Tag: Parliamentary Question

Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions since 1 January 2014 explosives stored at the Atomic Weapons Establishment have been found to be wrongly labelled; on what date it was discovered that such explosives were wrongly labelled; and what (a) types and (b) quantities of explosives were involved in each such case.

Michael Fallon

Since 1 January 2014, there have been two occasions on which anomalies have been discovered in the labelling of explosives at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. In each case a small discrepancy was discovered through the checking and accounting process in place. In neither case were any explosive licence limits exceeded, and there was no requirement to notify the Authority or the Regulator.

On 14 August 2015, it was identified that a container labelled as containing 0.054 Kg of explosives actually contained 0.063 Kg.

On 6 January 2016, it was identified that a container labelled as containing 0.10716 Kg of explosives actually contained 0.0872 Kg.

The explosives concerned were Hazard Type 1.

01/01/2023
Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many BDUK funded (a) ducts and (b) poles are currently being accessed by communications providers other than BT.

Mr Edward Vaizey

BT and other suppliers with funding from BDUK are obliged to provide wholesale access to all new ducts and poles built using public subsidy, in line with the requirements of the BDUK European State aid approval.

Communications providers report on the details of the infrastructure they access to local authorities and devolved administrations, who are responsible for managing Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) contracts.

01/01/2023
Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many heavy rail vehicles built before 1999 have not been refurbished to comply with (a) RVAR 10 and (b) PRM TSI regulations; and what proportion of the national heavy rail fleet meets those requirements.

Claire Perry

The total heavy rail fleet comprises 12,610 vehicles. Of these vehicles, 7,903 are either built or refurbished to be compliant with the applicable accessibility standards. This is 62.7% of the fleet. The equivalent proportion as at March 2010 was 45 per cent.

Within those figures there are 6336 vehicles built pre-1999 in service. Of that figure, to date 1,628 vehicles have been refurbished to meet accessibility standards. We expect all the remaining vehicles to be made compliant, or replaced, by 2020. Some of the pre-1999 fleet will be replaced shortly under new rolling stock programmes such as IEP, and others, such as Pacers will no longer be in service by the 2020 accessibility compliance deadline.

01/01/2023

Lord Harrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff in each of the armed services work at the level of interpreter in each language.

Earl Howe

The Armed Services recognise 48 languages for which they declare a capability. The Joint Arms Control Implementation Group is the only unit which employs personnel in the direct role of interpreter. Across the Armed Services a total of 697 personnel are recorded as holding a level of language qualification and currency that is functional or above. These are broken down as follows:

	Army	RAF	Royal Marines	Royal Navy	Total
Functional	160	56	17	31	264
Professional	191	52	17	41	301
Expert	85	27	5	15	132
Total	436	135	39	87	697

The number of languages that Ministry of Defence (MOD) employees could conceivably need to converse in is extremely broad. The MOD employs professional interpreters for more niche languages and has robust strategies in place to ensure the quality of contractors’ interpretation skills.

01/01/2023

Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive on the ability in future of Members of the House of Lords to continue to serve on the board of the BBC; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The BBC is not a relevant person under the Money Laundering Regulations and as such appointees to the BBC Board would not be affected.

01/01/2023
Graham Allen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Allen on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 35297, which officials from which departments attended the meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Child Sexual Abuse; and whether the minutes from previous meetings of that group are made available to hon. Members.

Karen Bradley

Officials from the Home Office, Department for Education, Department for Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Justice, Department of Health, Department for Culture Media and Sport, and the Attorney General’s Office have attended meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Child Sexual Abuse. Minutes of the meetings are made available to hon. Members who sit on the Inter-Ministerial Group.

01/01/2023
Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for Europe of 8 June 2016, Official Report, column 136WH, whether his Department has made representations to Saudi Arabia requesting that the death sentences issued to Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, Abdullah al-Zaher and Dawood al-Marhoon be commuted.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country. We remain concerned about the cases of Ali al-Nimr, Abdullah al-Zaher and Dawood al-Marhoon. I can assure you that we continue to raise their cases with the Saudi authorities at every opportunity, most recently during the Foreign Secretary’s visit on 29 May. Our expectation remains that they will not be executed.

01/01/2023
Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of alternative mechanisms to appraise the use of Orkambi in the NHS.

Nicola Blackwood

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published final technology appraisal guidance on 27 July 2016 which does not recommend Orkambi (lumacaftor-ivacaftor) for treating cystic fibrosis homozygous for the F508del mutation.

In the absence of positive NICE technology appraisal guidance, any funding decisions should be made by National Health Service commissioners, based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient’s clinical circumstances.

01/01/2023
Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will review the effect on access to justice and protection of human rights of civil legal aid reforms introduced under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Sir Oliver Heald

We are committed to reviewing Parts 1 and 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 within three to five years of its implementation.

01/01/2023
Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to secure licences for existing off-patent drugs.

George Freeman

The Government does not normally apply for medicines licenses, which is rightly an obligation of the company who has developed the drug. The Secretary of State is the United Kingdom licensing authority for medicines and cannot become a routine applicant to himself nor can he become a routine participant in pharmaceutical markets which holders of licenses are obliged to do. The Government has not secured any licenses for off-patent drugs in the past five years.

01/01/2023