Category: Speeches

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to improve the representation of women at senior executive levels in (a) FTSE 100 and (b) all businesses.

    Caroline Dinenage

    We have more women on boards than ever before, and no all-male boards in the FTSE 100. I fully endorse the business-led target of 33% women on FTSE 350 boards by 2020. To achieve this, we have established the new, independent Hampton-Alexander Review that will have a particular focus on improving gender representation in the all-important executive layer of FTSE companies.

  • Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government considers that Burma’s Rohinga minority are subject to genocide.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    It is clear that the Rohingya are being persecuted and denied the most basic rights in Rakhine. Any judgment on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for international judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.

    Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, irrespective of whether they fit the definition of specific international crimes. I and other Government Ministers take every appropriate opportunity, both publicly and in private, to press the Burmese authorities to take urgent steps to address the situation of the Rohingya.

  • Simon Burns – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Simon Burns – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Burns on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to implement efficiency savings across government departments.

    Matthew Hancock

    In May 2010 the deficit between government revenue and public spending was the largest percentage of GDP of any developed country. As part of our long-term economic plan to ensure the country lives within its means, we took action to drive efficiency from day one.

    By 2014/15 the Government had saved £18.6 billion through efficiency and reform, and tackling fraud, error and uncollected debt (against a 2009/10 baseline). At a very conservative estimate this is equivalent to £850 for each working household across Britain.

    The £18.6 billion saving includes £6.1 billion by improving how government buys goods and services and £1.5 billion by transforming how government works, including putting services and transactions online and rationalising the government’s property portfolio – releasing government land, by moving to shared property and using less office space, enables land to be released which can be put to better economic use.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will collect data on the prior qualification level of new apprentices.

    Nick Boles

    The prior qualification survey is the current method for collecting robust information on the prior qualification levels of apprentices. The most recent publication is based on the 2012/13 survey data. We plan to publish a similar report based on the 2013/14 prior qualifications survey data in 2016.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from the road haulage sector and hauliers on the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy.

    Andrew Jones

    The department has regular meetings with the road haulage sector trade bodies and hauliers on a wide variety of issues, including skills, at both Ministerial and official level. These have not focussed specifically on the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy, which addresses the technical, engineering and construction skills needed to deliver the department’s unprecedented infrastructure investment.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has recently approved the Logistics Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standard and the department will be working with colleagues to support the industry in rolling out this apprenticeship.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the end-dates are of his Department’s contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise; which such contracts he plans to extend, for what reasons and to what dates; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has four contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Application Development and Application Maintenance & Support – these two contracts expired on 29/02/2016 and an extension has been agreed to 28/02/2018. Hosting – this contract runs till 23/02/2018. Desktop – this contract runs till 08/01/2017. DWP future contracting plans are commercially sensitive. The Department is progressing its strategy to deliver its technology requirements, and this includes both in-house services, and externally provided services sourced through procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Minister of State for the Department for International Development, Desmond Swayne, on 16 March (HC Deb, col 937), whether it is their position that no non-state party is capable of committing genocide under the 1949 United Nations Genocide Convention.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Under Article IV of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article III of the Convention shall be punished whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals. Any member of Daesh who has committed an act of genocide is therefore liable to prosecution. Individual criminal responsibility, rather than by organisations or groups, is determined by courts. The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor has set out some of the complicated issues involved in the ICC investigating Daesh in her press statement of 8 April 2015.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department collects on the number of people who use electronic cigarettes.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not collect any data on the number of people who use electronic cigarettes. The Department makes use of various data sources, including that published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre and the Office for National Statistics as an evidence base for policy making. This includes the Opinions and Lifestyles Survey for electronic cigarette use by adults and the Smoking, Drinking and Drugs survey for use by young people.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) representations he has received from and (b) meetings his Department has had with companies based in the British Overseas Territories on the future of the Land Registry.

    Anna Soubry

    A Government consultation seeking views on options to move Land Registry operations to the private sector closed on 26 May. We have received views from a large number of businesses and individuals. My department is analysing these responses and the Government will issue a response in due course. No decision has been taken on the future of Land Registry and, as such, no bids have been received.

  • Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Turnberg on 2016-07-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 7 July 2016 (HL799), what discussion they have had with the Palestinian Authority about its non-attendance at meetings with Israeli officials on the Joint Water Committee.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Continuity of water supply to the West Bank is essential for both the basic needs of Palestinians and for stability and security more widely. The UK regularly raises the issue of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel. We encourage both parties to find a swift resolution to this issue and to reconvene the Joint Water Committee.