Category: Speeches

  • Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their intention that, in the event of the UK ceasing to be a member of the EU, citizens of the Republic of Ireland who live in the UK would cease to qualify to register as electors in the UK.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Prime Minister believes Britain’s best future lies within a reformed European Union. He is focused on addressing the concerns of the British people and is confident that the right agreement can be reached.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that adequate clean water is provided in refugee camps near the Syrian border.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US.

    In 2015/16 DFID is working with 18 humanitarian partners in countries neighbouring Syria. Our funding has provided access to clean water for over 980,000 people in these countries since the start of the crisis.

    In Jordan, DFID provides funding to UNICEF’s water supply work in refugee camps. In Zaatari Camp this involves the construction of boreholes in order to reduce daily running costs of trucking water into the camp. In December, for the first time since it opened, no external water trucking is needed for Zaatari camp. In Azraq Camp DFID contributes to the construction of boreholes, water distribution network and sanitation infrastructure.

    The vast majority of Syrian refugees live amongst host communities. The government’s response is therefore focused on refugees within these communities, not solely those in formal and informal camps. As a result, we are also funding Lebanese and Jordanian municipalities for the running of essential public services, including water and sanitation.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many homes she estimates will benefit from Flood Re in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Pendle.

    Rory Stewart

    Flood Re is on target to start operating on 4 April. The Scheme will help owners of property at high risk of flooding by ensuring that, for the first time, they can access affordable flood insurance regardless of where they live.

    We expect Flood Re to cover up to 350,000 properties across the country and insurers are free to decide which properties to pass to Flood Re. The number of properties passed to Flood Re in particular areas will become evident once the scheme is in operation. There is no limit to the number of properties that can be ceded to Flood Re.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many contracts the Home Office holds with Motorola Solutions.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office holds three contracts with Motorola Solutions. These are:

    (a) The Public Safety Radio Communications Service (PSRCS) Framework Arrangement for the provision of the Airwave service to the police services of Eng-land, Scotland and Wales.

    (b) Contract ST03 10/641/9 for the provision of telecommunications services to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

    (c) Emergency Services Network (ESN) — Lot 2 User Services; one of the contracts that will replace the current Airwave contract.

    The cost to the public purse of the Home Office contract with Airwave in Financial Year 2015-16 is forecast to be £283 million comprising £230 million paid centrally by the Home Office and £53 million paid locally by police forces to Airwave. By way of comparison, under the newly procured Emergency Services Network, the policing share of costs is expected to be less than half of the current Airwave costs.

    Airwave Solutions Ltd provides mobile telecommunications services for emer-gency services. The Home Office Airwave contracts only relate to police forces, and immigration and nationality functions within the Home Office. The Home Office is not party to the contracts which many other organisations in the public sector have entered into with Airwave.

    The acquisition of Airwave by Motorola Solutions means all three Emergency Services contracts now end on 31st December 2019. This provides continuity of service for the transition to the Emergency Services Network.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much compensation has been paid to (a) all energy intensive industries, (b) the steel industry and (c) the aluminium industry under the energy intensive compensation scheme since 25 November 2015.

    Anna Soubry

    Across all compensation schemes (EU ETS, CPS, RO & FiT) to date, we have paid out over £189m in compensation.

    Of this, the steel sector has been paid over £80m.

    Since 25 Nov 2015, the aluminium sector has been paid over £464,000.

    Additionally, we are processing 2016 EU ETS/CPS claims, as well as RO/FIT compensation applications, so the amounts will increase significantly in coming months.

  • The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the group led by Tom Rigby can expect a response to their question about the advice that was received by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from the Health and Safety Executive and the National Poisons Unit immediately prior to the end of compulsory dipping following the Revocation Order of 4 June 1992.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Defra officials have been investigating this issue since the meeting with the Sheep Dip Sufferers Group in November and sent information to Tom Rigby on 26 May.

    The information follows up the actions from the meeting and includes news releases from MAFF and the Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) from 1992 and 1993. These explain why the decision was taken to end compulsory dipping, and the conclusions of the VPC reviews of organophosphate sheep dips at the time.

    A note of agreed actions from the meeting was also provided.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, what plans they have to make up any shortfall in funding for scientific and medical research.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government intends to maintain and enhance the strength of our research and innovation base This is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament.

    While the UK remains a member of the EU, current EU funding arrangements continue unchanged, including those that apply to students, researchers, and businesses. We remain fully open to scientists and researchers from across the EU. We hugely value the contribution of EU and international staff and there are no immediate changes to their rights to live and work in the UK.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff of his Department work on (a) the Yemen Desk and directly on Yemen and (b) all matters which directly or indirectly relate to Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    It is not possible to identify a precise figure for full time equivalent staff working on Yemen directly and indirectly because a range of staff are involved across various Foreign and Commonwealth Office departments and the proportion of their time devoted varies depending on need. That said, the UK remains committed to de-escalating the conflict by encouraging all parties to participate in negotiations to find a peaceful solution, as well as working with other government departments to address Yemen’s urgent humanitarian and economic needs and reduce the terrorist threat emanating from Yemen.

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on the likelihood of people’s reemployment of their prior length of absence from work; and what steps the Government is taking to address that matter.

    Priti Patel

    It is not possible to quantify the exact effect of benefit duration on the likelihood of re-employment as information on the destinations of people leaving benefits is not recorded for all claimants.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government to which countries unsuccessful asylum seekers were deported in each year between 2010 and 2014, and in each of those years, how many unsuccessful asylum seekers were deported to each of those countries.

    Lord Bates

    The data on removals and voluntary departures by type and destination are available in the latest Home Office release, Immigration Statistics: July to September 2015, in table rv.06. This publication is available from GOV.UK on the statistics web pages at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.

    Deportations are a specific subset of removals which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The deportation order prohibits the person returning to the UK until such time as it may be revoked. It is not possible to separately identify deportations from enforced removals. It is not possible within these figures to say at what stage in the asylum process individuals have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point.

    The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK and on persons refused entry to the United Kingdom within Immigration Statistics.