Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they will use to decide whether the National Food Crime Unit should have direct enforcement powers.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The review of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) will consider the following issues:

    – Current and likely future reactive demand from food crime;

    – Current and likely future proactive opportunities to disrupt and prevent food crime;

    – Gaps between reactive/proactive demand and current response;

    – The current and future role of local authorities, the police service, other government departments/agencies and the wider food crime response landscape, including the international response and cross border collaboration post European Union exit;

    – Value for money of current and potential responses; and

    – The current form and function of the NFCU, and whether this meets current and future demand.

    In the first Food Crime Annual Strategic Assessment, the NFCU highlighted the limitations of current intelligence and reporting, and the difficulties in estimating the scale and impact of food crime. The review will therefore take these limitations into account when considering the current and future demands and opportunities, and make reasonable judgements where evidence is incomplete or lacking.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions the Government with the EU on charges for quarry spaces and pest control.

    Rory Stewart

    No discussions have been held with the EU about changes to the protection of quarry and pest control species.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of current progress against the air quality target of 40 microgrammes of NO2 per cubic metre; and whether the Government expects to meet that target.

    Rory Stewart

    We have improved air quality significantly over recent decades and the UK currently meets the EU limit values for almost all pollutants. We have consulted on our draft revised air quality plans for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which set out a range of local, national and international actions to lower levels of harmful emissions and are currently analysing all of the responses received. By the end of the year we will submit the finalised plans to the European Commission outlining how the UK will meet the EU limit values for NO2 including those of 40 micrograms of NO2 per cubic metre in the shortest possible time.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the UN Human Rights Council on the persecution of Christians.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK has a strong record of supporting freedom of religion or belief, including christianity, at the Human Rights Council. We supported the resolution on freedom of religion or belief in both the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly in 2015, and will look to do so again in March 2016. The UK also supported the appointment of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, who is tasked with monitoring and reporting these issues worldwide.

    In addition, we regularly support language in country specific resolutions about the importance of protecting religious minorities, as evidenced in the Syria resolution of September 2015. We also regularly work with EU partners to ensure a strong EU position on freedom of religion or belief at the Human Rights Council.

    When raising persecution faced by one faith group, we endeavour to frame our remarks in the wider context of the rule of law and freedom – making the point that when one faith community is persecuted, the liberty of all is jeopardised.

  • David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) the UK and (b) Bolton have been included in the Bowel Cancer Screening programme for over-60s in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme is a biennial programme, in which eligible men and women are invited every two years to be screened.

    Roll out of the programme began in 2006 and completed in 2010 offering screening from the ages of 60-69. The Programme then extended the screening age up to 74.

    In the last five years, over 19 million men and women have been invited to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.

    Since the Programmes introduction in 2006, over 24,000 cancers have been detected and over 146,000 patients have been managed for polyps, including polyp removal.

    The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme will be publishing further data with regards to local areas at a later date.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve apprenticeship standards among employers.

    Nick Boles

    We have taken significant steps to improve the quality of apprenticeships. Apprenticeships now must have substantial training; last at least 12 months; and lead to full competency in an occupation.

    We are going further by giving employers the opportunity to design high quality apprenticeships across a range of occupations to meet their skills needs. More than 1300 employers are involved with 205 new apprenticeships standards already published and more than 150 are in development.

    The new Institute for Apprenticeships will support improvements in the quality of apprenticeship standards in England. It will be responsible for setting quality criteria for the development of standards and assessment plans, reviewing, approving or rejecting them; and quality assuring some end point assessments.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many verbal and physical assaults on NHS staff have been recorded in the last three years.

    Ben Gummer

    Information on the number of verbal assaults on National Health Service staff is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    NHS Protect collates figures annually on reported physical assaults on NHS staff in England.

    The table below shows the number of reported physical assaults in the last three years:

    Reported physical assaults against NHS staff

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    63,199

    68,683

    67,864

    Detailed tables of information on the number of physical assaults since 2004-05, as reported by each health body, is at:

    http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/3645.aspx

    “

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to local education authorities on setting admission criteria for oversubscribed primary schools.

    Nick Gibb

    School admission authorities are responsible for setting admissions criteria for their schools. The statutory School Admissions Code sets out the requirements which all admission authorities must comply with when setting their admissions criteria. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389388/School_Admissions_Code_2014_-_19_Dec.pdf

    “

  • Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-06-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent of Regency Mining’s operations and connections in South Kordofan.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Regency Mines is a UK-registered company, which has operated agrominerals in Sudan. Following recent contact with the company, we understand that Regency Mines has no operations in South Kordofan, an area affected by conflict. More broadly, the United Kingdom advocates for the whole of the extractives industry to adopt the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, which provide guidance to companies operating in countries affected by conflict.

  • The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial and diplomatic assistance they are providing to the East African Community and the UN to support them in their efforts to reduce existing tensions between the governments of Burundi and Rwanda.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The East African Community (EAC) has a central role to play in resolving the crisis in Burundi and mediating dialogue between Burundi and its neighbours. We strongly support the EAC mediation process, led by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa. We have provided extensive diplomatic support to the process through lobbying of regional leaders and attendance by our Special Envoy to the Great Lakes at meetings of the dialogue in May and July in Arusha, Tanzania.

    Through our UN Security Council Membership we have worked with partners to ensure that EAC efforts are fully coordinated with, and supported by, the United Nations. In January 2016 our Ambassador to the United Nations participated in a Security Council visit to Burundi. In July the Security Council passed Resolution 2303 which welcomed the EAC’s efforts so far and called for all parties in the region to participate fully with the process.