Category: Speeches

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Russian counterpart on recent Russian military action in Syria.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    I met the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in the margins of the Syria talks in Vienna in October 2015. In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has made numerous representations to the Russian Government regarding military operations in Syria.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will identify which government-funded cycling programmes will (a) continue to be funded, (b) cease to be funded and (c) have their funding reduced in each of the next five years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The DfT is funding a number of cycling programmes as below:

    • the Cycling Ambition City programme until 2017/18; any further investment is subject to future spending decisions;
    • the Highways England cycling programme until 2020-21;
    • the DfT is funding Bikeability until 2019-20;
    • the Local Growth Fund, which includes funding for cycling schemes, is being funded until 2020-21.
    • the new Access fund, which will build on the legacy of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, will be funded until 2019-20.
    • The Cycle / Rail programme will run until the end of 2015/16.
  • Lord Wallace of Saltaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether underused government buildings in Westminster such as the Lancaster House conference centre and the Foreign Secretary’s official residence are being considered for sale to private buyers, and if not, why not.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    This government is committed to rationalising and reducing the government estate to realise efficiencies and release value. By identifying underused properties and modernising our buildings to make better use of a smaller number of properties, we have reduced our Estate by 2 million square metres, saving over £750 million in running costs and generating nearly £1.8 billion in capital receipts since 2010.

    Both Lancaster House and 1 Carlton Gardens are properties leased by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from the Crown Estate. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office is therefore not in a position to sell either property. Both properties are in regular use for either conferences, meetings or official hospitality.

    All Foreign and Commonwealth Office properties are under regular review to ensure value for money.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres are due to be closed over the current Parliament.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Department does not routinely collect data on the number of anticipated children’s centre closures but expects local authorities to fulfil their duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure sufficient children’s centres to meet the needs of local families. Local authorities must consult fully before any significant changes are made to children’s centre services.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to expand access to treatments for severe asthma in the South West of England.

    Jane Ellison

    Services for people with severe asthma are commissioned by NHS England in line with national specifications to ensure patient numbers are sufficient to support safe services.

    We are advised by NHS England that in the South West there are currently treatment hubs in Bristol and Taunton that provide services for children; and services for adult in hubs at Bristol, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth, Swindon and Gloucestershire.

    NHS England advises that other asthma services are commissioned locally, via community providers and primary care (general practice and pharmacy).

    In the constituency of Bath, we are informed by NHS England that asthma is largely managed by primary care providers, while more complex patients with severe or difficult asthma are seen by the acute respiratory teams. We are assured by NHS England that secondary care services in the area are both appropriate and accessible for patients with acute asthma and that NHS Bath and North East Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group has no plans to change or expand its existing asthma provision at this time.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to support the key objectives of the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference that will take place in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July, which include the protection and promotion of LGBTI rights around the world.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House of Lords on the 21 March, the UK will send a delegation to the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

    We continue to work through our Embassies and High Commissions and through international organisations, including the UN, EU, the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth, to promote general tolerance and non-discrimination toward LGBTI people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise homosexuality. The Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference will provide an opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts and resources to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI people worldwide.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential risks to safety and security posed by the selling of tickets via websites to UK-based customers for the European Football Association Championships in the secondary ticketing market.

    David Evennett

    It is an offence for an unauthorized person to sell a ticket for a designated football match via the internet under section 166A of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The Government expects companies in the secondary market to comply with the law.

    Professor Michael Waterson is chairing an independent Review of consumer protection measures applying to the re-sale of tickets for music, sporting or cultural events in the UK through secondary ticketing facilities. In supporting Professor Waterson in carrying out his Review, my officials have had discussions with their counterparts in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Home Office about online re-sale of football tickets.

    The Department agrees with the Football Association that fans of the home nations participating in the Euro 2016 Football Championships should purchase tickets through authorised channels. Such channels include UEFA’s Euro 2016 ticket resale platform.

    The safety and security of the Euro 2016 Football Championships is a matter for the French Government and UEFA. The UK Government co-operates closely with France on matters of policing and security.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of housing benefit payments is made to non-British nationals in the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Expenditure on the main DWP working age benefits, including Housing Benefit, for European Economic Area (EEA) national-led claims can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502129/benefit-expenditure-eea-nationals-ad-hoc-stats.pdf.

    “

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2016 to Question 42895, on primary education, what proportion of the 644 teachers and head teachers who responded to the consultation answered no to question one of that consultation.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is not held by the Department. As set out in the answer to PQ 35933, an analysis of the consultation responses is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-national-curriculum-primary-assessment-and-accountability.

    We have worked closely with teachers and head teachers in order to develop the primary assessment reforms introduced this year. We will continue to listen to and engage with the profession as the details of the new primary assessment arrangements are finalised.

    “

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of food poisoning in chickens.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is working with industry to tackle Campylobacter, the most common source of foodborne illness, through the Acting on Campylobacter Together campaign. The FSA has agreed a joint industry target of achieving no more than 10% of birds contaminated at over 1,000 Campylobacter colony forming units per gram (viable cells) at the end of the slaughterhouse line. Using this target, together with the ongoing publication of surveillance results of Campylobacter contamination in fresh whole chickens at retail, the FSA is encouraging industry to implement interventions to reduce contamination levels. This has resulted in a downwards trend of the Campylobacter levels on chickens sold at retail. Additionally, the FSA continues to provide guidance for consumers on the measures that they can take to reduce their risk of spreading and contracting Campylobacter poisoning from raw poultry in the home.