The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the US’s decision to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system in South Korea.
Mike Penning
The Secretary of State for Defence has not discussed this issue with his US counterpart.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take other than airstrikes to respond to the threat posed by ISIS.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (David Cameron) said last week, the UK has a full spectrum approach to defeating ISIL – covering military power, counter-terrorism expertise and defeating its poisonous narrative.
The UK is playing a leading role in the Global Coalition of 65 members, through which we are squeezing ISIL’s finances and the flow of fighters, challenging its ideology and stabilising liberated areas.
The UK leads the effort to undermine ISIL’s narrative, co-chairing the Coalitions’ Strategic Communications Working Group and hosting the Coalition Communications Cell.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of driverless car technology.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government recognises the transformative potential that Connected and Automated Vehicles technologies have for mobility and our transport system, and the significant opportunities that exist for UK industry in their development and commercialisation. The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles was established in July 2015 between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport, to lead on this agenda.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average cost was to the public purse of police investigations into suspicious deaths over the last three years.
Mike Penning
The Home Office does not directly monitor the costs of such investigations as these are met locally from individual police force budgets.
However, If the police face unexpected or exceptional events, there is an established process by which Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) can apply for Special Grant funding to help with these costs. Special Grant funding is usually only available when the additional costs are more than one per cent of the PCC’s budget, or where the additional costs might threaten the financial stability of the force.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the rights of British citizens living in (a) other EU countries and (b) non-EU countries.
Mr David Lidington
The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU. Should the UK choose to stay in the EU, British citizens will be able to work, live and retire abroad as they do now.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what services are provided by Airwave to which agencies within the Home Office as part of the Home Office contract with Airwave.
Mike Penning
The Home Office holds three contracts with Motorola Solutions. These are:
(a) The Public Safety Radio Communications Service (PSRCS) Framework Arrangement for the provision of the Airwave service to the police services of Eng-land, Scotland and Wales.
(b) Contract ST03 10/641/9 for the provision of telecommunications services to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
(c) Emergency Services Network (ESN) — Lot 2 User Services; one of the contracts that will replace the current Airwave contract.
The cost to the public purse of the Home Office contract with Airwave in Financial Year 2015-16 is forecast to be £283 million comprising £230 million paid centrally by the Home Office and £53 million paid locally by police forces to Airwave. By way of comparison, under the newly procured Emergency Services Network, the policing share of costs is expected to be less than half of the current Airwave costs.
Airwave Solutions Ltd provides mobile telecommunications services for emer-gency services. The Home Office Airwave contracts only relate to police forces, and immigration and nationality functions within the Home Office. The Home Office is not party to the contracts which many other organisations in the public sector have entered into with Airwave.
The acquisition of Airwave by Motorola Solutions means all three Emergency Services contracts now end on 31st December 2019. This provides continuity of service for the transition to the Emergency Services Network.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals against school exclusion were heard at the First Tier Tribunal (SEN and Disabilities) in each year since 2010.
Caroline Dinenage
Information about the number of appeals (a) heard against school exclusion and (b) how many were found in favour of the appellant is published by the Ministry of Justice in the Tribunals and Gender Recognition Statistics Quarterly. The most recent statistics for the First-tier Tribunal SEND are for the period 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2015, published on 10 December 2015, which can be viewed at:
These statistics cover the years 2011/12 to 2014/15.
The statistics for earlier years can be viewed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/385777/sen-tables-2014.xls.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-05-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 3 May 2016 to Question 35165, on Personal Independence Payments, what steps his Department is taking better to understand why sufficient documentary evidence is not being sought during the assessment and mandatory reconsideration stages.
Justin Tomlinson
The 75% can be broken down as follows:
Cogent oral evidence – 66%
Cogent documentary evidence supplied at the appeal – 9%
These figures are from internal DWP systems, where only one of possible multiple reasons can be recorded, and are derived from unpublished information and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard.
The Department encourages claimants to provide as much relevant evidence as necessary to support their claim. The “How your disability affects you” form and accompanying guidance sets out the range of information that can help the Department reach a decision. The guidance for Health Professionals also sets out sources of further evidence which could help inform their advice to the Department.
At the Mandatory Reconsideration stage, again claimants are encouraged to provide any further evidence about their disability. Following the first independent review of Personal Independence by Paul Gray, the Department is reviewing all communications (including those used by Assessment Providers) it has with claimants throughout the claim, assessment and reconsideration process to ensure that claimants clearly understand the importance of providing sufficient evidence to support their claim and application.
Further, once a claimant has submitted their claim, the Department has created a new Standard Work Instructions (SWI) for its decision making staff to gain further evidence, where appropriate. For Mandatory Reconsideration, the SWI puts a process in place to establish what the areas for dispute are, consider any gaps in the evidence, ensure any expected further medical evidence is received and referring that to the Assessment Provider. “
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-07-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many independent child trafficking advocates will be needed to fulfil the requirements under section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
As the Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime set out on 28 June::
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-06-28/debates/16062854000001/IndependentAdvocatesForTraffickedChildren
The Government is committed to commencing section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act and developing the accompanying secondary legislation and statutory guidance. As part of the commencement process, we will work with interested parties, including Non-Governmental Organisations to determine the scale of the service.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) stakeholders on reforming pesticide regulations from a precautionary principle to a risk-based principle.
George Eustice
As part of the preparation for EU exit, the Government is considering future arrangements for pesticide regulation. The Government remains of the view that decisions on the use of pesticides should be based on a careful scientific assessment of the risks, with the aim of achieving a high level of protection for people and the environment. An evidence-based approach to assessing risk is entirely consistent with the precautionary principle.