Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard persecuted communities in Syria, including Syrian Christians during the offensive in the Idlib area of Syria.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are gravely concerned about the risks for all the civilian population in Idlib, regardless of ethnicity or religion, from the threatened military offensive by the Syrian regime and Russia. The UK supports the urgent diplomatic efforts being made by Turkey and the UN. We call on the Syrian regime and its backers, Russia and Iran, to uphold the de-escalation arrangements they have previously agreed, and for all parties to respect international humanitarian law, including protection of all civilians without discrimination. We are providing additional humanitarian assistance and medical support to Idlib. This assistance is distributed on the basis of need, to ensure Syrians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, or ethnicity.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to introduce the video recording of assessments for personal independence payments in Scotland.
Answered by Sarah Newton
As part of our commitment to improve the Personal Independence Payment assessment process, we are progressing options to video record PIP face to face assessments across Great Britain. Following comprehensive work over the summer, we are designing a live testing pilot, due to begin in England later this year. The pilot will inform any full wider roll out decisions, which will be discussed with the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier 4 applications that have not been processed within the timescale set out in the service level agreement for processing such applications have caused students to miss university start dates in the latest academic for year for which figures are available.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The available information on processing of Tier 4 out of country visa (and in-country visa) applications against service standards is published in the transparency data at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration
The latest available data indicates the vast majority, 98.1% (and 99.8%) of straightforward cases were dealt with within service standards.
Information on students who may have missed their university start date is not collated for publication on Home Office visa case-working systems.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of tier 4 visa applications for students have been processed within the service level agreement timescales in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The available information on processing of Tier 4 out of country visa (and in-country visa) applications against service standards is published in the transparency data at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration
The latest available data indicates the vast majority, 98.1% (and 99.8%) of straightforward cases were dealt with within service standards.
Information on students who may have missed their university start date is not collated for publication on Home Office visa case-working systems.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the dates were of the most recent meetings between Ministers of her Department and their counterparts in the devolved administrations; and what the dates are of the next planned meetings.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The former Home Secretary the Rt. Hon Amber Rudd last meeting with a Scottish Minister was in Glasgow on 27 July 2017. The Home Secretary has yet to meet with with Scottish Ministers but looks forward to doing so in due course and in line with departmental business.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of updating the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance to facilitate a greater uptake in electric bikes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Cycle to Work Scheme can already be used to assist with the purchase of electrically assisted pedal cycles, and is one of the many ways in which the Government is supporting active travel choices, as set out in the 2017 Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. The Department is currently in the process of updating the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance and will make a further announcement later in the year.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential benefits of a greater uptake in electric bikes for (a) older people, (b) people on low incomes and (c) people with mobility problems.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS), published in April 2017, encourages people to take up cycling, either on conventional bikes or electric bikes. The Department recognises that electric bikes offer a wide range of potential benefits, including to health and to the environment, and that they can make cycling easier and more attractive. The Department has not undertaken any formal assessment of the potential benefits of a greater uptake of electric bikes by those particular groups, but the measures set out in the CWIS should lead to an overall increase in the use of electric bikes, and the benefits associated with this.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the financial benefits for the public purse of the Cycle to Work Scheme.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Government has not made an assessment of the financial benefits of the Cycle to Work scheme. Bicycles provided under the scheme are tax exempt and so no data is reported to HMRC.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of updating the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance to facilitate a greater uptake in electric bikes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Cycle to Work Scheme can already be used to assist with the purchase of electrically assisted pedal cycles, and is one of the many ways in which the Government is supporting active travel choices, as set out in the 2017 Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. The Department is currently in the process of updating the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance and will make a further announcement later in the year.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans his Department has to encourage bilateral trade with Kenya.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade recently appointed the first ever HM Trade Commissioner for Africa, to champion trade between the UK and Africa. In Kenya, we are promoting bilateral trade opportunities in many areas, including infrastructure and energy.
The Department for International Trade works closely with the British Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, which works to support UK companies seeking to enter and grow in the market.
The full range of UK Export Finance support is available for UK exports to Kenya, with financing available in Kenyan Shilling for purchases from UK exporters.
Senior level talks on the bilateral trading relationship are ongoing to ensure continuity in market access arrangements post-EU exit.