Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

346849

registered interest
date	27/05/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants: English Language
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation was conducted with stakeholders affected by the reforms for delivery of approved English language qualifications for settlement and citizenship effective from November 2015; how the decision was communicated to teaching providers and learners; and whether an impact assessment was undertaken.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	1
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2015 answer text <p>The possibility of changes to the English language requirement for settlement and nationality was discussed as part of the SELT procurement process. Letters announcing the change to test arrangements have been sent to a range of organisations. As this change relates to the implementation of existing policy, no formal impact assessment was required.</p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 03/06/2015 10:35:11 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

228605

registered interest
date	19/03/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Syria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have (a) applied and (b) successfully resettled in the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (i) in total and (ii) in each month since September 2014.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	228475
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2015 answer text <p>As at 31 December 2014, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had referred 260 people for consideration under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons <br>Relocation (VPR) scheme. This data is based on management information only, and has not therefore been subject to the detailed checks that apply to National <br>Statistics publications. 143 people were relocated to the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme between the first group of arrivals on 25 March 2014 and the end of December 2014. This is the latest publicly available figure, as numbers are released as part of the Home Office official statistics each quarter. <br><br>The table below states the numbers resettled at the end of each quarter.<br><br>2014 Q1 – 13<br>2014 Q2 – 37<br>2014 Q3 – 40<br>2014 Q4 – 53<br><br>Total – 143<br><br>The number of arrivals under the scheme up to March 2015 will be published on 21 May.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 24/03/2015 15:30:08 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

222536

registered interest
date	20/02/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Bahrain
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on introducing a resolution condemning Bahrain's human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	224610
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2015 answer text <p>The UK remains actively engaged with the United Nations Human Rights Council on Bahrain and we will continue to work closely with other member states and to align ourselves with statements which accurately reflect the situation on the ground. The UK is playing a key role in implementing reforms in Bahrain.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/02/2015 15:25:11 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

179043

registered interest
date	10/02/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policies of the report from the Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy entitled Open Up, published in January 2015; and which recommendations of that report he plans to implement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	224060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The majority of the recommendations in the report from the Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy are for the House itself to consider and respond to.<br><br>In relation to the recommendations regarding the legislative process, the Government is committed to ensuring that the legislation it puts before Parliament is of a high standard and to ensuring that Parliament has the necessary means by which to perform its scrutiny function.<br><br>In April 2013, the Government launched the Good Law initiative, designed to promote law which is effective, clear and accessible. Various initiatives have been introduced this Parliament designed to improve the legislative process, including the use of explanatory statements on amendments, improved explanatory notes and piloting public reading stages of Bills. The Government has also given sufficient time to allow proper scrutiny in public bill committees and provided additional days at Commons report stages where necessary.<br><br>The Speaker's Commission also recommended that secure online voting should be an option for all voters by 2020. To make online voting available for UK elections could be attractive in light of current advances in IT. However, there are concerns that e-voting is not sufficiently transparent or secure.<br><br>The major issue raised by those opposed to the introduction of e-voting is that it is not sufficiently robust or trusted. In addition, the cost of introducing such a system would be substantial. Public support for such measures is still far from universal and traditional means of voting (such as polling stations and postal voting) remain popular with the electorate. Therefore, any means of e-voting would have to be introduced as an additional voting channel. Whilst e-voting may be something for the Government to consider in the future, it is not an immediate priority. The experience of the referendum on Scottish independence shows us that if people are engaged in the democratic process they will turn out to vote using the existing mechanism.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 23/02/2015 18:40:44 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

178502

registered interest
date	09/02/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Middle East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK-based private security companies operating in (a) Israel and (b) the Occupied Palestinian Territories adhere to the International Code of Conduct for private security service providers; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	223825
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government continues to play a leading role in the International Code of Conduct Association, and has a seat on the Association’s Board. We encourage all private security companies (PSCs) working in complex environments overseas to join the Association, which oversees the Code and can monitor that PSCs are adhering to the Code. We are also encouraging all states, companies and Non-Governmental Organisations that contract private security companies to recognise Association membership and accredited certification to relevant standards in their contracting processes. The Government will do likewise.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 23/02/2015 15:00:12 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

177560

registered interest
date	03/02/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Dangerous Driving
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many dangerous driving offences were recorded by each police force in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last five years; and how many of those offences were successfully prosecuted in each of those countries in each of those years.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	223122
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2015 answer text <p>The requested data is not collected centrally by the Home Office.<br><br>Home Office collects arrest data for notifiable offences at offence group level. The Home Office also collected police recorded crime data at offence code level for notifiable offences. <br><br>Road traffic offences, including drink-driving, using a handheld mobile phone while driving and dangerous driving are non-notifiable offences.The Home Office does collect data on the following:<br>• The number of breath tests carried out by police, and the number of these that are positive/refused (see ‘Breath tests’ tables in the link <br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tables-for-police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-2012-to-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tables-for-police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-2012-to-2013</a>).</p><p><br>• The number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issue for various motoring offences, including use of a handheld mobile phone while driving, careless driving and speeding offences (see ‘Fixed penalty notices’ tables in the link <br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tables-for-police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-2012-to-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tables-for-police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-2012-to-2013</a>).</p><p><br>• The number of offences recorded by police for ‘causing death by dangerous driving’, ‘causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving’ and ‘causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs’. Details of these can be found in Table A4 of the ‘Appendix Tables’ in the link <br>(<a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-372973" target="_blank">http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-372973</a>).<br><br>Ministry of Justice publish data on prosecutions for road traffic offences. The number of defendants proceeded against for summary motoring offences in England and Wales <br>from 2009 to 2013 can be found in the ‘Outcomes by Offence’ table in the link (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-december-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-december-2013</a>).<br><br>Ministry of Justice collect data on prosecutions for various offences at police force area level. The following tables contain data on the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty at all courts of drink-driving offences (table 1), dangerous driving (table 2), and offences relating to driving whilst using a mobile phone (table 3). Data is broken down by police force area from 2009 to 2013. Criminal court proceedings data for 2014 are planned for publication in May 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone question first answered 11/02/2015 19:07:06 answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone attachment 1 file name PQ223162+_tables.xls title Tables 1-3
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

