Category: Speeches

  • Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department’s policy is on aid graduation when a country transitions from low to middle income status.

    Justine Greening

    DFID’s allocation of aid to countries is based on a range of criteria, including for example whether a country is classified as low income by the World Bank, current and future poverty levels, the opportunities available to us to reduce these levels through aid spending, and the country’s ability to finance its own development needs. Ministers regularly review which countries receive DFID funding.

  • Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on ensuring that all government departments have access to a chief scientific advisor.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Chief Scientific Advisers work across departments in partnership with policy makers to ensure the very best in scientific evidence is used in the policy process. Where posts are unfilled, the Government Office for Science works with departments to ensure they have access to relevant expertise and evidence.

  • Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many ambulances were diverted from hospitals in West Yorkshire to the A&E department at Dewsbury and District Hospital in 2015; and what the reason was for each such diversion.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not collected centrally.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the expected timetable for the Lloyds Banking Group share offer.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The government is committed to creating a share owning democracy in Britain. The Lloyds Banking Group share offer will help build that by giving the general public the chance to have a greater stake in our economy and encouraging long-term share ownership.

    However, given ongoing events in financial markets, now is not the right time to sell shares to retail investors. We have always been clear that sales are dependent on market conditions and the timing of the offer will be kept under review in light of this.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and which local authorities have notified her Department about plans to dispose of grant-funded assets through the (a) sale, (b) transfer and (c) change of use of children’s centres under the requirements of the Sure Start Early Years and Childcare Grant.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Where local authorities dispose of or change the use of buildings or other assets funded wholly or partly through Sure Start capital grants, they must repay the money through the claw-back process.

    The Department for Education has a thorough set of monitoring arrangements in place regarding claw-back rules. Local authorities are required to notify the department of each and every proposed change of services and provide details about the level of early years services that are to continue. The department then considers if the local authority has continued to offer a sufficient level of early years services for children and their families from the building in question to meet the original aims of the grant.

    If the department is satisfied that the funding for the asset will continue to be used for purposes consistent with the grant, the department may defer claw-back. Deferring claw-back means that we accept the change of usage at that time, however, the department retains its interest in the asset and if in the future the asset has its usage changed, is transferred or otherwise disposed of, and does not continue to meet the purposes of the grant the local authority must inform the department and we will claw-back the funding. The department’s interest in an asset funded by Sure Start capital grants is 25 years from designation of the building. If the grant was used to purchase capital items or re-furbish an existing asset, the length of time and value of any claw-back depends on the depreciation value of the items, according to local authority depreciation rules.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Indian government on the Seaman Guard Ohio since the Indian court ruling relating to that matter in January 2016.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We continue to follow this case closely, raising it at ministerial and official level at every opportunity, as we have done since November 2013. Following the court ruling on 11 January 2016 Ministers have raised the case with Foreign Secretary Jaishankar, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr VK Singh and the Indian High Commissioner Mr Navtej Singh.

    Whilst we cannot interfere in any foreign legal process, we shall continue to use every opportunity to raise the case at all levels, calling for any legal proceedings to move forward quickly.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to invite any leaders of foreign countries to come to the UK ostensibly on a courtesy visit but with the intention that they should canvass directly on any internal national issue.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The views expressed by the US President during his recent visit to the UK were his own.

    I refer the noble Lord to the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron)’s oral response to the Rt Hon. Member for Exeter (Mr Bradshaw), on Wednesday 27 April, Official Report, Column 1427, which is copied below for ease of reference:

    ‘Obviously I think we should listen to our friends and our allies, and as I look around the world it’s hard to find the leader of a country that wishes us well that wants us to do anything other than stay inside a reformed European Union.’

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings she plans to hold with the Mayor of London and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime to discuss the policing structure in London.

    Mrs Theresa May

    I, and the Minister for Policing, Fire and Criminal Justice and Victims, hold regular bilateral meetings with the Mayor of London, and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. These meetings cover a range of issues that are salient at the time of the meeting.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the indirect investment by pension schemes in companies linked with the manufacture of cluster munitions; and if he will make a statement.

    Richard Harrington

    Trustees and managers are responsible for acting in the best interests of beneficiaries, including the investment of members’ funds. They must, under existing obligations, prepare a statement of investment principles. This must set out the extent to which social, environmental, or ethical considerations are taken into account in the selection, retention, and realisation of investments.

    We have no immediate plans to change these existing obligations, but will keep them under review.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46088, on childbirth: roads, if his Department will collect information on the number of babies born by the side of the road in England in each of the last six years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    We have no plans to ask NHS Digital to collect such information.