Category: Speeches

  • Michelle Thomson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Michelle Thomson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Thomson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much revenue her Department has raised from each category of visa in each of the last three years.

    James Brokenshire

    We do not record income broken down for each category of visa.

    However, the Home Office publishes the amount of income raised through fees charged for visa applications within the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts for the three previous years, copies of which are available in the Vote Office.

    Statistical information relating to volumes within each visa category are published on the Gov.uk website, and are available at the following link. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2015/list-of-tables

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of people, including children, who continue to suffer the consequences of predictable and preventable disasters globally, and what assessment they have made of the case for Disaster Risk Reduction being included in all development assistance programmes in high-risk countries.

    Baroness Verma

    DFID uses the global assessment undertaken by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology for Disasters (CRED). CRED estimates that in 2014 107.3 million people were affected by disasters caused by natural hazards such as drought, earthquakes and floods. A DFID funded report recognises that, although there is limited available data, women and children are disproportionately affected by disasters.

    In 2012 DFID undertook a study which highlighted the case to invest in measures to build resilience to natural hazards, including Disaster Risk Reduction. The study proved that investing in disaster resilience in advance of shocks or in the early stages of a crisis saves lives and is more cost-effective than humanitarian aid provided after a disaster strikes. It found that, for instance, in Kenya, over a 20 year period, every $1 spent on disaster resilience resulted in $2.90 saved in the form of reduced humanitarian aid, avoided losses and development gains. Since 2011 DFID has undertaken a process to embed disaster resilience in all our country programmes, resulting in the inclusion of disaster risk reduction when appropriate. The Political Champions for Resilience Group has ensured building resilience has been institutionalised in donors, aid agencies and national governments. Strengthening resilience and response to crises is one of the four priorities of the 2015 UK Aid Strategy, Tackling Global Challenges in the National Interest.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions his Department has been notified by external consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials.

    Mark Lancaster

    In the calendar year 2014 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) was notified of 142 breaches involving document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials by external consultants or other third parties respectively.

    In the calendar year 2015 the MOD was notified of 144 breaches involving document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials by external consultants or other third parties.

    The MOD treats the security of its information very seriously and requires all breaches – however minor – to be reported. All such incidents are subjected to an initial security risk assessment, with further action taken on a proportionate basis.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential benefits for bus passengers of municipal ownership of bus companies.

    Andrew Jones

    There are a few towns and cities that have municipal bus operators, however no analysis has been undertaken by the Department for Transport to understand the potential benefits of those models for passengers.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what factors led to the change of plans about keeping a warship building capability in Portsmouth as discussed prior to the last General Election.

    Earl Howe

    Following a review of its business needs, Magma Structures, the company considering commercial use of shiphall A in HM Naval Base Portsmouth, has decided it does not want to proceed with a lease. It has confirmed its intention to lease office space within the naval base in order to develop a centre of excellence for composite materials on site and to develop a broad range of composite projects within the defence and other sectors.

    Instead, the shiphall will be used by the Royal Navy (supported by BAE Systems (BAES) as part of contracts that are already in place) for maintenance works that support wider frigate and destroyer maintenance programmes on the base. It provides the ideal under cover facility to support the BAES/RN Centre of Excellence by providing a weather-protected maintenance area immediately adjacent to the operational repair facilities.

    Shiphall B will be used to create a centre of excellence for minehunter maintenance. Royal Navy minehunter HMS Brocklesby moved into the hall for a year-long comprehensive maintenance programme on 9 March, marking the return of engineering to the site which has been vacant since BAES relocated its shipbuilding activities to Scotland in 2014. The upgraded facilities will provide the opportunity for vessels to be maintained on the site under cover, which allows the work to be completed more efficiently and will result in ships being returned to the operational fleet more quickly.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage homeless people to be screened for tuberculosis.

    Jane Ellison

    The Collaborative Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy for England 2015-2020 was launched in January 2015[1]. It lays out 10 key ‘areas for actions’ which include improving TB awareness raising, TB case finding (screening) and treatment for under-served populations such as the homeless; which are being delivered across England by seven TB Control Boards supported by a national TB team.

    These actions are underpinned by collaborative working between third sector organisations, local authorities, Public Health England and the National Health Service. The work focuses on targeted awareness-raising of symptoms and curability of TB; the range of local health and care services; and eligibility for free treatment. Specific and targeted outreach interventions for under-served populations (informed by proven models such as ‘Find and Treat’ in London) include specific services for active case finding for pulmonary TB among homeless people, use of mobile X-ray units (MXUs) with incentives for people to have chest X-rays, enhanced case management and return to service interventions to prevent loss to follow up.

    [1]Public Health England. Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for England 2015 to 2020 [Internet]. 2015. Available from:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collaborative-tuberculosis-strategy-for-england

    “

  • MiDavies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    MiDavies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to take steps to increase diagnosis rates of familial hypercholesterolemia.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) are working to raise the profile of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and break down the barriers to genetic testing.

    NHS England’s national clinical director (NCD) for heart disease chairs an FH steering group which comprises representatives from relevant stakeholder organisations. This group, with funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), has established FH specialist nurses in many areas of England, aimed at increasing FH cascade testing so that more affected families can be identified. The NCD has worked closely with BHF in their appointment of the FH Nurses, and with the other major charity in this field – HEART-UK. Software to support cascade testing and provide a database for FH is available and will be increasingly used in England as FH services are established.

    NHS England has also identified FH as a possible condition that it could focus on as part of the work looking into personalised medicine and how the National Health Service might make better use of increased genetic testing.

    Furthermore, the Healthcare Public Health Team at PHE is working in collaboration with national and local partners and experts in the field through an FH Steering Group chaired by the National Clinical Director for Cardiology, and led by the BHF, to develop a systems approach to the detection and management of FH.

  • Gary Streeter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gary Streeter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the conclusions of his Department’s consultation on proposed changes to National Planning Policy will be published before the summer recess.

    Gavin Barwell

    We are carefully considering the 1,100 responses to the consultation, and expect to publish the response to the consultation and to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee report in the Autumn.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of secondary modern schools is rated by Ofsted as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) inadequate.

    Nick Gibb

    These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to the Hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House libraries.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the set of proposals sent to his Department during the summer from local authorities, industry bodies and others about a long term alternative to Operation Stack.

    Andrew Jones

    I am very grateful to the local authorities, industry bodies and other members of the European Gateway Strategic Delivery Group for their hard work developing the proposals which they put forward this summer. This has informed subsequent work my Department and Highways England have been doing, working closely with stakeholders, to consider in further detail options for a long term alternative to Operation Stack. This work is progressing and we will continue to take on board stakeholders’ views to broaden our engagement and fully understand their views.