The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the release of documents relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote under the 30-year rule.
Mr Ben Wallace
There have been no discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the release of documents at Swadlincote. The Northern Ireland Office has no records held at Swadlincote.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries limit financial support for children by the number of dependent children.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The national systems for supporting families in and out of work are very different between countries and it is thus difficult to compare one system with another. Many countries do not have means-tested supplements for children.
The Government believes that the welfare system needs to be fair to taxpayers as well as benefit claimants, which includes ensuring that families on benefits make the same sort of financial decisions about the number of children they can afford to have as families supporting themselves solely through work.
In 2011 the UK spent more on family benefits than Germany, France or Sweden. The UK spent more than double the OECD average on cash benefits to families according to OBR’s welfare trends report 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much is spent daily on food on each serving solider.
Mr Philip Dunne
Ministry of Defence personnel in the UK and permanent bases overseas are primarily catered for through a number of multi-activity contracts. Armed Forces personnel serving on operations, exercises and HM Ships and Submarines, are catered for under a single food supply contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions Ltd.
The cost of feeding Service personnel when on operational deployments and on training exercises varies, depending upon a defined kilocalorie output, which is based on the level of activity being undertaken. Furthermore, the cost will vary across the world reflecting the cost of locally procured food.
For the vast majority of UK bases, the provision of catering services, including food supply, has been out-sourced to commercial contractors. Service personnel accommodated in these bases "pay as they dine" on a meal by meal basis, but are not obliged to take any meals on site.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was raised from VAT on (a) air source heat pumps, (b) solar panels, (c) draught shipping, (d) insulation, (e) wood fuel boilers and (f) ground source heat pumps in each of the last five years.
Mr David Gauke
This level of detail is not requested on VAT returns and therefore data is not available on how much VAT was raised on (a) air source heat pumps, (b) solar panels, (c) draught shipping, (d) insulation, (e) wood fuel boilers and (f) ground source heat pumps in each of the last five years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions RAF personnel were embedded with US forces during (a) operational deployments and (b) training exercises in each of the last six years; and how many such occasions involved the use of the P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Penny Mordaunt
The use of the P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft in the US is predominantly limited to those personnel embedded with the US Navy as part of the Seedcorn Initiative. The Seedcorn programme in the US on P8 aircraft started in 2012 with 20 personnel involved and has remained at 20 for each subsequent year (allowing for minor fluctuations during transitory periods).
Outside of the Seedcorn Initiative, the total number of RAF personnel embedded with US forces over the past six years is as follows:
2010 – 52
2011 – 52
2012 – 48
2013 – 49
2014 – 46
2015 – 47
2016 – 46
Once personnel are embedded with another nation the RAF retains no command relationship with those personnel. Therefore, information on training exercises undertaken is not held.
With respect to operational deployments, I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Defence Secretary on 17 December 2015: (Official Report, column 98WS) where he provided data on the UK Service personnel embedded in other nations’ armed forces and deployed on or in support of operations. This will be updated in the next Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts. Information specific to RAF personnel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information on whether any of these deployments involved the P-8 aircraft is not available. However, I am able to confirm that one of the US embed posts does involve flying the P-8A outside of the Seedcorn Initiative.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-04-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what published authority the Union Flag was established as the national flag of the UK and declared as such; when this was done; where the national flag’s constitutional status is laid down; and what assessment they have made of whether that constitutes an appropriate formal and constitutional declaration of that flag’s status.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The first Union Flag was created in 1606 after the Union of the Crown of England and Wales with the Crown of Scotland, by combining the Cross of St George with the Cross of St Andrew. It was established by Royal Proclamation, and adopted primarily as a flag to be used at sea.
The Union Flag in the form we now know dates from 1801 following the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland. The Union with Ireland Act provided that the flag “of the Union” should be such as His Majesty should appoint by proclamation. A Royal Proclamation of George III dated 1 January 1801 declared the design of the flag to be as it currently is.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the planned locating of future aircraft carriers at Sheer Jetty and Victory Jetty has resulted in reconsideration of the transfer of nearby land and buildings to the Portsmouth Naval Base Trust; what assessment his Department has made of the merits of preserving such assets; and if he will make a statement.
Mark Lancaster
The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, confirmed that both carriers will be operational concurrently. This changes the level of activity, security and safety considerations for Victory and Sheer jetties. Such operational consideration and financial challenges faced by the Department have resulted in the need to plan a deferral of the transfer, the Department is working to identify and limit the length of this delay.
Consideration is being given to deferring the transfer of some elements of the adjoining estate until the Naval Base better understands the challenges of maintaining the flow of logistics through the area in question and the security and safety aspects of operating two carriers in the vicinity of what could potentially become a tourist zone.
We have not made an assessment of the merits of preserving the historic assets now that the project has been delayed. The assessment made previously was that their preservation would be best delivered by transferring them to the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust (PNBP).
The Department remains committed to preserving these assets and will examine how best to do so in light of this delay and will work with the PNBP in doing so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effect of recent reduction in staff numbers in prisons on (a) prisoners’ access to education and (b) prisoners’ access to recreational activities.
Mr Sam Gyimah
As the Justice Secretary said in the House on 6 September, the retention of staff is a very important issue, and we are stepping up our recruitment efforts. Prison officers and teachers are vital in turning around offenders and getting them the education and skills they need to succeed outside. Our prison officers are doing a fantastic job getting prisoners into education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to fund employment schemes that were launched on 26 January 2016 after the UK leaves the EU.
Damian Hinds
In his announcement on 13 August the Chancellor guaranteed that structural and investment funds projects, including ESF, signed before the Autumn Statement, would be fully funded. The agreement with the National Offender Management Service is covered by this guarantee. The Chancellor extended the guarantee in his announcement on 3 October. The Chancellor confirmed that the government will guarantee EU funding for structural and investment fund projects, including agri-environment schemes, signed after the Autumn Statement and which continue after we have left the EU provided that these deliver good value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.
The administration of the European Social Fund in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the devolved administrations. Where the devolved administrations sign up to structural and investment fund projects under their current EU budget allocation prior to leaving the EU, the government has confirmed that it will ensure they are funded to meet the announced commitments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to monitor and control eye surgery.
Alistair Burt
There are currently no plans to bring forward new legislative proposals for regulating refractive laser eye surgery.
Providers of laser eye surgery are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), as this is a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 must be registered with the CQC and meet the new fundamental standards of safety and quality that came onto force on 1 April this year. The CQC has a range of enforcement actions that it can take if providers do not meet the fundamental standards.
Doctors performing laser eye surgery in the United Kingdom must also be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). All registered doctors are expected to be familiar with the GMC’s publication Good medical practice and supporting guidance, which describes what is expected of them. This document makes clear that medical doctors must recognise and work within the limits of their competence
Further work is underway to improve the delivery, safety and standards for patient information regarding these procedures and this is being led by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.