Tag: Thangam Debbonaire

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to publish a response to the First Report from the Women and Equalities Committee, Session 2015-16, HC 390, on Transgender equality; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage

The Government has welcomed the report from the Women and Equalities Select Committee into transgender equality.

The report provides a substantial number of recommendations covering almost a dozen public bodies, including several recommendations which call for significant changes to legislation and reforms to the NHS. Government is carefully considering these recommendations.

We continually engage with stakeholders from women’s and transgender communities and we would consider their views before making any changes to legislation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) attract, recruit and retain high-quality police officers and (b) offer such officers career development.

Mike Penning

The Government?s reforms to policing are designed to create a more capable, flexible and professional workforce. Central to these reforms was the establishment of the College of Policing as the professional body for policing, charged with setting standards and further professionalising the police.

Recruitment to the police is managed within a national application, assessment and selection framework maintained by the College. Within this remit the College is delivering a number of major pieces of work including a review of initial police recruitment, proposals for a new police educational qualification framework and implementing the recommendations of its 2014 Leadership Review.

These reforms, along with innovative schemes such as Direct Entry and Police Now, focus on recognising and developing the skills of existing officers, as well as ensuring that policing can continue to attract the brightest and best new recruits.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve access to the private rented sector for single people who are homeless.

Gavin Barwell

One person without a home is one too many and we are committed to do all we can to prevent homelessness.

Increasing access to the private rented sector is one of the many ways we are trying to achieve this. We have already made a significant investment of nearly £14 million for Crisis to develop a programme to help single homeless people access private rented sector accommodation. This has helped over 10,000 people, with over 90% maintaining tenancies for at least 6 months.

In Budget 2016, we also announced a £10 million fund to support and scale-up initiatives to prevent and reduce rough sleeping and a £10 million Social Impact Bond to support the most entrenched rough sleepers off the streets.

In addition, we are working to increase supply, and therefore affordability, in the private rented sector by accelerating the development of a new market for private renters, including our £1 billion build to rent fund and the £3.5 billion private rented sector debt guarantee scheme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 43711, if she will take steps to increase the number of transfers to the UK of refugees in camps in Greece with family connections in the UK.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government is fully committed to the efficient and timely operation of the Dublin Regulation and we are working closely with EU partners, including the Greek authorities, to identify, assess and transfer those with family connections to the UK under the Dublin family reunion process.

We have seconded an expert to Greece to coordinate efforts on transferring unaccompanied children to the UK. We are following due process to ensure that any transfer is in their best interests and is lawful under EU legislation.

More broadly, the UK has offered 75 expert personnel to help with the processing and administration of migrants in reception centres, act as interpreters, provide medical support and bolster our existing team assisting the Commission to ensure effective and efficient coordination.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to safeguard the size of the homelessness prevention grant in the period up to the 2020 spending review.

Mr Marcus Jones

We have made available over £500 million to local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle homelessness and since 2010 this has helped local authorities to prevent 935,800 households from becoming homeless.

Since 2010, local councils have had more flexibility over how they spend the money they receive from central government.

The allocation of Homeless Prevention Grant has developed over many years to take account of different kinds of pressures, including rough sleeping and statutory homelessness. We supported the establishment of the National Practitioner Support Service’s ‘Gold Standard’ programme to help improve the effectiveness of local authority homelessness prevention services.

Decisions on funding beyond 2015/2016 will be subject to the forthcoming spending review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which export licences since 2008 relate to BAE Systems’ Eurofighter Typhoon sales to Saudi Arabia; how much each such licence was for; whether each such licence is extant or has expired; and whether each such licence was used in full or in part.

Anna Soubry

Since 2008 six licences have been granted that relate to the sale of complete Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia. Four of these licences are linked. Where licences expired before they were fully exhausted the exporter submitted a new application to cover those aircraft not exported under previous licences. The values therefore relate to exports licensed rather than actual exports.

Typhoon transfers per year are declared in the UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Reports and can be found on GOV.UK

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what access to higher education Syrian refugees resettled through the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme will have.

Joseph Johnson

Syrian refugees resettled through the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme will have access to home fee status and student support in England for higher education. Those granted humanitarian protection will be able, like UK citizens, to secure access to support after three years’ lawful ordinary residency in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to hold events for cities intending to apply to be the 2023 European City of Culture.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS will be running an event this year for potential bidding Local Authorities for the European Capital of Culture 2023 to provide information on the benefits, processes involved and generate interest in this exciting opportunity – in advance of the competition commencing in 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what monitoring his Department has undertaken of the adequacy of supply of suitable and affordable accommodation for older people who want to live independently but with some support on-site.

Brandon Lewis

Decisions on how to meet the health and social care needs of older people who need affordable and accessible homes and monitoring the supply of such accommodation are best made by local authorities. Government believes that local planning authorities remain best placed to determine the extent to which provision of more accessible housing is necessary and appropriate in their local area, and have appropriate powers to introduce development plan policies to meet these needs, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework, Planning Guidance and other relevant matters.

The National Planning Policy Framework & Planning Guidance requires local authorities to plan for a mix of housing based on current and future demographic trends, and the needs of different groups, including elderly people, in their area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of staffing levels in Police Public Protection Units at (a) UK and (b) force level.

Mike Penning

Decisions on the size, composition and deployment of a police force’s workforce are operational matters for individual chief constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

HMIC’s progress report on the police response to domestic abuse, published in December 2015, found that forces have continued largely to protect their dedicated teams or other resources that focus on public protection work.