The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings (a) he or (b) others in his Department had with Innisfree Ltd in which public finance initiative funding for Barts Health NHS Trust was discussed in the last five years.
Alistair Burt
Two officials from the Department met Innisfree on one occasion in the last five years, in 2012, to discuss the Private Finance Initiative scheme for Barts Health NHS Trust.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens reported themselves to the British Consulate in Ibiza as victims of crime in each of the last five years; what the nature of those crimes was; whether those crimes involved sexual violence or harassment; and what prosecutions resulted from those reports.
Mr David Lidington
Consular staff routinely record all those cases in which we have provided assistance to British nationals oversees. However, our records do not specifically identify whether those requesting assistance were victims of crime.
Since 2012, the British Consulate in Ibiza recorded the following cases which are those most likely to have involved victims of crime. Where the number of reported cases is less or equal to five, these are annotated as ‘Less than 5’ to avoid the risk of identifying the individuals concerned.
It is not mandatory for victims to provide information about any potential prosecutions, so we do not hold information on the number of prosecutions that arose from these cases
Rape & sexual assault
2011 8
2012 8
2013 7
2014 7
2015 Less than 5
Assault – General
2011 16
2012 36
2013 14
2014 Less than 5
2015 0
Domestic Violence
2011 0
2012 0
2013 0
2014 Less than 5
2015 5
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-02-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on the replacement of the value for money assessment quantitative assessment tool for comparing private finance and conventional procurement options; and which PF1 and PF2 projects used (a) the original value for money assessment quantitative assessment tool or (b) any replacement tool.
Greg Hands
The Government’s approach to appraisal is set out in the Green Book. This provides a common, standard method for comparing all public spending decisions that use central government funding; the approach to appraising potential PPP projects is consistent with this central guidance.
The quantitative assessment tool was in place from August 2004 until its withdrawal in December 2012, all projects which commenced between these dates should have used the tool. For details of specific projects during this period, please see the spreadsheet ‘Current projects as at 31 March 2014’ at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-projects-2014-summary-data
A replacement quantitative assessment tool has not been issued by HM Treasury due to the limitations of standard models; since December 2012 procuring authorities have undertaken appropriate quantitative assessment in accordance with the principles set out in the Green Book.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-02-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which of the unitary charges in the list of private finance initiative projects published by his Department on 15 December 2014 were (a) service charges, (b) interest charges and (c) other costs identified over the course of the contracts.
Greg Hands
Whilst the Treasury does collect and publish information on the unitary charges of PFI projects, we do not collect it broken down into its constituent parts, neither do we have the detailed financial models that would allow us to disaggregate the totals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-02-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the equity return information provided as part of all PF2 projects commissioned in the last five years.
Greg Hands
The first PF2 projects reached financial close last year. The Treasury will publish the equity return information on PF2 projects periodically.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many US Department of Homeland Security officials are based at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports; and how long each such official has been based at each airport.
James Brokenshire
Under the US Immigration Advisory Program, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers operate in an advisory capacity at Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports to support airlines in identifying passengers who should be prevented from boarding flights destined to the US. CBP officers have been operating at Heathrow since 2007, and at Gatwick and Manchester since 2008. The UK Government cannot comment on the number of CBP deployed at each location – this is an operational matter for the US Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the details of the cooperative arrangement her Department has with the Department of Homeland Security which enables their officials to operate as immigration advisers to airlines operating out of UK airports.
James Brokenshire
We do not publish the specific details of the arrangement with the Department of Homeland Security for operational reasons.
US officials have operated as immigration advisers at UK airports since 2007 in an advisory capacity which reflects an established global practice. They hold no authority in the UK, and can only make recommendations to carriers on whether to allow travel
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to provide (a) humanitarian visas, (b) facilitated refugee family reunion and (c) other safe legal routes for migrants to enter the UK.
James Brokenshire
There is no provision in our Immigration Rules for someone to be given a visa to travel to the UK to seek asylum or humanitarian protection and we have no plans to change this.
However, we recognise that families may become fragmented because of the nature of conflict and persecution and the speed and manner in which those seeking asylum often flee their country of origin. Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK, are able to sponsor their pre-flight family members to join them under the family reunion policy.
We also operate three discretionary resettlement schemes for recognised refugees for whom resettlement is the most appropriate answer. We operate these schemes in partnership with the UNHCR: Gateway; Mandate; and the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme.
We are also making a significant contribution to support refugees and their families in other ways. The UK has contributed over £1 billion in humanitarian aid in response to the Syrian crisis and we intend to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees displaced to neighbouring countries over the lifetime of this Parliament under the VPR scheme.
Migrants wishing to enter the UK for other reasons such as work or study can apply for a visa for that purpose. They will need to meet the requirements of the relevant Immigration Rule under which they apply in order to qualify for a visa. Details about the criteria and how to apply are available on gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations have been made by whom in her Department to the Indian government on the extradition of the person charged with the rape and murder of Michelle Samaraweera in 2009.
James Brokenshire
An arrest was made in this case in India in July 2011 following an extradition request from the UK. Since then, the case has been before the Indian courts.
The Home Office continues to monitor the case through the British High Commission in New Delhi. However, the United Kingdom has no involvement in the Indian court process.
A further hearing is due to take place in India on 21 April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stella Creasy on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of refugees and migrants living in Calais in each month of 2015; and how many refugees and migrants have had contact with the command and control centre the Government has established in Calais in each month of 2015.
James Brokenshire
The management of the migrant camps in Calais is the responsibility of the French Government. The French Government has recently stated that there are approximately 6,000 migrants living in makeshift camps in the Calais area. The UK Government does not routinely assess the numbers of migrants in Calais.
The new joint command and control centre established in Calais enhances security operations through improved co-ordination between law enforcement agencies from the UK and France. Migrants do not routinely have direct contact with this centre.