Category: Speeches

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 20 April 2016, Official Report, column 996, what evidence has been gathered and preserved of potential (a) war crimes and (b) genocide in (i) Syria and (ii) Iraq.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    Evidence is being gathered and preserved by a range of state and non state actors for potential prosecutions. The UK is supporting a number of these efforts. In Syria, the UK is funding the work of NGOs who are gathering evidence of Human Rights violations committed across Syria, including by Daesh and the Asad regime. This is being done to the standards required for criminal prosecution against high level perpetrators in a domestic or international court. In Iraq, we are considering how the UK might best complement similar efforts already underway. Working with international partners, we are doing everything we can to assist in the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used by judicial bodies to make a judgement on this matter. It is vital that this is done now, before evidence is lost or destroyed.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to increase reporting and improve data collection of violence against women and girls in developing countries.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    DFID has championed the introduction of a VAWG ‘marker’ by the OECD-DAC to better track donor funding on VAWG. The Department has also already made changes to its own systems so that it can report annually to the OECD-DAC about VAWG spending. The DAC marker is a critical accountability tool for all donors, including in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5.2. In addition the department is supporting some national governments to collect data on violence against women and girls through its bilateral programmes, one example of which is the support to Ghana to conduct a violence against women and girls prevalence survey.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Innovation Hub is still planned to proceed.

    Ben Gummer

    Departments are working to progress the anti-corruption agenda, including work that was set out at the London Anti-Corruption Summit on May 12. However, the new government will wish to consider its approach to specific anti corruption policies, and the governance structures that will oversee this work.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to change the rules on VAT applicable to sixth form colleges.

    Lord Young of Cookham

    The Government has no plans to change the rules on VAT applicable to sixth form colleges.

  • Andrew Bingham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Bingham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bingham on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the loss of tax revenues from road fund licences arising from incorrect emissions figures for Volkswagen vehicles.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government takes the unacceptable actions of Volkswagen extremely seriously and is taking robust action to get to the bottom of the emissions scandal.

    The Government has announced that UK taxpayers will not incur higher Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) if their existing vehicles are found to be affected by the emissions scandal.

    The Government continues to monitor the actions of Volkswagen closely and will consider all options once the facts are fully clarified.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what statutory requirements are placed on local authorities to produce a playing pitch strategy; and within what timeframe such authorities are required to produce such plans.

    Tracey Crouch

    Local planning authorities are required to follow national planning policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

    Sport England is a statutory consultee on all planning applications affecting playing fields, and demands that developers prove their applications will improve or safeguard sports provision. Landowners, including councils, are required to consult Sport England on any proposed development that would affect or lead to the loss of a sports playing field.

    Sport England objects to all applications unless the developer can prove it will improve.

    The latest figures, compiled by Sport England which works to safeguard playing fields for community use, show that 92 per cent of all resolved planning applications involving a playing field in 2013/14 resulted in improved or secured facilities.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the announcement of 4 January 2016, The Government will directly build affordable homes, for what reasons the Homes and Communities Agency was ultimately unable to reach a commercially acceptable agreement for the development in Lower Grayling Well.

    Brandon Lewis

    The holding costs for the site relate to the entirety of the site and are consistent with the legal and health and safety obligations of the Homes and Communities Agency as land owner.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidences of (a) restraint and (b) prone restraint in child and adolescent mental health services were recorded in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    While this information is not yet collected centrally, from 1 January 2016 mental health providers are required to record all incidents of restraint involving children and young people in their returns to the Health and Social Care Information Centre. This data will become available as soon thereafter as data quality allows. The Care Quality Commission is responsible for monitoring practice in inpatient children and adolescent psychiatric services.

  • Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what budget he plans to allocate to each clinical commissioning group in England to support the effective transfer of obesity surgery in April in a manner consistent with NICE’s clinical guidelines.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is not currently able to provide a figure for individual clinical commissioning groups on 1 April 2016 as the basis for calculating the figures is still being finalised.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect on animal welfare of the use of glue traps.

    George Eustice

    The Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides protection for animals caught in traps. All traps, including glue traps, must be inspected at regular intervals and trapped animals dealt with appropriately to ensure they do not suffer unnecessarily.