175071

registered interest
date	21/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Bahrain
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has recieved about the imprisonment and welfare of (a) Dr Abduljalil Alsingace and (b) other political prisoners; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Bahrain about those matters.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	221611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2015 answer text Our Embassy in Bahrain has raised the issue of access to medical treatment for Dr Abduljalil Alsingace, along with a number of other cases, with the Ombudsman for the Ministry of Interior. We encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet all of its human rights obligations, and ensure all defendants have access to the medical care they require. Our Ambassador in Bahrain has raised our broader concerns about detainee rights and prison conditions with the Government of Bahrain at the highest levels, and will continue to do so. The UK has provided support to improving the judicial system by strengthening the checks and balances in the judicial process through working with the Ministry of Justice, Attorney General and the Supreme Judicial Council on the court administration system reform. We have also introduced members from the Attorney General’s Office and the Special Investigation Unit to the experience of the public prosecution services in UK, and will continue to provide technical support to develop independent prosecution services in line with the human rights standards. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 28/01/2015 15:48:44 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

174740

registered interest
date	20/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Bahrain
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote (a) press freedom and (b) other human rights in Bahrain.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	221298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2015 answer text I welcome the steps taken by the Government of Bahrain in implementing its reform programme based on recommendations made by the Independent Commission of Inquiry. There is more to do, and I encourage greater progress in relaxing censorship and allowing the opposition greater access to the media. In 2014 the UK hosted a delegation from Bahrain’s Ministry of Information to share best practice on media relations and press freedom. The British Government is supporting Bahrain's reform programme on a range of issues. Assistance is focused on strengthening human rights and the rule of law, including torture prevention and capacity building in the Ombudsman's Office for the Ministry of Interior, which has responsibility for investigating allegations of detainee mistreatment. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 27/01/2015 14:41:08 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

174475

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Biofuels: Imports
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the proportion of biofuel added to road fuel which is sourced from overseas.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	221238
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>The country of origin of feedstock used to produce biofuel rewarded under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) is reported by suppliers and published quarterly on the Department for Transport pages of the GOV.UK website.</p><p> </p><p>The information held by the Department indicates that the proportion of feedstock grown or derived from UK sources increased over the period of the RTFO from 9% of biofuels supplied in 2008/09 to 19% in 2013/14.</p><p> </p><p>The table below sets out the proportion of biofuel derived from overseas feedstock, UK feedstock and where the country of origin could not be determined.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of biofuel</strong></p><p><strong>made from </strong></p><p><strong>overseas feedstock</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of biofuel </strong></p><p><strong>made from</strong></p><p><strong>UK feedstock</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of biofuel</strong></p><p><strong>from </strong></p><p><strong>unknown country of origin</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/09</p></td><td><p>73%</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td><td><p>19%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>77%</p></td><td><p>11%</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>75%</p></td><td><p>22%</p></td><td><p>3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>74.5%</p></td><td><p>12%</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>78%</p></td><td><p>21%</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>81%</p></td><td><p>19%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 26/01/2015 14:26:17 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

170542

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Walking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department has allocated to Local Sustainable Transport Fund projects relating to journeys made on foot between 2012 and 2016.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	218645
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Local Sustainable Transport Fund is a £600m grant programme for local authorities that currently supports a range of sustainable transport projects across England. While this funding can be used for a range of transport interventions, many projects support walking either directly or as a secondary benefit (such as cycleways that can also be used by pedestrians).</p><p> </p><p>Due to the varied nature of the individual projects and the range of transport modes benefitting, it is not possible to place a precise figure on the amount of Local Sustainable Transport Fund grant being spent directly on walking. However, the latest annual report for this programme suggests that around 20% of the funding in 2012/13 was spent on projects that directly benefitted walkers. We can therefore assume that between financial years 2011/12 and 2015/16 (which covers the entire span of the programme), approximately £120m will be spent on schemes that directly benefit walkers. This is a conservative estimate that does not consider projects where pedestrians are the secondary beneficiaries of a scheme, or projects that are 100% focussed on walking (such as Durham County Council’s ‘Walk to Schools outreach’ programme, which is receiving £4.8m in funding).</p><p> </p><p>The current Local Sustainable Transport Fund will end in March 2015. For 2015/16, the Department has provided £64.5m in revenue funding to support the ongoing promotion of sustainable transport, including walking. This funding has been awarded to 44 projects, one of which (led by Durham County Council) is 100% focussed on walking. Applying the same 20% logic indicated above, we can assume that approximately £13m of this funding will go on schemes that will directly benefit walkers.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 18/12/2014 14:23:36 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden