Category: Speeches

Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which members of the armed forces work with trichloroethylene in the line of duty and the suitability of existing health and safety arrangements when this takes place.

Mark Lancaster

The assessment of exposure to hazardous chemicals, including Trichloroethylene, by Armed Forces personnel is covered by legislative requirements in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). These require that the employer makes a suitable and sufficient assessment of exposure to employees, and that any exposure is prevented or adequately controlled. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) fully complies with these regulations, through risk assessments of exposure to hazardous substances being undertaken at local level by the Chain of Command. This includes an assessment of the suitability of arrangements to prevent or control exposure.

The MOD is also aware that after 21 April 2016, an authorisation will be needed for continued use of Trichloroethylene and has arrangements in place to ensure compliance.

01/01/2023
Stephen McPartland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy for patients to be able to choose a location convenient to them for receiving radiotherapy treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

It is a National Cancer Peer Review measure that all cancer patients are managed by a cancer-type specific multi-disciplinary team (MDT). This MDT agrees, oversees and co-ordinates the full range of care the patient receives, and considers the importance of ensuring that any cancer treatment is viewed as part of each patient’s whole cancer pathway, including clinical and supportive care. In certain circumstances, a patient may choose to have some aspects of their care delivered by a different team at a different hospital, particularly if they wish to stay with family or friends in a different part of the country to where they live whilst they receive their radiotherapy treatment. In these circumstances, the patient’s care is referred from the local MDT to the chosen MDT during this period.

01/01/2023
Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps the Government is taking to bring the cost of pre-payment meters into line with other payment methods such as direct debit.

Andrea Leadsom

Energy suppliers are required under the terms of their licence to ensure that any differences in charges only reflect the higher levels of costs to serve pre-payment meter customers.

I welcome the positive steps some energy suppliers are taking to offer better prepayment meter tariffs including offering the same prices as direct debit customers. Nevertheless, we share the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) concern that there is still a limited choice of tariffs for pre-pay customers compared to direct debit and standard credit. The CMA’s final report is due to be published shortly.

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to ensure that regulatory standards on clean beaches and seas, marine wildlife protection and fish population levels will not be lowered after the UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

In the 2015 Manifesto, we set the goal of being the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than that in which we found it. This is a big ambition to which the Government remains committed to today.

We also have a manifesto commitment to produce a 25 Year Plan for the environment which will be the basis of our approach to the environment.

As we start the process of leaving the EU, we will aim to deliver a stable and clear legislative framework for the environment, including maintaining standards that underpin trade and deliver on our international commitments.

01/01/2023
Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has received representations from Northern Ireland authorities on potential human rights, reputational implications and other concerns for the Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas Ltd undertaking a contract to work for the Bahraini prison system.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK Government continues to assist Bahrain in their reform agenda including by working with the Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas programme whose aims are to assist the Government of Bahrain to bring its justice system into compliance with international standards. We enjoy a close relationship with the Devolved Administrations and would certainly work with the Northern Ireland authorities on any issue.

The UK Government continues to have frank discussions with the Government of Bahrain at all levels about our concerns on some cases brought against political opposition members and human rights activists.

01/01/2023

Jessica Morden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) standard and (b) fast-track passport applications were made in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire

I refer to the table below which provides the volume of (a) standard and (b) fast-track passport applications received by Her Majesty’s Passport Office in each of the last five years.

Year	*Standard	Fast Track
2010	4,976,745	184,332
2011	4,912,102	184,147
2012	4,855,678	213,088
2013	5,056,826	275,067
2014	5,313,409	401,320
Notes
*Standard applications exclude counter applications and collectives
Intake is cashiered intake
Time period is 1st January to 31 December
UK applications only

“

01/01/2023

Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stuart on 2015-12-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to increase the number of students studying Spanish in schools.

Nick Gibb

Since September 2014, maintained primary schools in England must teach a modern or ancient foreign language to pupils at key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11). According to the annual language trends surveys conducted by the Centre for British Teachers, 20 per cent of primary schools taught Spanish in 2014, up from 16 per cent in 2012. In order to support the new curriculum, the government is funding nine projects across the country providing continued professional development for primary and secondary teachers, including training and resources for the teaching of Spanish.

The government took action in 2010 to halt the decline in the number of school children taking language GCSEs by introducing the English Baccalaureate. This has had a positive effect on the take up of languages in schools. The proportion of the cohort in state funded schools entered for a modern foreign language has risen from 40 per cent in 2010 to 49 per cent in 2015. Over the same period, there has been a 46 per cent rise in the number of entries for Spanish GCSE in schools in England.

The government’s goal is that, in time, at least 90 per cent of pupils enter GCSEs in the EBacc subjects of English, maths, science, humanities and languages.

01/01/2023
Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on increasing the number of BME police officers.

Caroline Dinenage

Since 2013, officials in the Government Equalities Office have been working with the Home Office and police representatives on how best to use provisions within the Equality Act 2010 to help increase the number of BME police officers.

The officer workforce is more representative in terms of gender and ethnicity than it has ever been. At 31 March 2015, there were 6,979 BME officers representing 5.5% of all police officers (compared with 4.6% in 2010, 3.6% in 2006 and only 2.2% in 2000).

At 31 March 2015, there were 35,738 female officers, representing 28.2% of all police officers (compared with 25.7% in 2010, and only 16.5% in 2000).

01/01/2023
Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations of Surrey County Council’s Surrey Rail Strategy: Crossrail 2 Assessment Final Report, relating to the extension of Crossrail 2 to Woking.

Claire Perry

No decisions on either further government investment in Crossrail 2 or the final route for Crossrail 2 have been made. The National Infrastructure Commission has been asked to provide advice to the government by Budget 2016 on the best approach to large-scale investment in London’s transport infrastructure and this will include consideration of Crossrail 2.

Their advice will help inform decisions on any next steps for the scheme and therefore, prior to their advice, the Secretary of State is not in a position to make an assessment on the potential merits of an extension of Crossrail 2 to Woking.

However, Transport for London and Network Rail analysis shows that Crossrail 2 would release capacity for additional services on the South West Main Line into Waterloo. This would mean that destinations across the region, including Woking and other towns and cities not on the proposed route, would benefit from more frequent and reliable services into London.

01/01/2023
Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cycle lanes have been created in each local authority area in each year since 2010.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department for Transport does not centrally hold figures for how many bicycle lanes have been constructed, as this is a matter for local areas. The Department has provided funding to local authorities to implement cycling schemes for instance through the Cycling Ambition Grants, Local Sustainable Transport Fund, Local Growth Fund and Integrated Transport Block.

01/01/2023