Category: Speeches

  • Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has plans to work with the Mayor of London to create a chief digital officer to oversee and champion the Capital’s broadband needs.

    Matt Hancock

    We work closely with all devolved authorities on their Broadband needs. The appointment of a chief digital officer for London is a matter for the new Mayor of London.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of Pension Wise to meet the volume of over the telephone and face-to-face appointment requests it receives; and what plans he has to increase Pension Wise’s capacity after the introduction of the proposed secondary market for annuities.

    Richard Harrington

    Pension Wise regularly reviews capacity within the service with its delivery partners to ensure it has the right number of guidance specialists in the right places. Since launch there have been over 82,000 Pension Wise appointments and customer satisfaction has been consistently high.

    The service is confident that it will be able to meet the demand of those seeking guidance on selling their annuity on the secondary market.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    Mr David Lidington

    Details of all EU-derived legislation on the statute book in the UK at the present time can be found on legislation.gov.uk. Information on EU legislation in 2016/2017 is not available. Information on the cost of regulations is not available and to collate would incur disproportionate costs.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18875, in which prisons each of those mobile telephones and sim cards were detected in each of those years; and what the number of such detections was per prisoner in each of those years.

    Andrew Selous

    Mobile phones have no place in our prisons and we have invested in technology to prevent their use. But more needs to be done, and we will look at new ways of finding and blocking them. It is a criminal offence to possess a mobile phone or component part in a prison.

    The Chancellor announced in the spending review that we will invest in more safety improvements to stamp out the organisation of crime from within prisons, including funding for tackling illicit mobile phones and investing in body scanners.

    The table below provides the number of ‘‘finds’ of mobile phones and/or SIM cards reported by each prison between April 2010, when recording started, and December 2014. One ‘find’ may constitute a handset containing one SIM card or media card, a handset only, or a SIM card only.

    Table: Number of mobile phone and SIM card finds broken down by prison.

    ESTABLISHMENT

    2010*

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2010*-2014 total

    ACKLINGTON

    63

    28

    –

    –

    –

    91

    ALBANY

    0

    3

    4

    0

    –

    7

    ALTCOURSE (C)

    790

    609

    534

    290

    689

    2912

    ASHFIELD(C)

    1

    2

    2

    0

    0

    5

    ASHWELL

    2

    7

    –

    –

    –

    9

    ASKHAM GRANGE

    0

    0

    2

    1

    0

    3

    AYLESBURY

    278

    97

    29

    176

    130

    710

    BEDFORD

    27

    55

    29

    53

    28

    192

    BELMARSH

    15

    25

    9

    126

    180

    355

    BIRMINGHAM (C)

    248

    537

    302

    133

    140

    1360

    BLANTYRE HOUSE

    19

    12

    4

    3

    14

    52

    BLUNDESTON

    27

    1

    11

    6

    –

    45

    BRINSFORD

    12

    76

    45

    182

    200

    515

    BRISTOL

    54

    33

    26

    32

    37

    182

    BRIXTON

    46

    67

    28

    23

    41

    205

    BRONZEFIELD(C)

    34

    12

    3

    13

    18

    80

    BUCKLEY HALL

    11

    22

    149

    111

    197

    490

    BULLINGDON

    42

    16

    6

    23

    51

    138

    BULLWOOD HALL

    1

    8

    15

    1

    –

    25

    BURE

    5

    1

    0

    1

    0

    7

    CAMP HILL

    98

    52

    22

    1

    –

    173

    CANTERBURY

    22

    10

    21

    7

    –

    60

    CARDIFF

    19

    36

    7

    9

    14

    85

    CASTINGTON

    10

    11

    –

    –

    –

    21

    CHANNINGS WOOD

    64

    63

    15

    39

    34

    215

    CHELMSFORD

    42

    38

    11

    4

    4

    99

    COLDINGLEY

    37

    52

    42

    106

    34

    271

    COOKHAM WOOD

    6

    1

    1

    1

    0

    9

    DARTMOOR

    27

    16

    2

    11

    42

    98

    DEERBOLT

    3

    15

    2

    4

    25

    49

    DONCASTER(C)

