Category: Speeches

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent missile attacks on Camp Liberty in Iraq.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We strongly condemn the shameful attack against the civilian residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq on Thursday 29 October. Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad raised the attack with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office on Friday 30 October and made clear the importance of an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice.

    It is not clear at this stage who carried out the attack. Iraqi militia, the al-Mukhtar Army, has claimed responsibility, but we are unable to verify this claim.

    In all of our engagement with the Government of Iraq on this issue, including at Ministerial level and in our Statements, we have emphasised the importance of the Iraqi government doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the residents of Camp Liberty. We support UN calls for more to be done to protect the residents.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Julian Sturdy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what account he has taken of trends in reports of pregnancy discrimination as in his review into employment tribunal fees.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    On 11 June we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. The review will consider, so far as is possible, the impact the fees have had on those with protected characteristics and the types of case they bring. In order to do this, we will be giving all relevant material the appropriate consideration.

    The review is underway and will report in due course.

  • 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, whether a new college and innovation centre is intended to open at the same time as the first of the 249 residential units at the direct commissioning site at Daedelus Waterfront.

    Brandon Lewis

    The direct commissioning pilots will follow the normal planning and commercial processes for determining the phasing of homes and associated facilities.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have died due to a hospital acquired infection in primary care trusts in (a) 2015, (b) 2014, (c) 2013, (d) 2012 and (e) 2011.

    Ben Gummer

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre has advised the general practitioner (GP) Extraction System is not currently flowing data from GP practices and primary care, so data from a community setting is not available.

  • Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department’s guidance to overseas missions on hospitality for senior UK figures was last reviewed.

    Mr David Lidington

    Overseas Missions provide hospitality to guests to support the Government’s objectives overseas.

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s guidance to staff on visits by Parliamentarians to our posts overseas was reviewed and updated in 2015.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions her Department has had with HM Treasury on the level of VAT on energy saving materials.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Decisions on VAT are led by HM Treasury, and the Department has been in regular contact with them regarding the consultation on changes to the application of VAT on energy saving materials.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Russian government on the Arctic.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK has not recently discussed the Arctic bilaterally with the Russian government. The UK is a State Observer at the Arctic Council, of which the Russian Federation is a full member. The UK participates in all Arctic Council meetings, including the most recent senior official meeting in March 2016.

  • Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gill Furniss on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister of 11 May 2016, Official Report, column 627, when she plans to decide whether to launch an independent panel hearing into the policing of the miners’ strike at Orgreave in 1984.

    Mrs Theresa May

    I am currently considering a submission from the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign on the need for an inquiry into the events at Orgreave and will set out the Government’s position in due course.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for the technological competitiveness of the UK of the proposed takeover of ARM Holdings by the Japanese company Softbank; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK remains open for business and we welcome firms that want to invest in growth here. The UK’s technological innovations, skilled workforce and competitive business environment make it one of the world’s best destinations for investment.

    ARM Holdings is a highly respected company who have achieved great things: working with the UK’s Takeover Panel, Softbank have published a set of clear and binding undertakings, including that ARM’s global headquarters would remain in Cambridge and that the UK workforce would at least double if the acquisition is finalised. This provides reassurance that ARM would continue to develop leading-edge technology in the UK as part of the UK technology industry.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the UK intellectual property practitioners will continue to have the right to file European Trade Mark and design applications and appear on behalf of clients at the EU Intellectual Property Office after the UK leaves the EU.

    Joseph Johnson

    We have sought UK intellectual property practitioners’ views on the effects of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and we are aware that this is a concern to them. We are continuing to engage with practitioners and businesses and are actively considering the options available.