50 |
|
Georgia |
– |
5 |
5 |
* |
– |
|
Germany |
* |
– |
5 |
– |
– |
|
Ghana |
15 |
25 |
25 |
30 |
10 |
|
Greece |
* |
5 |
5 |
10 |
5 |
|
India |
45 |
30 |
30 |
25 |
15 |
|
Iran |
190 |
55 |
* |
– |
– |
|
Iraq |
– |
– |
* |
35 |
30 |
|
Irish Republic |
* |
5 |
– |
– |
– |
|
Israel |
5 |
* |
10 |
15 |
– |
|
Italy |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
* |
|
Ivory Coast |
– |
– |
– |
10 |
* |
|
Jamaica |
5 |
– |
– |
* |
– |
|
Jordan |
20 |
40 |
95 |
385 |
60 |
|
Kazakhstan |
* |
* |
– |
– |
– |
|
Kenya |
160 |
160 |
105 |
80 |
20 |
|
Kuwait |
25 |
25 |
30 |
40 |
40 |
|
Lebanon |
10 |
110 |
280 |
405 |
260 |
|
Libya |
* |
* |
5 |
5 |
* |
|
Morocco |
– |
– |
* |
10 |
5 |
|
Mozambique |
* |
* |
– |
– |
– |
|
Namibia |
* |
* |
* |
* |
– |
|
Nepal |
10 |
– |
10 |
15 |
5 |
|
Netherlands |
* |
* |
5 |
5 |
– |
|
New Zealand |
* |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
Nigeria |
5 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
5 |
|
No biometrics |
775 |
595 |
740 |
630 |
80 |
|
Pakistan |
345 |
305 |
360 |
525 |
300 |
|
Portugal |
– |
– |
5 |
– |
– |
|
Qatar |
– |
* |
5 |
* |
5 |
|
Romania |
– |
– |
5 |
– |
– |
|
Russian Federation |
5 |
5 |
* |
10 |
– |
|
Rwanda |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
– |
|
Saudi Arabia |
5 |
10 |
10 |
25 |
40 |
|
Senegal |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Sierra Leone |
35 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
5 |
|
South Africa |
55 |
25 |
20 |
25 |
10 |
|
Sri Lanka |
305 |
250 |
305 |
220 |
105 |
|
Sudan |
215 |
380 |
360 |
355 |
230 |
|
Sweden |
– |
5 |
5 |
* |
* |
|
Switzerland |
– |
– |
5 |
– |
* |
|
Syria |
235 |
105 |
5 |
– |
– |
|
Tanzania |
15 |
5 |
10 |
10 |
5 |
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
– |
– |
– |
* |
5 |
|
Tunisia |
5 |
5 |
– |
* |
– |
|
Turkey |
55 |
215 |
330 |
550 |
215 |
|
Uganda |
85 |
135 |
225 |
195 |
45 |
|
Ukraine |
* |
5 |
* |
* |
– |
|
United Arab Emirates |
25 |
100 |
120 |
75 |
70 |
|
United States |
* |
– |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Uzbekistan |
10 |
5 |
5 |
* |
– |
|
Vietnam |
5 |
– |
– |
5 |
* |
|
Zambia |
10 |
* |
– |
10 |
* |
|
Zimbabwe |
640 |
265 |
145 |
110 |
25 |
|
Grand Total |
4305 |
3670 |
4120 |
4540 |
1940 |
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Written Answers of 16 November 2015 to Question 16305 and of 23 November 2015 to Question 17205, whether agreed funding is now in place for the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2016.
Rory Stewart
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy, on 7 December 2015, PQ18354.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on lowering the Tier 2 visa scheme’s minimum salary threshold for chefs.
James Brokenshire
Acquiring this information on visa applications from chefs would involve examining each individual case record held by UK Visas & Immigration for the Tier 2 category. To do so would incur a disproportionate cost.
The Home Office regularly receives representations to lower the criteria (including the salary requirement) for sponsoring chefs under Tier 2, the skilled worker route. Tier 2 is, however, reserved for graduate level occupations. We continue to welcome the very top chefs who promote innovative and authentic cuisine here in the UK — and these types of skilled chefs are on the shortage occupation list. The salary threshold applied to chefs was based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.
We have been clear, however, that the restaurant industry needs to move away from an unsustainable reliance on migrant workers. We want to nurture more home-grown talent and encourage young people in this country who want to pursue a skilled career. This means the restaurant sector offering training to attract and recruit resident workers to meet their staffing needs.
The industry is starting to make progress in this area, recruiting and training more chefs in the UK, and this needs to continue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support the Government gives to large pharmaceutical companies to partner with universities.
Joseph Johnson
In the last five years, Innovate UK has committed around £32M to support partnerships between pharmaceutical companies and universities in order to drive the translation of university-based research and commercial applications which tackle disease and life-threatening illnesses.
In addition, the Government is investing in three Catapult Centres supporting the life sciences sector – the Cell Therapy, Precision Medicine and Medicines Technologies Catapults. These centres have a particular focus on supporting collaborative research and innovation among small and medium sized firms.
Large companies are able to claim R&D Tax Relief through a 130% enhanced allowance or, alternatively, an 11% taxable credit via the R&D Expenditure Credit. In 2013/14, these schemes provided support of £950M to 3,950 businesses. Additionally, the UK’s Patent Box was introduced in 2013 and gives additional incentive to develop, retain and commercialise new, innovative patented products in the UK. The Patent Box offers an effective 10% corporation tax rate on trading profits earned in the UK from specified patents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the progress of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme’s service transformation programme.
Alistair Burt
The Government’s transformation programme for children and young people’s mental health is aimed at improving children and young people’s mental health and providing additional support for those who experience mental health problems. The Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) programme includes training for professionals working in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) partnerships to put the patient at the centre of their treatment: young people agree goals and milestones with the professional, and participate in their care through regular feedback and outcome monitoring. The benefits of this approach are well-evidenced.
Unlike the adult programme, CYP IAPT does not create new services; it transforms CAMHS partnerships by training people to deliver evidence-based interventions so that those working in CAMHS do so in collaboration with children, young people and families, in every aspect of care and service design through better participation and regular feedback and outcome monitoring.
At present, 78% of young people aged under 19 are covered by CAMHS partnerships which are working to transform services by embedding the CYP IAPT principles, and the programme is being rolled out to cover the whole of England by 2018. The programme is currently developing a number of new curricula to address training gaps that have been identified during its implementation. These include interventions for 0-5 year olds, evidence-based counselling, combination therapy (pharmacology and psychological interventions), Learning Disabilities and Autistic Spectrum disorder, and staff working in inpatient settings.
A recent rapid deep dive audit of 12 partnerships within the programme showed:
― improved access through self-referral routes, single point of access, outreach services, evening and weekend appointments;
― compared to a national sample of mental health services in the United States, teams in services working with CYP IAPT had more proficient organisational cultures and more functional organisations;
― more efficient time between referral and assessment decreased by 73%;
― number of days between assessment and discharge decreased by 21%; and
― The percentage of closed cases by mutual agreement increased by 22%.