Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department has taken to support the Teesside Carbon Capture Storage Collective since the announcement of the reduction in government funds in that sector.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change continues to work closely with Teesside, including through providing funding to the Collective for further work on how Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), carbon usage, hydrogen production and other technologies could reduce carbon emissions from industrial processes.

    This support follows £1m previously awarded to Teesside as part of the 2013 Tees Valley City Deal, to undertake engineering and commercial studies into the scope for industrial CCS for the Tees Valley industrial cluster, and the October 2015 Tees Valley Devolution Deal, which committed DECC to work with Tees Valley to explore how it can continue to develop its industrial CCS proposals.

    Lord Heseltine’s recent report “Tees Valley: Opportunity Unlimited” welcomed the support that the Government is continuing to provide on industrial CCS in the Tees Valley area.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the Government has made to the government of Bahrain on reports of human rights abuses in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are concerned by recent developments in Bahrain, and have responded robustly in public and private. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) issued a statement on 17 July expressing concerns about the Bahraini High Administrative Court’s decision to dissolve the main Bahraini Shia opposition political society Al Wefaq. In addition, we have issued two further statements on 22 and 15 June expressing concerns about the nationality of Bahraini Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim being revoked, the suspension of Al Wefaq, the apparent prevention of human rights activists travelling to Geneva and the re-arrest of Nabeel Rajab. We regularly discuss human rights concerns and reform efforts with the Government of Bahrain, I did so during the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting in Bahrain on 2 June.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on issuing visas for overseas academies to participate in research at UK institutions (a) during negotiations on the UK leaving the EU and (b) once the UK has exited the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There will be no immediate changes to the immigration status of foreign students or the way universities are able to recruit students. While the UK remains in the EU, European Economic Area and Swiss students will continue to have the same rights and status they had before the referendum. The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living and working in the UK, and the only circumstances in which that would not be possible is if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return.

    The precise way in which the Government will control the movement of EU nationals, including students, to the UK after the UK has left the EU is yet to be determined and will be subject to the wider negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will introduce multi-year funding for child protection programmes in the Central African Republic.

    Grant Shapps

    Since 2013, DFID has committed £58 million to address the needs of Central Africans, Central African children and of refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR). This funding has enabled agencies to support children who have been separated from their families, to provide services for girls and boys who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence, to reduce malnutrition, and give children access to education and training. DFID monitors needs in CAR and reviews regularly the strategy and level of support it provides. DFID are currently considering options for programming in CAR after the end of our current programme, which runs until March 2016.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects to publish his Department’s response to the BBC Charter Review consultation.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government’s BBC Charter Review Public Consultation closed in October. Over 190,000 people responded to the consultation – the second largest response to any Government consultation. We are in the process of reading and analysing all the responses, and will publish the results once this exercise is completed.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many regulation-making powers are contained in the Trade Union Bill.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Trade Union Bill contains 12 regulation making powers. Details are set out in the Delegated Powers memorandum, updated ahead of introductions in to this House in November 2015. A summary is attached.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS is taking to ensure a higher rate of prosecution for knife crimes.

    Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recognises that carrying an offensive weapon, a knife or a bladed/pointed article is a serious offence as the unlawful provision and possession of weapons encourages violence and can cause serious injury and death in addition to facilitating other criminal offences.

    The CPS acts robustly to deter the carrying and use of knives and offensive weapons and has issued guidance to prosecutors on the prosecution of knife crimes. The guidance provides advice when deciding what offence to charge, the public interest considerations to apply and comments on sentencing practice.

    It has been agreed between the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the CPS that a more robust response is required in respect of youths aged 16 and 17. Guidance issued to the police by the NPCC has been shared with prosecutors to emphasise the consistency of approach of the two organisations and to underline the shared expectation that where there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction, a prosecution should normally result.

    The CPS participates in the cross-Government Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation programme of work which includes a work-stream to reduce violence and knife crime.

    CPS data on offences charged and reaching a first hearing at magistrates’ courts shows an increased number of prosecutions for the year 2014-2015 in comparison with the previous year.

  • Lord Kilclooney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Kilclooney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their revised estimate for the reduction in block grant paid to the Northern Ireland Executive after the introduction of 17 per cent Corporation Tax in Great Britain and 12½ per cent Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The government has legislated to introduce a Northern Ireland rate of corporation tax, so the Northern Ireland Executive must now press on with the reforms necessary to put its finances on the sustainable footing required to complete this process.

    The Northern Ireland Executive block grant would then be reduced by the amount of tax revenues foregone by the government as a result of devolution (due to direct and behavioural effects). Alongside this, the Executive would retain all revenues from the NI rate of corporation tax.

    The government’s latest estimate of the impact on the Executive’s budget assumes that the NI corporation tax rate is set at 12.5% from April 2018, and also takes into account UK corporation tax main rates of 19% for the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20 and 18% in 2020-21. On this basis, there is an estimated cost to the Executive in 2020-21 of £275m.

    These estimates will be updated in due course to take into account the government’s further reduction in corporation tax to 17%.

  • Lord Radice – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Radice – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Radice on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contribution the Royal Navy has made to Operation Atalanta, and what contribution it is expected to make in the future.

    Earl Howe

    The United Kingdom fulfils its enduring commitment through the provision of the two-star Operation Commander (Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces and Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces in rotation). The UK also contributes Operation Headquarters facilities (OHQ) at Northwood and on average 60 members of OHQ staff, approximately 40% of the total OHQ.

    The Royal Navy (RN) will continue to contribute to Operation Atalanta. In addition the RN maintains a constant presence in the Gulf region. Anti-piracy and anti-terrorism measures are among a number of concurrent tasks carried out by the RN and supporting assets.

  • Simon Hart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Simon Hart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many penalty charges have been issued for motorway middle lane offences since the legislation governing those charges came into force.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office publishes data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences each year, as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical bulletin. However, data are not held specifically on motorway middle lane offences. These would be captured under the broader category of careless driving offences, which also includes offences such as tailgating and aggressive driving.

    The published data can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales