Category: Speeches

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Bahrain on the imprisonment of Zainab Al Khawaja; and whether he plans to make representations to press for Zainab Al Khawaja’s release.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have raised Zainab Al Khawaja’s case with the Government of Bahrain at the highest levels. The UK encourages Bahrain to respect the rights of all peaceful opposition figures. We call on the Bahraini government to act proportionately in all such cases to protect the universal rights of freedom of expression and assembly. I most recently raised human rights with the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa , on 8 March.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish any relevant correspondence between the Department for Education and Brighton and Hove City Council following its January 2016 inquiry into the gender identity rather than the physical sex of secondary school children.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Department for Education provides guidance on the Equality Act 2010 to schools which contains advice on the Public Sector Equality Duty and on the protected characteristic of gender reassignment.

    The Department has not inquired into the gender identity of children in January 2016 and has no correspondence on the matter.

    The addition of gender identity information on the pupil registration form was solely a decision of the Brighton and Hove City Council. They have the independence to make this decision.

    The Department does not hold details of any additional information collected by local authorities outside of those required by the Department for our centrally specified, mandatory data collections.

    The Department is not aware of any referral on this issue to the Police.

  • Amanda Milling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Amanda Milling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Milling on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to promote joint working between police forces and fire services to improve the service they provide to the public.

    Mrs Theresa May

    I, and the Minister for Policing, Fire and Criminal Justice and Victims, hold regular bilateral meetings with the Mayor of London, and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. These meetings cover a range of issues that are salient at the time of the meeting.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to set new climate targets as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Government remains committed to meeting its commitments under its existing domestic climate framework, the Climate Change Act (CCA). Climate change remains one of the most serious long-term risks to our economic and national security.

    Under the CCA, the Government has now set the fifth carbon budget (2028-2032) at an equivalent 57% reduction on a 1990 baseline. This is in line with the recommendations of our independent Committee on Climate Change. The referendum does not affect this domestic decision, or our commitment to meet our emission targets cost effectively.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths from volatile substance abuse were recorded in each region of England and Wales for each (a) substance, (b) age and (c) gender in 2015.

    Chris Skidmore

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2015 to Question 13632, on what dates in August 2015 he met (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other ministers in HM Treasury to discuss the potential effects in Scotland of a carbon price support exemption scheme.

    David Mundell

    As indicated in my previous answers on this issue, I have had a number of meetings and discussions this year, both formal and informal, on the important issue of opencast restoration and in particular the proposal for a carbon price support exemption. These have included discussions with colleagues from HM Treasury, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Scottish Government and Local Authorities.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the household income of a family in receipt of tax credits with (a) three, (b) four and (c) five children of the Government’s proposals to limit claims for tax credit and universal credit to two children as announced in the Summer Budget 2015 and the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Damian Hinds

    At Summer Budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that families will no longer be able to claim additional support through Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit for third or subsequent children in a family where the child is born after April 2017. In addition families making a completely new claim to Universal Credit after April 2017 will no longer be entitled to support for their third or subsequent children.

    A family currently claiming Child Tax Credit with three or more children will see no change to their household income because of this change. This policy will only affect families claiming Child Tax Credit where they have a third or subsequent child on or after 6 April 2017.

  • Stephen Kinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Kinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what risk assessment has been made of the proposed centre for destitute asylum seekers in Goytre.

    James Brokenshire

    The premises in Goytre is one of a number of sites throughout the UK that the Home Office, along with its providers, has initially identified as potentially suitable for providing temporary reception facilities for asylum seekers. Initial assessments undertaken by the provider suggest that Goytre could meet the appropriate requirements laid out in Schedule 2 of the COMPASS contract. If the provider elects to progress this option, further appropriate assessments will be completed prior to any commercial agreements and utilisation of the site.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the future of National Savings and Investments.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The core purpose of NS&I remains to raise cost-effective finance for the Government, using an operating framework that balances the interests of savers, taxpayers and the wider financial sector.

    An indication of NS&I’s cost effectiveness in raising finance for the Government, as measured by the Value Indicator, is published annually. The Value Indicator is calculated by comparing the total cost of delivering Net Financing and servicing existing customers deposits with how much it would cost the Government to raise funds through the wholesale market via equivalent maturity gilts. Last year £330m was saved.

    As an arms-length body, NS&I is responsible for its own brand strategy. In line with government Spend Controls, Cabinet Office approval is required for advertising, marketing and communications spend of £100,000 or above.

    NS&I relocated its operations within Glasgow from the Cowglen site to the Capella building in the centre of Glasgow in May 2015. The closure of Cowglen facilitated the move to more modern and cost effective accommodation and released the surplus site for redevelopment for housing, together with a capital receipt for the Exchequer. NS&I’s mail processing and scanning operations previously located at Cowglen, moved to Orbital House in East Kilbride in October 2015. NS&I remains committed to its operations in Scotland.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the agreement reached at the February European Council is not amended by the European Parliament after the date of the EU referendum.

    Mr David Lidington

    The central element of the agreement is an International Law Decision agreed by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the EU and is a binding international treaty. The European Commission has committed to bring forward new legislation where it is needed to implement the UK’s new settlement. These European Commission proposals will be subject to the normal legislative procedures set out in the Treaties. The President and representatives of the major political groups in the European Parliament were consulted on the UK’s new settlement and both Ministers and officials plan furhter contact with MEPs.