Category: Speeches

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of potential risks associated with vulnerable witnesses and defendants travelling by public transport when considering potential court closures as part of proposals on the future of the court and tribunal estate; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    To ensure that access to justice is maintained, we are committed to providing alternative ways for users to access our services. This includes the use of other civic buildings and extending video conferencing facilities. This will further reduce the need for vulnerable victims and witnesses to travel to attend court.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget for the Regional Schools Commissioner for South-Central England and North-West London is for each of the next three years; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    At present, I am unable to provide detailed information on the budget for the Regional Schools Commissioners for each of the next three years.

    The Department’s spending review settlement was agreed in November. The Department has now begun a business planning process to devolve this budget internally to specific activities and functions. This work is intended to finish in early 2016, when the future budgets for all the Regional School Commissioners’ offices, including the South-Central and North-West London office, will be agreed for the next financial year (2016-17) and beyond.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what analysis his Department has undertaken of the effect of a new rail freight depot near Northampton on the local economy.

    Claire Perry

    The development of proposals for rail freight interchanges is a matter for the private sector and therefore the Department has not undertaken any such analysis.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, on what date he last visited a food bank in Scotland.

    David Mundell

    I have not visited a food bank in my capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he will make representations to the government of Pakistan on its blasphemy laws and the potential for the death penalty to be imposed for breach of those laws.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    UK Ministers regularly raise the blasphemy laws, which have been misused against both Muslims and others, with the authorities in Pakistan. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) have discussed human rights concerns, including blasphemy laws, with Prime Minister Sharif.

    I raised our concerns directly with the Pakistani High Commissioner in London. As a priority, I encourage the Government of Pakistan to reduce the number of offences attracting the death penalty, which currently includes blasphemy, and to abide by its international obligations. The Foreign Secretary reiterated UK opposition to the death penalty during his visit to Pakistan this week.

  • Adam Holloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Adam Holloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Holloway on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to deploy the armed forces in Libya to train the Libyan army.

    Michael Fallon

    Planning has focused on training Libyan security forces to provide their own security to the new Libyan government and Libyan people. No decisions have been made about the future deployment of British military forces and any provision of support will be in response to a request by the Government of National Accord.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many review outpatient appointments were delayed beyond the clinically recommended time by hospitals in (1) 2014–15, and (2) 2015–16.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    All follow up appointments (also known as planned, surveillance or recall appointments) should take place when clinically appropriate. It is for clinicians to make decisions on when they see patients, in line with their clinical priority, and patients should not experience undue delay at any stage of their referral, diagnosis or treatment. Moreover, the appropriate interval for follow up appointments will vary between different services or specialties, and between individual patients, depending on the severity of their condition.

    To ensure that patients are seen at the appropriate time, NHS England guidance is clear that when patients on planned lists are clinically ready for their care to commence and reach the date for their planned appointment, they should either receive that appointment or be transferred to an active waiting list. At that point, a waiting time clock will be started and their wait reported in the relevant statistical return, so that patients are not waiting on ‘hidden’ lists.

    Furthermore, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) also assesses providers against the new fundamental standards of safety and quality below which care should never fail. One of these standards requires that care and treatment must be appropriate and reflect service users’ needs and preferences. Another requires that care and treatment must be provided in a safe way. The CQC will require a provider to improve where it is not meeting these standards.

    No assessment has been made of the clinical risks to patients of follow-up appointments being scheduled beyond clinically recommended times, as the risks will also vary between services, specialties and patients. It is for clinicians to make these judgements.

    The information requested on delays to review outpatient appointments is not collected centrally.

  • Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Cox on 2016-06-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy regarding the legal possibility of bringing before the UN Security Council a resolution seeking to refer the actions of Daesh in Iraq and Syria to the International Criminal Court.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor set out some of the complicated issues involved in the ICC investigating Daesh in her press statement of 8 April 2015. We are exploring, with international partners, all legal possibilities for investigating Daesh and holding them to account for their actions.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK is currently using armed Reaper drones outside of Iraq and Syria; and if he will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    The UK’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft System – Reaper, currently operates in the Middle East in support of the Iraqi Government and Coalition allies’ on-going operations to combat the threat of Daesh. I am unable to provide further information on the deployment of Reaper as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the Government’s policy is on the proposed 400kV North-South electricity interconnector between County Tyrone and County Meath.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    Non-nuclear energy policy is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.