Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the potential benefits which investment in renewable energy generation methods can bring to developing countries; what research has been undertaken on how this might be achieved; what funding is proposed to be made available for this purpose; and if she will make a statement.

    James Wharton

    DFID’s energy work is aligned with the new Global Goals, particularly Goal 7, to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. DFID’s energy work is guided by international studies including, for example, by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme based at the World Bank. Recent research by the International Renewable Energy Agency indicates that investment in renewable energy increases GDP, improves welfare, creates more jobs and shifts patterns of trade.

    DFID provides significant funding to support renewable energy work, including through the UK Government’s International Climate Finance (ICF) allocation, as well as spend through multilateral funds, such as the Climate Investment Funds and the Green Climate Fund, which have significant renewable energy components.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which regulations her Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations her Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate she has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my Rt hon Friend, the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise (Anna Soubry) on 11 November 2015.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential role for the private sector in increasing birth registration in fagile contexts.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Accurately recording births, deaths, adoptions, marriages and divorces will be critical in achieving the newly agreed Global Goals. In fragile contexts, registration is essential to enable refugees to obtain humanitarian services and protection under international law.

    Although globally, the births of nearly 230 million children under age five have never been recorded and almost two thirds of deaths are not counted at all, some progress is being made, largely in Latin America and Asia. The increasing use of technology and the private sector have played important enabling roles in building this momentum and will continue to be crucial to further progress.

    DFID supports statistical capacity building and implementation of national statistical plans in a number of countries through global programmes such as the Statistics for Results Facility Catalytic Fund (SRF-CF), implemented in eight countries. In Nigeria, for example, SRF-CF supported eight outreach birth/death registration centres. DFID also provides bilateral support to countries’ national statistical systems.

    At a policy level, DFID supports the Commission for Information and Accountability (COIA) where CRVS is one of ten priority areas. DFID also provides support to the UNHCR, the mandated UN agency to advocate for the protection and promotion of the rights of refugees, which plays a crucial role in assisting refugees in with documentation. To date, DFID has allocated over £44 million to UNHCR’s operations in Jordan and in Lebanon, of which a proportion will go to funding the registration and issuing of birth certificates for refugees.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the maximum number is of (a) trains and (b) international trains which are able to stop at Stratford International station in each hour.

    Claire Perry

    The Department for Transport does not hold detailed information on the network capability and capacity of the stations on the HS1 network. HS1 Ltd, as the infrastructure manager, is responsible for producing the timetable for the line of route, within the technical and operational capability of the network. HS1 Ltd can be contacted at:

    HS1 Ltd

    12th Floor, One Euston Square

    40 Melton Street

    London

    NW1 2FD

  • Lord Harrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Harrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are requiring practical or financial support for associated organisations such as churches and synagogues from parents, and what steps they are taking to address this.

    Lord Nash

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.

    Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.

    We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the operational readiness of UK-based tanks; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    As at February 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015/16 Army Readiness Order.

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to encourage uptake of sight tests amongst children and adults with learning disabilities in the Learning Disability Action Plan.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department is coproducing the learning disability action plan with self-advocates, family carers and other experts and stakeholders. It will support people with learning disabilities of any age and level of need being able to live good and fulfilling lives with the opportunities that other people have. This includes people being able to access health and care services in the right place at the right time. The programme of sight tests in special schools underway in London commissioned by NHS England from See Ability will provide evidence on access to sight tests by people with learning disabilities.

  • David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Jones on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to assist humanitarian relief in Yemen.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Yemen is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The UK is the fourth largest donor having more than doubled our commitment to £85m in 2015-16. We have so far helped more than 1.3m Yemenis, providing food, medical supplies, water and emergency shelter to those most in need.

  • Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Electoral Commission’s staff handbook.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    A copy of the Electoral Commission’s code of conduct for staff has been placed in the House Library.

    This document, which is available on the Commission’s intranet and circulated at regular intervals through internal bulletins to remind staff of its content, sets out clearly the conduct expected of staff in their capacity as a Commission employee, including that, “Throughout your employment/engagement … with the Commission you are required to conduct yourself so as not to raise any questions as to the political impartiality of the Commission”.

  • Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure serving Scottish soldiers’ qualifications are recognised by civilian contractors when they wish to undertake trade training while stationed in England.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence, Scottish Ministers and Skills Development Scotland have made representations on this issue previously to the responsible department, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The issue is being discussed with Department for Education, who now have responsibility for apprenticeships.