Category: Speeches

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with NATO on monitoring Russian manoeuvres along its borders with NATO member states.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    NATO constantly monitors and assesses the threats it faces across its borders. The Readiness Action Plan, comprising assurance and adaptation measures, is designed to strengthen NATO’s collective defence posture and crisis management capability and help deter Russia from hostile activity. The UK has recently renewed its call for intelligence to be shared amongst NATO members to deliver situational awareness. We are also encouraging NATO to enhance its capability for monitoring, assessing the effects of, and responding to threatening behaviour. NATO is focussing on being ‘adaptable by design’ so the Alliance is ready to face any new and emerging threats from wherever they come.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting the deployment of ultra-super critical coal fired power stations similar to those planned by China and Germany; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    I have made no such assessment. Any new coal plant must demonstrate carbon capture and storage on at least 300 MW of its proposed generating capacity and comply with the Emissions Performance Standard.

    Coal fired power stations without abatement are not consistent with meeting our decarbonisation objectives. This is why the Government has committed to consulting on phasing out unabated coal by 2025 and to restricting the amount of coal generation in 2023.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to prevent reductions in bonuses, shifts and bank holiday pay for employees before the implementation of the national living wage.

    Nick Boles

    The National Living Wage represents a significant step up for the lowest paid in society. On current forecasts, a full-time minimum wage worker will earn almost £4,200 more per year by 2020 compared to the current minimum wage. It is for individual businesses to decide exactly how to respond to the introduction of the National Living Wage, appropriate to their circumstances. But any changes to contractual pay should be discussed and agreed with workers in advance.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that the liquidity ladder is not used to advantage counterparties of Euronext to the disadvantage of those of LCH Clearnet.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    I refer the noble Lord to my written answers of 26 April (HL7583, HL7584, HL7585, and HL7586)

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the Lutathera drug was removed from the list of drugs available under the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    George Freeman

    Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (including Luththera) for the treatment of gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours was removed from the Cancer Drugs Fund in November 2015 on the grounds that it represented insufficient value for retention within the Fund.

    NHS England’s full decision summary is available at:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/cancer/cdf/cdf-drug-sum/

    “

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many food inspectors the Food Standards Agency (a) employed in each of the last five years and (b) plans to employ in (i) 2016-17, (ii) 2017-18, (iii) 2018-19 and (iv) 2019-20.

    George Eustice

    The Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom and does not employ food inspectors. Trading Standards and Environmental Health Officers are employed by local authorities. The Food Standards Agency is responsible for meat inspection duties in approved meat premises in England, Scotland and Wales and currently employs 439 Meat Hygiene Inspectors for the purposes of official control inspection activities. Further detail regarding the number of inspectors employed is a matter for the FSA.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who was principally responsible for the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster between November 2005 and May 2006.

    Sir Patrick McLoughlin

    Between November 2005 and May 2006 the role of the Chancellor was vacant. During that period the Duchy was administered by the Chief Executive and Clerk of the Council, along with the Duchy Council.

    Since I have taken up the role, I have been carrying out a number of duties related to the Duchy, including meetings with Duchy staff, a visit to a Duchy property and various appointments and responsibilities associated with the office.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) guidance she provides and (b) information her Department holds on the admissions arrangements for the Sevenoaks Annexe of Weald of Kent Grammar School, recently approved by her Department.

    Edward Timpson

    Departmental advice for academies wishing to make a change to their existing arrangements is available on GOV.UK.

    The new annexe will serve the same age range as the existing site of Weald of Kent Grammar School, which is 11-19. The admission arrangements apply across the whole school. It is the responsibility of the academy trust as the admission authority to ensure that admission arrangements are compliant with The School Admissions Code.

    The newly expanded school will better meet the needs of school-age people in the community that it serves, with over 41% of students at the existing site already travelling from the Sevenoaks area.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the decision was taken to lay the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2015 on 2 November, and which Ministers were involved in taking the decision.

    Lord Dunlop

    Northern Ireland Office Ministers took the decision to lay the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2015 on 30 October 2015, following discussions with Ministerial colleagues at the Cabinet Office. Northern Ireland Office officials began work on the Order in May 2015, although work was delayed by the department’s focus on the Northern Ireland Talks process. The Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland was advised of the impact of the proposed changes relating to procedural error by letter on 31 July 2015. The Chief Electoral Officer expressed support for the proposed content of the Order in meetings in June 2015. The Electoral Commission was consulted on the Order on 1 October 2015. As the Explanatory Memorandum to the Order sets out, there are significant differences in the systems operating in Northern Ireland and Great Britain and a one size fits all approach is not justified.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 19711, what the number of such claimants was in (a) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

    Priti Patel

    a) DWP does not hold data on the number of ESOL learning aims started by claimants in the 2010/11 academic year.

    b) The 2011/12 statistics can be found in Table 4 of the joint DWP-BIS ‘Further Education for Benefit Claimants: June 2013’ official statistics publication – see https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-for-benefit-claimants-june-2013.

    c) The 2012/13 statistics can be found in Table 4 of the joint DWP-BIS ‘Further Education for Benefit Claimants 2012 to 2013’ official statistics publication – see https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-for-benefit-claimants-2012-to-2013.

    “