    15

    6

    24

    182

    419

    646

    DORCHESTER

    20

    14

    8

    5

    1

    48

    DOVEGATE (C)

    5

    24

    15

    30

    51

    125

    DOVER

    14

    21

    10

    5

    2

    52

    DOWNVIEW

    5

    5

    2

    1

    0

    13

    DRAKE HALL

    10

    2

    3

    0

    4

    19

    DURHAM

    24

    41

    23

    20

    0

    108

    EAST SUTTON PARK

    1

    5

    4

    6

    1

    17

    EASTWOOD PARK

    3

    9

    1

    6

    9

    28

    EDMUNDS HILL

    25

    22

    –

    –

    –

    47

    ELMLEY

    45

    47

    53

    103

    308

    556

    ERLESTOKE

    62

    176

    137

    98

    83

    556

    EVERTHORPE

    50

    32

    26

    45

    19

    172

    EXETER

    14

    21

    15

    16

    7

    73

    FEATHERSTONE

    39

    29

    133

    42

    128

    371

    FELTHAM

    84

    65

    45

    22

    27

    243

    FORD

    61

    250

    200

    202

    270

    983

    FOREST BANK (C)

    122

    37

    105

    165

    258

    687

    FOSTON HALL

    0

    1

    2

    6

    2

    11

    FRANKLAND

    6

    2

    7

    0

    5

    20

    FULL SUTTON

    10

    4

    9

    2

    10

    35

    GARTH

    76

    32

    39

    33

    36

    216

    GARTREE

    14

    22

    65

    57

    20

    178

    GLEN PARVA

    2

    4

    8

    3

    4

    21

    GLOUCESTER

    1

    4

    3

    0

    –

    8

    GRENDON

    17

    10

    3

    0

    1

    31

    GUYS MARSH

    77

    182

    175

    54

    75

    563

    HASLAR

    0

    0

    2

    0

    0

    2

    HATFIELD

    10

    58

    154

    96

    104

    422

    HAVERIGG

    107

    134

    291

    172

    95

    799

    HEWELL

    76

    289

    335

    166

    366

    1232

    HIGHDOWN

    23

    68

    49

    61

    164

    365

    HIGHPOINT

    80

    55

    180

    203

    214

    732

    HINDLEY

    1

    4

    6

    1

    9

    21

    HOLLESLEY BAY

    193

    129

    90

    120

    59

    591

    HOLLOWAY

    7

    7

    10

    5

    8

    37

    HOLME HOUSE

    18

    15

    5

    9

    105

    152

    HULL

    23

    25

    13

    2

    2

    65

    HUNTERCOMBE

    2

    36

    9

    26

    34

    107

    ISIS

    8

    52

    39

    18

    4

    121

    ISLE OF WIGHT

    –

    –

    –

    0

    4

    4

    KENNET

    4

    5

    9

    8

    35

    61

    KINGSTON

    6

    0

    0

    0

    –

    6

    KIRKHAM

    273

    390

    493

    488

    526

    2170

    KIRKLEVINGTON GRANGE

    13

    15

    19

    9

    19

    75

    LANCASTER CASTLE

    18

    –

    –

    –

    –

    18

    LANCASTER FARMS

    89

    79

    25

    117

    92

    402

    LATCHMERE HOUSE

    69

    40

    –

    –

    –

    109

    LEEDS

    53

    59

    27

    8

    7

    154

    LEICESTER

    27

    26

    15

    9

    24

    101

    LEWES

    38

    46

    30

    51

    140

    305

    LEYHILL

    83

    27

    30

    49

    42

    231

    LINCOLN

    28

    33

    4

    1

    3

    69

    LINDHOLME

    164

    96

    145

    63

    70

    538

    LITTLEHEY

    13

    34

    4

    2

    7

    60

    LIVERPOOL

    138

    118

    88

    65

    15

    424

    LONG LARTIN

    12

    31

    77

    28

    34

    182

    LOW NEWTON

    0

    3

    0

    0

    1

    4

    LOWDHAM GRANGE (C)

