Category: Speeches

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend the UK to continue to be a member of the Council of Europe and party to the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK continues to be an active member of the Council of Europe and party to the European Convention on Human Rights. I also refer the noble Lord to the answer given by the the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and Walton (Mr Raab) in the House of Commons on 14 June 2016 (House of Commons Vol. 611, Column 1615), in which he said that while we cannot rule out forever withdrawal from the Convention, it is not the Government’s policy to withdraw.

  • 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 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 43711, if she will take steps to increase the number of transfers to the UK of refugees in camps in Greece with family connections in the UK.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is fully committed to the efficient and timely operation of the Dublin Regulation and we are working closely with EU partners, including the Greek authorities, to identify, assess and transfer those with family connections to the UK under the Dublin family reunion process.

    We have seconded an expert to Greece to coordinate efforts on transferring unaccompanied children to the UK. We are following due process to ensure that any transfer is in their best interests and is lawful under EU legislation.

    More broadly, the UK has offered 75 expert personnel to help with the processing and administration of migrants in reception centres, act as interpreters, provide medical support and bolster our existing team assisting the Commission to ensure effective and efficient coordination.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of his Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments; and if he will make a statement.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Family Test was introduced in October 2014 and can be located at the following link Family Test Guidance

    The Family Test is part of the policy making process and is applied in a proportionate way in the development of new policy in line with the guidance. Potential impacts of policy on family functioning and relationships are identified and brought to the attention of Ministers where appropriate.

    There is no requirement to publish the Family Test assessments. The Ministry of Justice does not collect information on the number of full Family Test assessments completed.

    “

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of Overseas Development Aid her Department used to tackle the refugee crisis in the last 12 months; and how much her Department plans to allocate in future years to tackling that situation.

    Justine Greening

    My department has contributed nearly £16 million for the refugee crisis in Europe this year to date. In the long term we are focussed on using the UK’s aid budget to support refugees to have a viable option to stay where they are by tackling the root causes of migration.

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she last met the Home Secretary to discuss support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children and trafficked children; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government attaches high priority to ensuring that unaccompanied asylum seeking children and trafficked children who arrive in the UK are safe and well cared for. Responsibility for this rests with local authorities.

    On 15 December 2015, the Minister for Immigration and Ico-hosted a round table with key local authority representatives to discuss how this responsibility can be shared more evenly between local authorities, in order to relieve pressure on children’s services in those areas with a disproportionately high number. We believe that sharing out this responsibility will benefit both the children involved and other children already in the care of those authorities. Ensuring that unaccompanied asylum seeking children are safe and well supported will remain of paramount importance for any new arrangements arising out of these discussions.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government,  further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 26 January (HL5024), whether the Quality Assurance Agency requests data from higher education institutions regarding the number of cases of plagiarism and how those cases were handled each year.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There is no centrally held set of data on the number of recorded plagiarism cases in higher education. This is an institutional matter and cases are handled by individual institutions.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 23, on the European Council, when the reforms secured by the Prime Minister will become legally binding.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, concerning a new settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union became legally binding from the point it was adopted by the Heads of State or Government on 19 February 2016. This Decision shall take effect on the same date at the Government of the United Kingdom informs the Secretary-General of the Council that the United Kingdom has decided to remain a member of the European Union.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many incidents of laser pen attacks were recorded on ships in UK waters in each of the last five years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Her Majesty’s Coastguard does not routinely keep this information. However since January 2015, HM Coastguard has been notified of four incidents involving the use of laser pen attacks on ships in UK waters. HM Coastguard informs the police immediately so that they can consider appropriate action.

  • Nigel Adams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Nigel Adams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what consideration her Department has given to the implications of whole-system costs of different forms of renewable energy generation (a) generally and (b) in future Contract for Difference auctions.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC recognises the importance of considering the whole system impacts (both costs and benefits) of different electricity technologies when formulating future government policy, since it is a crucial element in delivering secure, clean and affordable energy to consumers.

    In order to continue to improve its evidence base in this area and inform future policy developments, DECC commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake a project on the Whole System Impacts of Electricity Generation Technologies.

    The core aim of the project was to set out a comprehensive framework to define whole system impacts and their components and drivers, which can be applied to conventional, low-carbon and renewable large- and small-scale technologies. Following peer review by experts in the field of whole system impacts, DECC will publish the resulting methodology report in due course, taking into account timing restrictions relating to purdah(s).

    Subsequently, the theoretical framework will be used to further systematise DECC’s modelling capability. Given the complex modelling involved and the need for a rigorous quality assurance process to ensure the analysis is robust, this is currently ongoing.

    Once the project is completed, DECC will be able to draw on the improved evidence base developed through this project to contribute to informing future electricity market policy development, including for CFDs. Given that the electricity system continues to evolve, it is important that DECC reaches well-evidenced and robust long-term solutions.

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

    Lord Willoughby de Broke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the announcement by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, on 8 June of an extension until 15 October of the payment window for the Rural Payment Agency (RPA) to make payments to qualifying farmers is not yet available on the RPA website.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Commissioner Hogan announced his intention to allow applications from Member States for CAP direct payments to be made after the closure of the payment window without incurring the penalties that would otherwise fall on paying agencies for making late payments. Defra and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) noted this announcement.

    Once we have received information from all UK paying agencies concerning the value of payments made by 30 June, we will be in a position to consider whether the UK should submit a request for such penalties to be waived.

    The RPA remains focused on getting top up 2015 BPS payments to those that received bridging payments, out as promptly as possible.