Category: Speeches

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to page three of the HMG Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-2015, as revised in October 2011, what legal challenges to the mandatory death penalty his Department has been involved in involving (a) UK citizens and (b) non-UK citizens in each of the last five years.

    Mr David Lidington

    Using a range of funding tools, principally the Human Rights and Democracy Programme Fund, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has, since 2010, funded a number of non-governmental organisations to mount legal challenges to the use of the death penalty abroad both in specific cases and on matters of general principle. We do not fund the private legal costs of British nationals facing the death penalty, but we can refer cases to the FCO’s pro bono legal panel, where appropriate, to provide advice to the British national in question and their local lawyer on an entirely pro bono basis.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to assist unaccompanied child refugees in Europe.

    James Brokenshire

    Unaccompanied children in other EU countries should be able to access the support needed in those countries. The European countries in which they arrive have international obligations and a duty to provide adequate protection and support to refugees within their territory.

    We are working closely with UN agencies, NGOs and the Member States involved to ensure that protection is provided. We will provide further resources to the European Asylum Support Office to help in border “hotspots” in Greece and Italy to help identify and register children at risk on first arrival in the EU.

    The Government remains concerned about the needs of vulnerable children on the move in Europe and the Balkans, and the needs of those who become stranded along the route. The UK has therefore increased its aid to refugees and migrants, including children, in Europe and the Balkans to £46 million, divided among the most affected countries and including specific support of £2.75 million to UNICEF, which will benefit 27,000 children. In addition, the Department for International Development (DFID) is creating a new fund of up to £10 million to support the needs of vulnerable refugee and migrant children in Europe, the Refugee Children Fund for Europe.

    This will include targeted support to meet the specific needs of unaccompanied and separated children who face additional risks. The support will be delivered through a range of UN agencies and NGOs. Unaccompanied children that have a close family link to the UK and claim asylum in another EU country may be entitled to be transferred to the UK under the family unity provisions of the Dublin Regulation. We want to ensure we reunite children with any close family in the UK as quickly and as safely as possible, and we work closely with EU partners on this issue.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Office is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

    Chris Grayling

    On 19 February, the Prime Minister set out the Government’s view on remaining in the European Union.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to replace the fleet of mine countermeasure vessels after 2020.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking a lengthy assessment phase for a replacement Mine Countermeasures and Hydrographic capability through multi-national co-operation; principally with France as part of the Lancaster House agreement. A range of options is being considered to modernise mine countermeasures systems and remove the man from the minefield through use of the latest unmanned technological solutions and remote operating systems. Decisions on the type and number of platforms which will operate these systems will follow later in programme

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to reduce consumer energy prices.

    Andrea Leadsom

    There are now 33 independent suppliers for households to choose from in additional to the six largest suppliers, giving more choice than ever before. By switching from a standard tariff to the best fixed, direct debit deal on the market, many people could save around £300 and some could save even more. We have already made it simpler and quicker to switch supplier and are working towards next day switching.

    The Government supports the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into the retail energy market and we will take forward appropriate implementation of its final recommendations which are due to be published shortly.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what technical assistance her Department has offered to the government of the Pitcairn Islands to help ensure that its draft biosecurity legislation meets best practice.

    Rory Stewart

    The UK Government is committed to assisting our Overseas Territories (OTs) in protecting their biodiversity. Territory Governments are constitutionally responsible for the conservation of their natural environments and we work in partnership with them to provide support, including through access to technical advice, expertise and training and through the Overseas Territories Climate and Environment Programme (Darwin Plus).

    Preventing the establishment of invasive alien species and eradicating or controlling invasive species is one of our priorities in supporting biodiversity conservation in the OTs. Defra has funded various projects on biosecurity, bio-control and the spread of non-native species in the OTs, including an RSPB-led Darwin Plus project which included work to improve Pitcairn’s biosecurity legislation. Defra officials stand ready to consider any requests from Pitcairn’s Government for technical assistance, advice or expertise on biosecurity matters or in respect of Pitcairn’s biosecurity legislation.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assurances he has received from Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group that the £12 million saving promised by Circle Holdings plc as part of its successful bid for the contract to provide musculoskeletal services will not affect the quality of services to patients; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The procurement of local health services by means of competitive tendering is a matter for the local National Health Service.

    We are advised that NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) undertook a review of the provision of musculoskeletal (MSK) services in the area in 2014, involving local general practitioners (GPs), secondary care clinicians, other MSK clinicians and patient groups. The CCG took account of this exercise in confirming its commissioning intentions for an integrated MSK service pathway. The CCG subsequently held a GP clinical commissioner-led provider engagement event on 2 March 2016 to seek feedback on the clinical service specification and the proposed contractual model.

    We understand that, as part of the procurement process, the MSK Programme Board was fully apprised of the Our Healthier South East London initiative, the predecessor to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) in respect of elective orthopaedic centres.

    We are advised that the Invitation to Tender (ITT) developed as part of the procurement exercise explicitly stated the aspirations of these two initiatives, in addition to the proposed implementation timeline. When submitting their bids, all prospective providers were required to confirm their understanding and acceptance of the planned new model of in-patient care. Patient choice continues to apply with regard to both this local procurement and the South East London STP proposals on elective care centres.

    We understand that the ITT issued to potential service providers, was divided into sections, with each section allocated a weighting. The financial weighting was designed to ensure that the selection of the preferred provider was driven by clinical quality scores whilst remaining within the CCG’s published financial envelope. The detailed clinical service specification will be used to hold the provider to account within the format of the NHS national standard contract.

    Health Ministers have not received any representations from local health practitioners in Greenwich with regard to the provision of MSK services in the area.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what method and criteria were used to select the Board of HS2 Ltd.

    Andrew Jones

    All Non-Executive members including the Non-Executive Chair of the HS2 Ltd Board are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport. All Executive Members of the HS2 Ltd Board are appointed by HS2 Ltd on the delegated authority from the Secretary of State. The Chief Executive Officer of the HS2 Ltd Board is appointed by the Chair of HS2 Ltd.

    All Ministerial appointments, extensions and exemptions to the HS2 Ltd Board, come under the remit of the Office for Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). They are made using the process from the Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies. The Commissioner may, in exceptional circumstances, agree that Departments may depart from this Code where he believes that this is justified in the public interest.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what average time his Department took to respond to freedom of information requests in each year since 2005.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including on timeliness. These can be found at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.

    “

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what student satisfaction surveys are conducted after training at (a) MOD Grantown-on-Spey, (b) MOD Llanwrst, (c) MOD Fairbourne and (d) MOD Crickhowell; what the average satisfaction rate is; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    Student surveys at Joint School for Adventurous Training Instructors (JSATI) Llanrwst, Force Development Training Centre (FDTC) Crickhowell, Fairbourne and Grantown-on-Spey are conducted at the end of each training course. The information is analysed against training objectives and used for continuous improvement purposes. Students are not requested to provide an overall rating for satisfaction.