    27

    10

    26

    24

    2

    89

    MAIDSTONE

    6

    34

    22

    26

    38

    126

    MANCHESTER

    41

    36

    23

    12

    8

    120

    MOORLAND

    111

    65

    13

    20

    52

    261

    MOORLAND OPEN

    10

    –

    –

    –

    –

    10

    MORTON HALL

    0

    4

    5

    2

    5

    16

    MOUNT

    86

    78

    182

    220

    111

    677

    NEW HALL

    2

    0

    1

    1

    0

    4

    NORTH SEA CAMP

    86

    63

    67

    61

    48

    325

    NORTHALLERTON

    0

    7

    3

    11

    –

    21

    NORTHUMBERLAND (C)

    –

    15

    109

    130

    170

    424

    NORWICH

    30

    15

    11

    18

    66

    140

    NOTTINGHAM

    11

    38

    17

    16

    136

    218

    OAKWOOD (C)

    0

    0

    33

    194

    181

    408

    ONLEY

    53

    68

    65

    85

    197

    468

    PARC (C)

    32

    79

    16

    16

    30

    173

    PARKHURST

    6

    8

    20

    16

    –

    50

    PENTONVILLE

    207

    199

    124

    149

    282

    961

    PETERBOROUGH (C)

    141

    145

    60

    44

    51

    441

    PORTLAND

    24

    6

    11

    10

    0

    51

    PRESCOED

    0

    2

    4

    4

    9

    19

    PRESTON

    18

    15

    9

    12

    98

    152

    RANBY

    90

    124

    300

    229

    261

    1004

    READING

    12

    25

    7

    5

    –

    49

    RISLEY

    72

    12

    37

    84

    30

    235

    ROCHESTER

    6

    10

    23

    60

    145

    244

    RYE HILL (C)

    42

    79

    70

    113

    71

    375

    SEND

    3

    12

    11

    13

    8

    47

    SHEPTON MALLET

    3

    7

    4

    1

    –

    15

    SHREWSBURY

    3

    0

    0

    0

    –

    3

    SPRING HILL

    12

    13

    34

    117

    104

    280

    STAFFORD

    12

    69

    14

    70

    7

    172

    STANDFORD HILL

    150

    186

    127

    270

    159

    892

    STOCKEN

    26

    12

    30

    11

    38

    117

    STOKE HEATH

    8

    28

    19

    44

    100

    199

    STYAL

    7

    7

    9

    13

    10

    46

    SUDBURY

    72

    120

    124

    134

    102

    552

    SWALESIDE

    100

    58

    107

    103

    241

    609

    SWANSEA

    2

    0

    1

    61

    2

    66

    SWINFEN HALL

    32

    44

    14

    10

    18

    118

    THAMESIDE (C)

    0

    0

    8

    98

    33

    139

    THORN CROSS

    74

    79

    84

    109

    141

    487

    USK

    2

    1

    1

    1

    3

    8

    VERNE

    67

    144

    161

    50

    3

    425

    WAKEFIELD

    1

    2

    3

    4

    4

    14

    WANDSWORTH

    157

    131

    119

    119

    163

    689

    WARREN HILL

    5

    10

    5

    0

    1

    21

    WAYLAND

    20

    30

    17

    15

    34

    116

    WEALSTUN

    57

    145

    155

    120

    330

    807

    WELLINGBOROUGH

    61

    195

    181

    1

    –

    438

    WERRINGTON

    12

    4

    9

    6

    7

    38

    WETHERBY

    5

    3

    5

    1

    2

    16

    WHATTON

    9

    1

    0

    3

    5

    18

    WHITEMOOR

    18

    28

    17

    9

    1

    73

    WINCHESTER

    39

    3

    31

    21

    9

    103

    WOLDS

    104

    96

    44

    23

    54

    321

    WOODHILL

    4

    58

    74

    64

    74

    274

    WORMWOOD SCRUBS

    141

    267

    39

    128

    248

    823

    WYMOTT

    58

    50

    11

    34

    52

    205

    Subtotal

    6758

    7786

    7301

    7451

    9745

    *April to December only.

