Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What steps she is taking to ensure that universal healthcare is available as a right in countries that are in receipt of support through her Department's aid programmes.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Home Secretary
The UK was an architect of the Sustainable Development Goals, one of which is to achieve Universal Health Coverage. Our NHS is a shining light and we have deployed British expertise across the world including during African Ebola outbreaks. DFID’s health programmes support developing countries to build resilient health systems that provide quality health services for all and are prepared for global health threats like coronavirus.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of February 2015 to Question 222681, what licences have been issued since 1 January 2010 to UAV Engines Ltd for equipment other than UAV engines or components for exports for the use of the Israeli Defence Force or other elements of Israel's security forces; and on what date each such licence was issued.
Answered by Anna Soubry
No licences have been granted to UAV Engines for equipment other than UAV engines or components for exports for the use of the Israeli Defence Force or other elements of Israel’s security forces since 1 January 2010.
All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what licences have been issued to (a) Instro Precision, (b) Ferranti Technologies and (c) Elite KL for exports for the use of the Israeli Defence Force or other elements of Israel's security forces on what dates since 1 January 2010; and what the date of each such licence was.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Six Standard Individual Export Licences for military goods have been granted to the named companies for ultimate end-use by the Israeli Defence Forces since 1 January 2010. I am unable to disclose more specific details as to do so might reveal commercially sensitive information.
All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for Refugee Family Reunion (under Part 11 Immigration Rules) have resulted in the granting of entry clearance to children under 18 and the refusal of entry clearance to female children over 18 from the same family (a) in total and (b) for families originating from (i) Syria, (ii) Afghanistan and (iii) Iran in the last two years for which records exist.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Home Office is able to provide some of the information requested, but is unable to provide information on which applications are from members of the same family, as to obtain this would incur disproportionate cost.
The numbers of family reunion visas issued & refused in total and broken down by age group, gender and the specific nationalities requested is set out in the table below.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timetable is planned for the electrification of the Barking to Gospel Oak line; what forecast he has made of the cost of that electrification; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail proposes to deliver electrification of the Barking to Gospel Oak line by summer 2017, in time for the new four-car electric trains ordered by TfL to be introduced in 2018. Network Rail is still assessing the detailed cost of the electrification and gauge enhancement scheme between Thameshaven/Tilbury Docks and the Midland Main Line via Barking and Gospel Oak and the forecast cost will be provided to DfT in due course.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals in relation to caste discrimination in the UK.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
This Government opposes caste discrimination. We are aware of the Employment Appeal Tribunal judgment in the case of Tirkey v Chandok which opens the possibility that a legal remedy for claims of caste-associated discrimination already exists under current legislation, namely the ethnic origins element of Section 9 of the Equality Act 2010. We are considering the implications of the judgment for discrimination law and specifically for the duty on caste in Section 9 (5) of the Act.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects work to (a) start and (b) be completed on the electrification of the Barking to Gospel Oak line.
Answered by Claire Perry
Enabling works are due to commence in October 2015, with major on site works due to commence in June 2016. Passenger services on the electrified route are due to be available for use by passenger operators by 30 June 2017.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding has been allocated to Network Rail for the electrification of the Barking to Gospel Oak line.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department for Transport and Transport for London have respectively allocated £90m and £25m towards the electrification of the line (2013 prices).
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what monitoring he has undertaken of the results of Permitted Development Rules that allow for conversion of commercial properties to housing; and what proportion of the new dwellings are for social rent.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
This Government is committed to providing more homes on brownfield land, and our change of use reforms are helping turn under-used or redundant office space into badly-needed accommodation, at no cost to taxpayers. The policy helps increase housing supply, including greater provision of studio and one-bedroom flats for young people. This policy is particularly beneficial in London, given the high demand for housing.
Research published by Knight Frank in May 2014 estimated that nationally, prior approval applications had been secured for over 3.2 million square feet of new housing.
An analysis by Planning magazine in November 2014, surveying London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester and Sheffield, estimated that a total of 17,425 new homes had been given permission across those specific cities.
Research by Estates Gazette (EGi) in the year from May 2013 identified 303 schemes across London, delivering 8,924 new homes. The hon. Member may wish to note that in Islington alone, there were 26 schemes which were set to deliver 617 new homes.
My Department has been collating formal statistics on office to residential conversions since April 2014. A total of 1,436 prior approval applications were granted from April to December 2014, and a further 1,155 applications were made where prior approval was not necessary. These will deliver a significant volume of housing.
Those who seek to oppose these reforms need to spell out exactly where they think new homes should go instead.
We do not hold information on the tenure of such dwellings.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the (a) legal and (b) judicial costs to the UK have been of contesting the claim brought by Mauritius under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to date; and what estimate he has made of future such costs.
Answered by James Duddridge
The legal costs in terms of Counsels’ fees incurred by the UK in defending the proceedings brought by Mauritius were £681,220. As the award has been handed down by the Arbitral Tribunal, we do not at this stage expect there to be any significant future legal costs.
The Tribunal has concluded that Mauritius and the UK should share the costs of the Tribunal in hearing this case. In that regard, the UK has made a payment of 1.3 million Euros (approximately £957,000). We will shortly be receiving a final note of fees of the Tribunal. We understand that it is likely that the UK’s payment exceeded the UK’s share of the Tribunal’s costs and that accordingly, a proportion of the UK’s payment will be remitted back. We therefore cannot at this stage give a final indication of the Tribunal’s total costs.