Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Ahmed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Ahmed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reports of  the use of chemical weapons against the Turkmen village, Taza in Southern Kirkuk, killing children and injuring 617 people, including 17 who are in critical condition.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of allegations that Daesh attacked the village of Taza on the morning of 8 March 2016 with a chemical agent, possibly sulphur mustard. There have been reports of multiple casualties, including the death of a young girl. We unreservedly condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is supporting the Government of Iraq to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Iraq by non-state actors. The UK is at the forefront of pressing for an effective international response to the use of chemical weapons through the UN Security Council and the OPCW.

  • Iain Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Iain Stewart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Stewart on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on which other European countries have introduced a soft drinks industry levy in the last five years; and what research the Government has commissioned or undertaken on the effects of such levies on levels of obesity.

    Damian Hinds

    Other European countries have introduced a soft drinks tax in recent years. For example, Hungary in 2011 and France in 2012.

    These taxes however are not identical in design to the new soft drinks industry levy the Chancellor announced at Budget 2016. The levy is a lever to encourage producer-led reformulation.

    The Chief Medical Officer has said that reformulation is a key win for tackling obesity and soft drinks are the single largest source of sugar intake for children and teenagers.

    This levy will be an important part of the government’s comprehensive childhood obesity strategy.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they have undertaken of the results of successful appeals against Personal Independence Payment assessments.

    Baroness Altmann

    The Department gathers information on the reasons why Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions have been overturned from DWP Presenting Officers and the summary reasons from the Tribunal hearing. Internal Management Information for 2015/16 indicates that either new oral or documentary evidence supplied at the hearing are the leading reasons for PIP decisions being overturned in 75% of cases.

    These figures are from internal DWP systems, where only one of possible multiple reasons can be recorded. They are derived from unpublished information and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of EU nationals who will be eligible to apply for UK citizenship.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has not made an estimate of the number of EU nationals who will be eligible to apply for UK citizenship.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of expanding Heathrow Airport on Belfast International’s ability to establish its own direct international connections.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Government values the vital contribution airports right across the UK make to the growth of regional and local economies, and recognises that air connectivity between areas of the UK and beyond is very important.

    The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015 and is considering all of the evidence very carefully before reaching a view on its preferred scheme. The Government is not providing a running commentary on this work before an announcement on its preference.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gavin Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a pension was provided to (a) full and (b) part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment who latterly served in the Home Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.

    Mark Lancaster

    Full time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) had an automatic entitlement to become members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. Part-time members of the UDR were engaged under different terms to the full time regular members of the Regiment. These terms were similar to those of the Territorial Army and reflected that part-time engagements were often on an irregular, intermittent and short-term basis.Part-time membersof the UDR were not members of an Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

    There are no plans to review the pension entitlement for former members of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

  • Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the conditions for children visiting a parent in prison, in the light of Barnardo’s recent report Locked Out: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.

    All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on who took the decision to request the use of a helicopter to winch passengers off the bus in Dailley, Ayrshire, during the floods of December 2015.

    Rory Stewart

    These decisions would have been taken by the Scottish Government, as flooding is a devolved matter.

  • Paul Maynard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Paul Maynard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Maynard on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason his Department decided not to renew funding of the extension of the Number 14 bus service to Peel Park.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The commitment at the time of the relocation of staff to Peel Park was to provide a bus service for three years. The cost of the current contract to provide the bus service is £216,955.50 per year and the actual usage of the service is low.

    Blackpool Transport have made it clear any new contract will be at an increased amount and a decision was made that it was not possible to justify public expenditure and subsidy on this scale.

    We are exploring alternatives which would offer better value for money, but no decision has yet been made.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Prime Minister, on 7 March in Brussels, described those fleeing across the Aegean Sea as illegally crossing, in the light of the fact that Turkey is not a party to the UN Convention on Refugees, which Greece and other EU member states are.

    Lord Bates

    Migrants travelling across the Aegean Sea may be referred to as illegally crossing if they have no permission (such as a visa) to enter Greece or another Member State. The same would apply if someone applied for asylum in the UK: if they have entered the UK illegally, then they would be treated as an illegal entrant, irrespective of whether they make a claim for asylum or not.