Category: Speeches

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many trade agreements are currently being negotiated by the EU, and with which countries.

    Lord Price

    The European Commission is actively negotiating seven bilateral trade and investment agreements. These are with the following countries: USA, Japan, Philippines, India, the Mercosur bloc, Morocco and Tunisia. The European Commission is negotiating bilateral investment agreements with Burma and China. In addition, the European Commission is also engaged in the negotiation of two “plurilateral” agreements on behalf of the EU: the Trade in Services Agreement and the Environmental Goods Agreement.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to page 135 of her Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts 2015-16, for what reasons the budget allocation to South Sudan has decreased from £188,184 in 2015-16 to £145,000 in 2017-18.

    James Wharton

    DFID’s allocations are continually reviewed to ensure development assistance is used most effectively to achieve poverty reduction, in the national interest and responds to changing needs. The precise way in which DFID spends will reflect changing demands while at the same time protecting ministerial spending commitments.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of increasing reliance on district judges, what role they envisage for lay magistrates.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    We are committed to giving magistrates the strongest possible role in a more proportionate courts system, now and in the future.

    Magistrates and District Judges bring different but valuable skills to our justice system. We are working with magistrates to review their role to make sure that the justice system is making full use of their skills, and that they are dealing with more of the crimes that affect and matter most to their communities.

  • Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Avebury on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, during the UK’s Presidency of the UN Security Council this month, they will refer reports by Radio Dabanga of crimes against humanity in Darfur to the International Criminal Court for investigation.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The situation in Darfur has already been referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the UN Security Council under UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005). As the prosecutor’s investigation is still ongoing, it could encompass any new allegations. However, such a decision would be for the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court to take. The UK remains a strong supporter of the ICC.

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of (1) batteries, and (2) other waste electrical and electronic equipment, are recycled by (a) domestic households, (b) small and medium-sized commercial enterprises, (c) large commercial enterprises, (d) government departments, (e) local authorities, and (f) other public sector bodies.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government does not hold information in the form requested, but the overall collection and recycling rates for 2014 for these products and equipment expressed as a percentage of tonnage placed on the market is: –

    36% of portable batteries;

    37% of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

    Industrialand automotive batteries are subject to a landfill disposal ban. Accordingly, all such batteries have to be recycled.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department has allocated for the expansion of the Fit for Work service; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department does not routinely publish funding allocations. However, Fit for Work has been provided with sufficient funding to meet its demands for 2015/16, this financial year. Outturn spending will be detailed in DWP’s published Annual Report and Accounts.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department have had with (i) James Murdoch and (ii) representatives from Sky UK Limited in each year since 2012.

    Matthew Hancock

    Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations, including senior media figures, are published routinely and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications on Gov.uk.

    “

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage more people to train as children’s social workers.

    Edward Timpson

    Government policy intends to improve the quality of social work and overhaul the system of social worker education to make it more effective.

    In December 2015, the Prime Minister announced a further package of measures to underpin the Government’s commitment to reforming social work and protecting vulnerable children, part of which is a £100m investment during the current parliament for fast-track social work training programmes such as Step Up and Frontline.

    There were 1875 applications for the 2015 cohort of Frontline, and 4306 applications for 2016 Cohort of Step Up. We aim to train over 3,000 new social workers through fast-track schemes over the Spending Review period.

    In addition to this commitment to fast-track schemes government invested £695m into mainstream social work training between 2010-15, including social work bursaries and Education Support Grant, which supported generic qualifications for those wishing to enter social work. The 2015/16 funding for social work bursaries and Education Support Grant is £81M. There is no confirmation for the 2016/7 allocation.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to consult with local businesses in Cumbernauld on the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld office.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.

    HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to include in the Government’s public health and obesity strategies the recent proposal from the Local Government Association, announced in its press release, Restaurants should offer tap water to help fight child obesity, of 23 April 2016, on the free and proactive provision of tap water by restaurants.

    Jane Ellison

    Our Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will set out what more can be done by all.