Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of compensating women born in the 1950s affected by changes to state pension age legislation.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Ombudsman is considering this matter, he has not completed his final report and has yet to make any recommendations. When the report is complete the Government will carefully consider it.
It would not be appropriate to comment on the investigation and section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department’s publication, DWP’s ministerial overseas travel, July to September 2023, published on 14 December 2023, how much of the £4,295.27 spent on his visit to India from 18 to 23 July 2023 was spent on air travel.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The total spent on air travel during the Secretary of State’s visit to India was £5,366.44 (this includes internal flights in India).
The Department has noticed an administrative error in the publication of the Ministerial Overseas Travel, July to September 2023. The Department has taken immediate action to update the publication to show that the total cost of Secretary of State’s visit was £5,751.54.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the transparency data entitled DCMS: Ministerial travel, 1 July to 30 September 2023, published on 15 December 2023, how much and what proportion of the £8,046 cost of the trip to Sydney by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society between 24 July and 2 August 2023 was spent on air travel.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I flew to Sydney to support the England team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
As well as attending the England vs. Denmark match, I promoted the Government’s ongoing commitment to women and girls sport and physical activity. I championed the UK’s leading reputation in equality and human rights by attending a Gender Equality Symposium, and met with LGBT+ organisations, such as Pride in Sport.
I also promoted the UK's expertise in hosting major sporting events ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics by meeting with representatives from Brisbane 2032, alongside members of Brisbane’s City Council.
The cost of my return flight from Manchester to Sydney was £6,777.97. As part of my ministerial duties during my trip, I also travelled to Brisbane from Sydney. The cost of the return internal flight from Sydney to Brisbane was £336.80.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the transparency data entitled DCMS: Ministerial hospitality, 1 July to 30 September 2023, published on 15 December 2023, who gifted the tickets on 9 July 2023; and what the event was.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The tickets were gifted from Silverstone, and the event was the British Grand Prix.
This information was provided in the Secretary of State’s transparency return through the normal declaration process. However, due to a technical error it was not published on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants have been processed at each asylum centre in each calendar month since September 2021.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum applications and decisions is published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to year ending September 2023. Data on the asylum centre that the migrant was processed at is not published.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department’s publication entitled DBT ministers’ overseas travel: July to September 2023, published on 15 December 2023, how much of the (a) £5,711.94 spent on the visit of the Minister of State for Business and Trade to India from 1 July to 4 July 2023 and (b) £6,123.51 spent on his visit to Oman from 12 September to 15 September 2023 was spent on air travel.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
a) Of the £5,711.94, £5.463.14 was spent on air travel to India between 1 July 2023 and 4 July 2023.
b) Of the £6,123.5, £6,123.5 was spent on air travel to Oman between 12 September 2023 and 15 September 2023.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department’s publication entitled DBT ministers’ overseas travel: July to September 2023, published on 15 December 2023, how much of the (a) £14,486.53 spent on her visit to Australia and New Zealand from 13 July to 19 July 2023 and (b) £7,223.21 spent on her visit to India from 24 August to 27 August 2023 was spent on air travel.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
a) Of the £14,486.53, £14,074.71 was spent on air travel between 13 July and 19 July 2023.
b) Of the £7,223.21, £6,668.21 was spent on air travel between 24 August and 27 August 2023.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) plans his Department has and (b) the timetable is for the (i) closure and (ii) disposal of RAF Henlow.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department continues to work towards the closure and disposal of RAF Henlow from 2026.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Defence Procurement during the debate on Service Accommodation of 19 December 2023, Official Report, column 500WH, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire on Chicksands military base.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I can confirm that a letter has been written for the hon. Member, regarding Chicksands military base, and will be sent out imminently.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to people that host Afghan refugees in their homes.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. Our resettlement schemes have provided thousands of people the chance to start new lives in the UK.
As set out previously, the Department of Levelling UP, Housing and Communities is exploring a range of other accommodation options to support ACRS households, whilst recognising the specific needs of Afghan families.