Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are planning to take to ensure that council tax billing authorities pass on to parish and town councils the council tax support funding providing for those councils by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The patients with clinically actionable reports from the pilot phase are from rare diseases where improved knowledge of the causal mutation improves the management of the patient, their family members and possible future reproductive decisions. The patients diagnosed by whole genome sequencing had not been diagnosed using existing National Health Service panel tests. We are still evaluating the data from the 100,000 Genomes project to identify options for panel testing or other clinical sequencing strategies.

  • Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reported rise in anti-Semitism in the UK, in particular at universities, and what action they plan to take to tackle anti-Semitism in the light of that assessment.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    There is no place in our society, including higher education, for bigotry, hatred and any form of racism such as anti-Semitism. We expect universities to act swiftly to investigate and address any anti-Semitic incidents reported to them.

    Responsibility for ensuring students do not face harassment, abuse or violence rests with individual institutions, as a clear part of their duties under the 2010 Equality Act.
    The higher education sector is committed to tackling discrimination and challenging intolerance on campus. Bodies such as Universities UK (UUK), Guild HE and the Equality Challenge Unit provide support to institutions to help discharge their responsibilities through the provision of practical guidance, discussion and networking events to help share best practice across the sector.

    In addition, at the request of the Government, UUK have set up a task force to consider what more can be done to address harassment on campus, including on the basis of religion and belief. The Union of Jewish Students are part of the wider advisory group.

  • Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Ellman on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the policy is of (a) his Department and (b) the Vehicle Certification Agency on vehicle type approval engineers leaving the Vehicle Certification Agency to join vehicle manufacturers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Central Department and the Vehicle Certificate Agency do not have a specific policy relating to staff leaving to join vehicle manufacturers. The conduct expected of a Civil Servant is written in the Business Appointment Rules, which are available online.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have gathered on the contribution that the 64 million new trees to be planted by the Woodland Trust in England would make to carbon reduction or capture.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Government has not gathered any information about the contribution these trees would make towards carbon reduction or capture. However, the Forestry Commission’s Woodland Carbon Code Carbon Lookup Tables, suggest that 64 million trees planted as woodland could capture 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over the first 50 years of their life.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department’s purchasing policies support the Government’s commitment to do all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts, in line with our current international obligations and guidance issued by the Crown Commercial Service.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times he has met with Didier Seeuws since his appointment to the EU special task force.

    Mr David Jones

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 September 2016 to the Question 44967.

    The Prime Minister has been clear we will not give a running commentary on Brexit negotiations. We will ensure that we engage closely with all relevant interlocutors.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people flowed off IB/SDA with a work capability assessment decision of fit for work since December 2011; and how many such people’s death was at the same time defined in Mortality Statistics: Employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit or severe disability allowance, published in August 2015.

    Priti Patel

    The information as requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation they carried out about prohibiting public sector employers from providing a check-off service.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We have not undertaken a formal consultation. This clause will receive full Parliamentary scrutiny during the Bill’s passage through Parliament.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people who were interviewed under caution (a) for all offences and (b) for sexual offences were subsequently charged in each of the last three years.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold the data requested.

    The Home Office collects data from police forces on the number of offences that resulted in a charge but does not collect data on the number of interviews held under caution.

  • Baroness Quin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Quin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the start-up and annual costs of administering the new health and dental charges for New Zealand citizens coming into force on 6 April.

    Lord Bates

    An Impact Assessment was published on 4 February 2016, alongside the draft Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2016. The draft Order will, subject to Parliamentary approval, remove the surcharge exemption for nationals of Australia and New Zealand and reduce the Youth Mobility Scheme charge from £200 to £150.

    The Impact Assessment, which can be viewed at the link below, sets out the reason for these changes and estimates associated costs and benefits: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111143278/impacts

    These documents are available in the following locations of the House: The Vote Office (Commons) Printed Paper Office (Lords)