Tag: Paul Blomfield

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, on BIS consultation, HCWS30, how much vacant office space there currently is at the 1 Victoria Street offices.

Joseph Johnson

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills actively manages occupancy of its office estate to ensure that offices are used effectively, and commensurate with health and safety and other statutory requirements. Given the recent Voluntary Exit Scheme, and our plans to re-organise the building to increase capacity, the Department estimates that additional London staff could be accommodated in 1 Victoria Street over the next year and a half. Our plan to reduce to 1,500 policy posts overall by 2020 will also create some additional capacity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, HCWS30, what assessment he has made of the business need for the roles based at (a) the Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place and (b) the London office at 1 Victoria Street.

Joseph Johnson

Detailed planning within business areas is continuing in order to assess for which roles there is a permanent business need, and which are either no longer needed or only needed in the short term.

Based on current estimates the Department expects less than half of the policy roles currently outside London to transfer and be backfilled permanently, as part of the overall reduction in policy roles from 2000 to 1500.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to issue statutory guidance for identifying and supporting victims as set out in section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Karen Bradley

Guidance for identifying and supporting victims will be published once the National Referral Mechanism pilot has concluded. The guidance is being developed in consultation with NGOs and frontline agencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41904, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that her Department meets its non-refoulement obligation in respect of victims of human trafficking held at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre, and that no victims of human trafficking at risk of re-victimisation, torture or degrading treatment at return are subjected to deportation.

Mr Robert Goodwill

No one who is found to be at risk of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment on return to their country will be deported from the UK. There are processes in place for those held in Immigration Removal Centres to claim asylum if they believe they are at risk of such treatment.

Home Office staff working in all Immigration Removal Centres, including Yarl’s Wood, are trained as First Responders to identify signs that individuals may be potential victims of trafficking or slavery. Where an individual is identified as a potential victim, they will be referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for assessment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Secretary General on the situation in Kashmir.

Alok Sharma

I have not discussed Kashmir with the Commonwealth Secretary General. The long standing position of the United Kingdom is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-10-24.

To ask the Attorney General, what recent steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to set out its approach to prosecuting hate crime.

Robert Buckland

We are committed to tackling hate crime in any form. The cross Government Hate Crime Action Plan, published in July 2016, focuses on reducing hate crime, increasing reporting and ensuring that all criminal justice partners and key stakeholders deliver the appropriate outcomes for victims.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for his proposal to exclude taught masters students who are over the age of 30 from the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England.

Joseph Johnson

A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the proposed exclusion from the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England of taught masters students who are studying via distance learning at a minimum of 50 per cent intensity.

Joseph Johnson

A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the proposal to include in the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England part-time taught masters students studying at a minimum of 50 per cent intensity not via distance learning.

Joseph Johnson

A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he made of the effect of NHS England taking over responsibility for commissioning health services within the immigration detention estate in England on the adequacy of health provision within that estate.

Ben Gummer

In 2014 Health and Wellbeing Needs Assessments were carried out at all Immigration Removal Centres to ascertain the needs of the detainees, which in turn informed the quality and standard of services commissioned by NHS England, from 1 September 2014, to meet those needs.

National standards have been developed, against which health care providers are measured as part of contract management. A suite of indicators of performance are now in place to support this and to provide national data to demonstrate improvements in service delivery and outcomes.