Category: Speeches

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of electricity in the UK was generated by UK coal-fired power stations in 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC will publish finalised energy market statistics including figures for electricity generation in 2015 later this year. However, provisional figures [1] show that coal accounted for 22% of UK electricity supplied over Q1 – Q3 in 2015 compared to 28% in the same period in 2014.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487838/Electricity.pdf

    “

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the Think Kidneys programme, (b) ongoing work relating to acute kidney injury and (c) other work programmes being led by the National Clinical Director for Renal Disease for NHS England will continue to be taken forward following the discontinuance of that director’s post.

    Jane Ellison

    Following a review of the National Clinical Directors (NCDs), NHS England will be supported by 16 NCDs from 1 April 2016. Objectives for the NCDs will be set according to the priority areas and major programmes, as set out in the Mandate and planning guidance, and where there are established programmes of service improvement.

    Where there will no longer be a specific NCD role for renal disease, NHS England will secure expert clinical advice from its Clinical Networks and through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors.

    Think Kidneys is scheduled to continue until the end of 2016, and a strategy for the longer term is being developed. Wider work on renal disease will be taken forward through the specialised commissioning infrastructure within NHS England and through joint working with the Royal Colleges and specialist societies.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of UK military personnel have been deployed on (a) NATO, (b) UN and (c) EU-coordinated operations and training over the lpast 10 years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Strategic Defence and Security Review reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to providing contributions to NATO, UN, and EU operations and exercises. However, the MOD does not hold the information in the format requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision is made for people with learning disabilities and mental health problems in the system for testing applicants for UK citizenship.

    James Brokenshire

    The Secretary of State may waive the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK requirement for British citizenship on the basis of a person’s age, physical or mental condition.

    A person will normally be exempted from this requirement if they provide evidence from an appropriate medical practitioner that their condition is so severe that it prevents them from being able to learn English or prepare for or sit an English test or the Life in the UK test. Each application is considered on its own merits.

    Information cannot be obtained from UKVI data systems to show how many exemption requests were made and granted. This information could only be obtained from looking at individual records at disproportionate cost.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the progress of the programme to re-paint the red doors of properties used to house asylum seekers on Teesside.

    James Brokenshire

    The provision of accommodation for asylum seekers is provided under the COMPASS contracts. It is the responsibility of all of the suppliers to ensure that all accommodation used meets the required contractual standard and complies with the Decent Homes Standards. The accommodation should be safe, habitable and fit for purpose. The COMPASS providers are required to inspect properties each month and UKVI’s contract compliance teams reinforce this by visiting properties regularly.

    The Home Office expects the highest standards and where a contractor is found to be falling short of these standards we work with them to ensure that issues are quickly addressed.

    Earlier this year, we instructed our supplier (G4S) to repaint the doors of G4S and Jomast managed properties to ensure that no one colour is predominant. I have received confirmation from the Provider that this had been completed, UKVI staff have also confirmed that no one colour is predominant as they have visited properties as part of their inspection regime.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many companies that provide patient transport services within the NHS have gone bankrupt or into administration while providing that service in each of the last five years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Department does not hold this information.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Mr David Jones

    Consistent with Managing Public Money principles, the Department for Exiting the European Union will ensure its purchasing policies represent value for money, are compliant with legal and international obligations, and follow Government policies and standards on public procurement.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK personnel have served in UN peacekeeping missions in each of the last 10 years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Over the past 10 years, UK military personnel have been deployed to a number of UN mandated peacekeeping missions including: Cyprus (UNFICYP), Mali (MINUSMA), South Sudan (UNMISS), Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Liberia (UNMIL), Dafur (UNAMID), UNAMI (IRAQ), UNIOSIL (Sierra Leone), UNMIK (Kosovo), UNOMIG (Georgia), UNMIN (Nepal), UNAMA (Afghanistan), UNSOM (Somalia) and UNSMIL (Libya/Tunisia).

    The number of military personnel who have deployed on the various UN operations is set out below:

    2006*

    2007*

    2008*

    2009*

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015**

    Total number of UK personnel deployed per year

    295

    290

    301

    293

    279

    276

    280

    278

    285

    287

    * The details supplied are correct as of 31 January each year.

    ** Correct as of 10 November 2015.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve one-year cancer survival rates over the next five years.

    Jane Ellison

    We want to lead the world in fighting cancer. Survival rates have never been higher, but we want to go further. In England, the independent Cancer Taskforce’s five-year strategy for cancer, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes, published in July 2015, recommends improvements across the cancer pathway with the aim of improving survival rates.

    Updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence referral guidelines for suspected cancer could save about 5,000 lives with general practitioners urged to think of cancer sooner and lower the referral threshold for tests. Whilst health is, of course, a devolved matter, we know that these guidelines are often used by the devolved administrations.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Romanian government about a NATO Black Sea fleet.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK holds regular discussions with our NATO Allies, including Romania, about security issues across the Euro-Atlantic space, including in the Black Sea region. In July 2015 the Deputy Permanent Representatives Committee in Brussels held a session on the security situation in the Black Sea in which the UK, Romania and a large number of NATO Allies participated.

    In November 2015 HMS Duncan, the Royal Navy’s newest destroyer, visited Romania and provided a visible British and NATO presence in the Black Sea. HMS Duncan also participated in a Passing Exercise with the Romanian navy with the aim of increasing NATO interoperability.