Category: Speeches

Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-03-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of when the tax optimisation for cigarettes will be reached.

Damian Hinds

The government believes that cigarette duty achieves a balance between its two fiscal goals on tobacco; to raise revenue and to protect public health.

In considering fiscal impacts of duties, the illicit trade is an important consideration. The government is committed to tackling illicit tobacco, which undermines health and tax policy objectives and harms legitimate business. HMRC and Border Force have an established and effective strategy for tackling tobacco fraud which has seen the illicit market reduce significantly since the strategy was first launched in 2000. This has meant that, since the introduction of the tobacco duty escalator, the size of the illicit market has continued to fall.

01/01/2023
Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the time taken to conduct its Supported Accommodation Review on the number of beds available in the supported accommodation sector.

Brandon Lewis

We understand the importance of ensuring that those people living in supported accommodation, who are generally the most vulnerable members of our society, receive appropriate protections.

The supported housing sector provides valuable support to some of our country’s most vulnerable people.

We have commissioned an evidence review of the supported housing sector which we expect to report shortly. Building on this review, we will continue to work with and listen to providers as part of developing a long-term sustainable funding regime.

In the meantime we have put in place a one-year exception for all supported accommodation from the social rent reduction measures and the Local Housing Allowance cap, so there will be no material change in this financial year.

01/01/2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote pluralism and religious freedom in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, which we supported, urges all parties to the UN-facilitated political process to adhere to the principle identified by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) to protect the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religious denomination. Through our membership of the ISSG we will focus all our efforts on ensuring that Syrian minorities are included and safeguarded as the political process progresses. In our contact with members of the Syrian opposition who have signed up to the Geneva Communiqué, we have maintained a strong line on our commitment to pluralism, and the need to ensure that Freedom of Religion or Belief is enshrined as a constitutional right. A proportion of the High Negotiations Council, including members of the negotiating team, are drawn from religious minority groups in Syria’s richly diverse population. We are also supporting non-governmental efforts to promote dialogue between different ethnic and sectarian groups and education on tolerance, integration and pluralism.

01/01/2023
Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-07-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they and the UNHCR plan to take to protect Eritrean and Somali families now in Ethiopia, the Sudan, or South Sudan without legal status.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Irregular migrants in Africa are extremely vulnerable. We are working through the Khartoum Process, of which the UK is currently chair, and bilaterally to improve conditions for all migrants in the Horn of Africa. The Khartoum Process is a regional initiative bringing together the Governments of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and Libya and the EU, the UK, Italy, France, Germany and Malta to better manage migration in the region, including the protection of irregular migrants. The Khartoum Process is part of a plan of action agreed between African nations and the EU and its member states in Valletta in November 2015. The protection of migrant rights is a critical element of that plan.

In Sudan, we are advocating through the Khartoum Process for increased rights for refugees in national legislation, including work permits for Eritreans in Sudan. Alongside this, DFID contributes through the European Development Fund to the €100 million EU Trust Fund (EUTF) package of Special Measures for Sudan, which aims to protect and address the development needs of refugees in Eastern Sudan. The EUTF has been supporting UNHCR and local law enforcement efforts over the past 18 months to make camps in the East of Sudan more secure. With this EU support, UNHCR also hosts a unit for unaccompanied minors (UM) in Shagarab Camp, which works to return them to their families in Eritrea wherever possible, houses them separately from other migrants in purpose built dormitories, and provides free meals for all the children.

In April 2016, the UK together with World Bank and UNHCR signed up to a set of principles on programming to support long term refugees. These principles recommend increased support to a shift from relief provision for refugees towards a more sustainable approach. In line with this, DFID in Ethiopia is providing £125 million over the next five years for basic service and economic opportunities alongside protection programming, working with both refugees and host communities. Research into push and pull factors around migration also forms a part of DFID’s package of support.

01/01/2023

James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost to the NHS was of (a) aspirin, (b) ibuprofen and (c) equivalent medication prescribed by GPs in each of the last five years.

David Mowat

Information on the net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed in the community in England is provided in the table below.

Year	Net ingredient cost²: aspirin (excluding combination medicines) £000	Net ingredient cost: ibuprofen £000	Net ingredient cost: other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs¹ £000
2010	590.3	9,999.3	80,767.1
2011	443.9	9,927.1	71,045.5
2012	495.3	12,182.8	71,915.7
2013	593.0	13,788.0	63,617.2
2014	512.8	12,929.8	62,270.0
2015	499.4	12,835.7	59,922.9

Source: Prescription Cost Analysis system provided by NHS Digital

¹ All other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs included in British National Formulary section 10.1.1, using the classification system prior to edition 70.

²Net ingredient cost is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.

01/01/2023

Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what timetable she plans to set for ratification of the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

Karen Bradley

The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention in June 2012. We will only commit to ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles. The UK already complies with the vast majority of the articles but primary legislation is required to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provision set out in Article 44 of the Convention. We are liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including the further legislative steps required.

We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls. End Female Genital Mutilation and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad.

01/01/2023
Jenny Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jenny Chapman on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cautions have been given for any offence in each police force area in each of the last three years.

Mike Penning

The number of cautions recorded in each police force area during 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 are provided in the attached table. These are based on data published by the Home Office which are available by police force area and offence type at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

Cautions data published by the Home Office are based on the number of offences recorded by the police that resulted in cautions by the police.

The Ministry of Justice publish caution data based on the number of offenders cautioned which are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/428954/data-behind-interactive-data-tools.zip

01/01/2023
Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve the frequency of services to Luton Airport Parkway in the 2018 East Midlands franchise specification.

Claire Perry

Detailed work on the 2018 East Midlands franchise specification will begin in the Spring, and as with all franchise competitions, a public consultation exercise will take place later this year to help inform the specification for the next long-term franchise.

01/01/2023
Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many licenses issued under the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012 are currently in force; and how many applications for such licenses for what reasons have been (a) granted, (b) refused, (c) suspended and (d) revoked in the last 12 months.

George Eustice

Under the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012 there are currently two licences in force. One of these licences was suspended for twenty days in December 2015. Applications for renewals of both of these licences have been received and are currently being considered.

In May 2015, Defra also received an application for a licence from a further circus. As that circus subsequently decided not to tour in England in 2015 their application was discontinued without Defra making a decision whether to grant or refuse the application. In the last 12 months, no other applications for a licence have been received by Defra and no others have been refused, suspended or revoked.

01/01/2023
Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make available to the Northern Ireland Executive funds received from the Government’s application to the EU Solidarity Fund to help flood affected areas.

James Wharton

The Government submitted an initial UK application to the EU Solidarity Fund on Friday 26 February and we continue to refine our cost estimations.

At the date the application was made, the Government had not been approached on this matter by the Northern Ireland Executive.

01/01/2023