As part of his Review of Military Medals, Sir John Holmes reviewed the case for a National Defence Medal. An options paper was produced and a copy of this paper was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 29 July 2014, accompanying the Written Ministerial Statement on the Military Medals Review by the Lord Privy Seal on the same day.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1816", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Wallace of Saltaire"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-17T12:39:18.403Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Military Medals Review"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they have any plans to release Sir John Holmes' Final Report on the case for a National Defence Medal.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4214", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Palmer of Childs Hill"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Palmer of Childs Hill"} ], "uin" : "HL2819"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147342", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147342/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We were shocked by this brutal killing and immediately issued a statement condemning this act. It is essential the authorities investigate these atrocious murders and bring those responsible to justice. We regularly raise the misuse of blasphemy laws with representatives of the Pakistani government. Most recently, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised this with the Pakistan High Commissioner on 28 October. We will continue to raise our concerns at the highest levels in Pakistan.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-17T16:27:57.82Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what representations they have made to the President of Pakistan and the Pakistan High Commissioner in London about the burning to death in Kot Radha Kishan of a Christian couple following allegations of blasphemy.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL2746"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147369", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147369/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "We remain deeply concerned by the detention and ill treatment of all prisoners of conscience in Iran, and the ongoing discrimination against Christians and other minority religious groups. We have not raised this individual case with the Iranian government. However, we have called for the Iranian government to end the persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith, most recently at Iran\u2019s Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights at the UN on 31 October."} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-17T16:30:40.003Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Iran"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran regarding Rasoul Abdollahi, imprisoned in Iran because of his religious beliefs.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4218", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Berridge"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Berridge"} ], "uin" : "HL2773"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147371", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147371/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The impact the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) atrocities have had on the Yezidi community and other civilians is devastating. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity.
The UN estimates that 1.9 million people in Iraq have been displaced by the humanitarian emergency in total. All UK funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. We have therefore not carried out an assessment of the total number of Yezidis that have been displaced by ISIL and their current location, but will continue to work with the UN and the international community to ensure peoples\u2019 basic needs are met.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-17T16:35:10.85Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Iraq"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what assessment they have made of the number, and current location, of Yezidis displaced by IS.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4218", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Berridge"}
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], "uin" : "HL2775"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147377", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147377/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There are no plans to bring together the unitary authorities of Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East. Such resource intensive and disruptive restructuring of local government would be an unnecessary distraction. The two Cheshire councils already have the legal powers to share services and work together if they wish, and they do not need the Government\u2019s permission to do so.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Tri-Borough initiative in London is a good locally-led example of how councils can work together to improve services and delivery savings without the need for local government restructuring.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-17T12:03:32.657Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government: Cheshire"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they have any plans to reconstitute the former Cheshire County Council by bringing together the unitary authorities of Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Harrison"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Harrison"} ], "uin" : "HL2781"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147387", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147387/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The state pension is based on the National Insurance contributions a person has paid or been credited with and it is paid out of the National Insurance Fund. The state pension is technically and legally a benefit and has been so since the 1946 National Insurance Act. The Government does not include the state pension in the Welfare Cap.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3893", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Freud"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Freud"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-17T14:18:57.153Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "State Retirement Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they will take action to ensure that the state pension is treated as a contributory pension and not a welfare benefit.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/950", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} ], "uin" : "HL2791"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147394", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/147394/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK Cyber Security Strategy, published in November 2011, sets out how the UK will support economic prosperity, protect national security and safeguard the public\u2019s way of life, working with partners to strengthen UK cyber security.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government has put in place a National Cyber Security Programme backed up by £860 million of Government investment to 2016 to help meet the objectives of the strategy and transform the UK\u2019s approach to cyber security.<\/p>
<\/p>
Government reports annually to Parliament on progress in delivering its Cyber Security Strategy. The latest report is available here -<\/p>