Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including Level 2 qualifications for butchery and poultry dressing on the Free Courses for Jobs scheme.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The core Adult Skills Fund covers a very wide breadth of qualifications including those related to butchery and poultry dressing (for example the Level 2 Certificate for Proficiency in Meat and Poultry Industry Skills). The department sets funding rates which are designed to incentivise the delivery of “high value” courses in the Adult Skills Fund. Butchery courses (insofar as they are included in the Manufacturing Technologies Sector Subject Area) are in the “High” funding band which means providers receive more funding per learner than courses relating to other industries.
The government also funds training through the Level 2 Butcher apprenticeship standard and the Level 3 Advanced Butcher apprenticeship standard.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a (a) single, (b) centralised and (c) digitised firearms licensing body to replace the current system of 44 separate licensing authorities.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has no plans to introduce a new national body for firearms licensing. The Firearms Act 1968 places statutory responsibility for firearms licensing on the Chief Officer of Police of each individual force in England, Wales and Scotland.
This framework is supported by Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police issued by the Home Secretary in respect of firearms licensing and by Authorised Professional Practice issued by the College of Policing.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has raised Chinese claims on the Indian territory of Arunachal Pradesh with his counterparts in the Chinese Government.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's position is that it is for relevant parties to resolve border disputes bilaterally. We support all peaceful means to do so and oppose any attempts to use or threaten the use of force to change the status quo. The UK Government welcomes recent discussions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and agreements to deescalate tensions. We continue to support a peaceful resolution between India and China on the border question.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government accepts the Chinese Communist Party's claim to be able to appoint the next Dalai Lama as legitimate.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in the UK and abroad, working to uphold the right to FoRB through the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement. For example, on July 2 the UK convened an event in Geneva to reaffirm the right to FoRB for all, including Tibetan Buddhists and the right to choose their own religious leaders.
The UK views the Dalai Lama as a respected spiritual leader and strong human rights advocate. It is our longstanding position that the appointment of the next Dalai Lama is a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community across the world, in line with FoRB.