    (C) denotes a privately operated prison

    Note: The following prisons closed during the reporting period:

    HMP Ashwell – April 2011

    HMP Lancaster Castle – March 2011

    HMP Latchmere House – April 2012

    HMP Wellingborough – December 2012

    HMP Bullwood Hall – March 2013

    HMP Canterbury – March 2013

    HMP Gloucester – March 2013

    HMP Kingston – March 2013

    HMP Shepton Mallet – March 2013

    HMP Dorchester – January 2014

    HMP Shrewsbury – March 2013

    HMP Camp Hill – March 2013

    HMP Blundeston – January 2014

    HMP Northallerton – January 2014

    HMP Reading – January 2014

    HMYOI Moorland Open was renamed HMYOI Hatfield in the autumn of 2010

    HMPs Acklington and Castington became HMP Northumberland in October 2011

    HMP Edmunds Hill merged into HMP Highpoint in July 2012

    HMPs Albany and Parkhurst became HMP Isle of Wight in February 2013

    All figures in this answer have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time.Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

    We do not collect data on the number of detections of mobile phones and SIM cards in a way that would enable us to provide a meaningful rate of detection per prisoner.

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department plans to include an undertaking to retain the staff of the Green Investment Bank as a condition when privatising that body.

    Anna Soubry

    It is the Department’s intention to sell the Green Investment Bank (GIB) as a going concern along with its business and staff. The GIB’s commercial value lies in its unique green specialism, including its green specialist staff. Any investor spending large sums investing in this bank will be investing precisely in this green specialism and staff.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum claimants whose asylum claim has been refused, but who cannot be legally deported because their destination country is deemed unsafe (a) in each of the last five years and (b) in the most recent period for which figures are available.

    James Brokenshire

    We do not routinely collect such statistics. Each asylum case is considered on its individual merits. Where it is accepted that an individual would face persecution in their country of origin or it would be otherwise unsafe for them to return, some form of protection would normally be granted in the UK. If protection is not granted, then whether or not removal can be enforced, we expect failed asylum seekers to return home. The Home Office closely monitors developments in all countries of return and will take decisions on a case-by-case basis in the light of international obligations and the latest available country information. Generally, there are no countries to which, as a matter of immigration policy, we cannot remove. However there may be some countries where at any one time it is difficult practically to undertake enforced removals.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many referrals were received by the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit in each of the last five years; how many of those referrals were investigated by that unit in full; how many of those investigations led to a recommendation being made for web content to be removed; and on how many occasions web content was removed following such a recommendation.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) receive referrals from a number of sources including the public and law enforcement partners. The unit also self-generates referrals.

    All referrals are assessed by CTIRU against UK terrorism legislation (Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006). Those that breach this legislation are referred to industry for removal. If industry agrees that it breaches their terms and conditions, they remove it voluntarily.

    Referrals made to industry by CTIRU have led to over 150,000 pieces of terrorist-related material being removed to date from various online platforms. Overall, removals at the request of CTIRU have increased from around 60 items a month in 2010, when CTIRU was first established, to over 4000 a month in 2015.

    For reasons of national security we do not publically disclose the detailed allocation of funding for counter terrorism by capability.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army Reserve personnel, excluding members of University Officer Training Corps, have served for a period of over one year.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The total number of Army Reserve personnel that have served at least one year, excluding members of University Officer Training Corps, is currently 22,480.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many gambling licenses were issued for premises in (a) Calderdale and (b) West Yorkshire in each year between 2005 and 2016.

    David Evennett

    The requested information is not held centrally. Local authorities are responsible for the issuing of gambling premises licences in accordance with the Licensing Objectives and their own Statement of Licensing Policy. Local Authority license registers listing the number of licences in each borough are available to access by the public. More information from Calderdale Council can be found at http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/business/licences/gambling-act/index.html

  • Rachael Maskell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Rachael Maskell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachael Maskell on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will extend the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator to include primary producers’ relationships with their suppliers.

    Margot James

    We will shortly be commencing a review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator and as part of that we will take account of the recent calls for its remit to be extended.