Category: Speeches

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of NHS psychological therapists are Improving Access to Psychological Therapies practitioners.

    Alistair Burt

    There were 756 training places commissioned for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (Adult IAPT) programme in 2014/15. The commissioning intention for 2015/16 is 946.

    Information is not available of what proportion of National Health Service psychological therapists are IAPT practitioners. We also do not hold information on the number of hours worked by IAPT practitioners and other therapists.

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Kyrgyzstan about the role and future of international non-governmental organisations working on human rights; and whether he has raised with that government the ban on the head of the Human Rights Watch office in Bishkek.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    During his visit to Kyrgyzstan in October 2014, Minister of State for Justice Lord Faulks discussed with Kyrgyz interlocutors a number of human rights issues, including the Foreign Agents Bill and other legislation that might restrict freedoms of expression and association. Our Embassy in Bishkek has also raised our concerns on a number of occasions with the Government of Kyrgyzstan and with Kyrgyz parliamentarians. We were concerned to hear of the refusal to grant entry to the Kyrgyz Republic to a representative from Human Rights Watch on 2 December. We are seeking further clarification from the Kyrgyz authorities. We will continue to raise our concerns about human rights directly with the government of Kyrgyzstan, and in suitable international fora, at every appropriate opportunity.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many knives have been confiscated in prisons in each year since 2010.

    Andrew Selous

    Historic data on estimates of the number of knives confiscated in prisons is not collected in a form that can be assured to be of sufficient quality for publication. A new enhanced incident reporting system has recently been introduced which does collect this data and assured data will be available at the end of the year.

  • Stephen Metcalfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Metcalfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Metcalfe on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the data used to predict traffic flow at the proposed new Lower Thames Crossing – Option C was generated; and whether that data is publicly available.

    Andrew Jones

    The traffic modelling carried out to inform the assessment of alternative options has been based on an extensive assessment of travel and road usage patterns. The underlying data was collected through extensive observations and roadside surveys as part of the London Area Transport Surveys in 2001. This data was updated in 2009. A ‘Review of Lower Thames Crossing Options: Model Capability Report’ which was produced in 2013 examined the suitability of the traffic modelling, including the use of the 2009 data, for strategic assessment of the Lower Thames Crossing options, and this report concluded that the overall model performance was suitable for options assessment at this stage. This report is available online at gov.uk.

    Further detail on the recent modelling for Options A and C is available in Volume 5 of the Scheme Assessment Report which can be viewed on line at the consultation website on the project website via www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk. It is also available as a hard copy at the public information events and local libraries as a reference document but not to be taken away. Highways England can also send out a copy to anyone who requests it through the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

    “

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 1.301 of Budget 2016, how much funding will be made available to support delivery of the final phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme; and what proportion of that funding is additional to the £2.3 billion capital programme previously announced.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government has announced a new scheme for Leeds and the wider Aire catchment, which will provide flood defence for the area north of the station. Subject to business case approval, £35 million has been made available for this scheme up to 2021, with a commitment to ensure that the project is completed. This funding is in addition to the £2.3 billion capital programme.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who applied for UK citizenship applied for an exemption from the written life in the UK test between June 2014 and June 2016; and how many such applications were refused.

    James Brokenshire

    The Secretary of State may waive the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK requirement for British citizenship on the basis of a person’s age, physical or mental condition.

    A person will normally be exempted from this requirement if they provide evidence from an appropriate medical practitioner that their condition is so severe that it prevents them from being able to learn English or prepare for or sit an English test or the Life in the UK test. Each application is considered on its own merits.

    Information cannot be obtained from UKVI data systems to show how many exemption requests were made and granted. This information could only be obtained from looking at individual records at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect British girls in the Dawoodi Bohra community from female genital mutilation, in the light of the sermon by Supreme Leader Mufaddal Saifuddin on 25 April urging that all girls must undergo that procedure.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls.

    We will not stop FGM until we have changed attitudes within communities. The Government works closely with a range of community and faith groups, including Muslim women’s groups, to tackle FGM. Over 350 faith leaders from all the major faiths have signed a declaration condemning FGM. They have declared that it is not required by their religions and is a form of child abuse. The declaration makes clear that all religions will work together to end FGM for good. We continue to work with community organisations and survivors through the Governments FGM Unit’s stakeholder group and outreach programme to drive this work forward.

    In 2014 the Government ran a national communications campaign to raise awareness. We also funded 29 community engagement projects, including a network of community champions, who are reaching thousands of women and girls affected by FGM, and, importantly, their families. The work of these projects has included training for teachers, awareness sessions in local mosques, and the establishment of a new national website for, and by, young people giving information about how to prevent FGM. The Department for Communities and Local Government has established a network of community champions which is operating in London, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham. Champions are working with local people to address the myths that sustain FGM and to help keep girls safe.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications of the provisions in clause 15 of the Children and Social Work Bill for strengthening safeguarding responsibilities.

    Edward Timpson

    Clause 15 of the Children and Social Work Bill is key to bringing about the changes proposed by Alan Wood in his review of the role and function of Local Safeguarding Children Boards. The review’s recommendations, which we accepted, were to replace the existing Local Safeguarding Children Board structure with a stronger but more flexible framework for multi-agency working in local areas. We believe that this stronger framework and flexibility, as set out in clause 15, will improve outcomes for children and their families and enable the effective sharing of information which is so fundamental to safeguarding children.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether bids can continue to be made by British cities to become European capital of culture after the vote to leave the EU.

    Matt Hancock

    DCMS is currently reviewing the impact of the referendum result on the UK’s ability to participate in this competition, and will provide clarity to all interested cities once we are in a position to do so.

  • Mark Menzies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Menzies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to improve the provision of work in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    We want prisons to be places of hard work, rigorous education and high ambition, with incentives for prisoners to learn and for prison staff to prioritise education and work. Improvements have been made to increase work but we want to go further. We are looking at the ways in which this might be achieved.