Category: Speeches

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support his Department is providing universities to increase collaboration with Chinese research institutions; and if he will make a statement.

    Joseph Johnson

    We are working with UK universities in a number of important ways to increase our collaboration with Chinese researchers.

    We have regular discussions with the Chinese government on education and research collaboration These discussions are both at the working level, where BIS science and higher education teams have a close relationship with their opposite numbers, and also through regular Ministerial exchanges such as the annual People to People Dialogue, the UK-China Education Summit, the biennial UK-China Science and Innovation Joint Committee meetings and the annual Prime Ministerial summit meetings.

    In addition, our flagship international science and innovation fund, the Newton Fund, has achieved a transformation in UK-China research collaboration since it was launched in April 2014 and continues to strengthen our collaborative work. The fund, includes significant university participation in programmes on urbanisation, climate change, environment, food security and health. Universities also play a major role in building research capacity in China through means of Newton grants for partnerships, PhD placements, training and joint workshops.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the UK is providing to Taiwan since the recent earthquake in that country; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Through The British Office in Taipei we have worked closely with the Taiwanese authorities to establish whether any British Nationals were affected by this tragic earthquake. The Taiwanese authorities have responded swiftly and effectively to the earthquake. Taiwan is not a recipient of UK aid, which is targeted at the poorest, and those least able to cope with such disasters.

    The Foreign Secretary and I have passed our thoughts and condolences to the people of Taiwan and all those affected.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many export extradition requests her Department received from Category 2 territories in each year since 2009-10; how many such requests she certified; how many of those requests were approved by district judges at extradition hearings; and in how many such cases she ordered extradition.

    James Brokenshire

    “Category 2 territories” refers to countries designated as extradition partners under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003. Not all the information requested is held centrally. The tables below set out the information which is centrally held by the Home Office.

    Figures for the numbers of people extradited or requests refused in a particular year may include those for whom a request was made in a previous year.

    Import extradition requests involving Category 2 territories

    Year

    Requests submitted to the Home Office for Category 2 territories

    Requests sent to Category 2 territories

    Number of people extradited to the UK

    2009

    35

    35

    26

    2010

    33

    33

    19

    2011

    49

    49

    22

    2012

    32

    32

    25

    2013

    23

    23

    26

    2014

    37

    37

    11

    2015

    45

    45

    26
  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30648, what details of family members her Department records in respect of refugees who are granted asylum in the UK.

    Mike Penning

    Asylum claims may include one or more family members who are accepted as dependant on the principal claimant’s asylum claim. Information on family members is requested at the screening and substantive interviews and, where given, this includes name, date of birth, nationality, gender and method of entry into the country.

  • Mark Garnier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Garnier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Garnier on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase inward investment to the commercial satellite communications and space industry.

    Joseph Johnson

    Inward investment is a key pillar in the strategy to grow the UK’s share of the global space economy to £40 billion by 2030. Officials from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) work with overseas commercial satellite operators using specialists through an existing network of inward investment teams in overseas posts, UKTI’s regional Investment Services Team, and local partners to support those wishing to come to the UK. They also work closely with officials in the UK Space Agency who provide advice on licensing and operating a spacecraft from the UK and access to competitive R&D funding either through national programmes, EU programmes or through our membership of the European Space Agency (ESA). The UK Space Agency and UKTI also support overseas satellite operators in their dealings with Ofcom, who are responsible for the allocation of the radio spectrum in the UK – a vital resource for new satellite business ventures. The Government will continue to work with companies to provide practical and tailored support to support their inward investment plans.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has received on the recommendation of Sir Peter Hendy’s report published in November 2015, on replanning of Network Rail’s Investment Programme to defer Access to All works from Control Period 5 to Control Period 6.

    Claire Perry

    Over one hundred responses have been received to my Department’s consultation on the recommendations of Sir Peter Hendy’s report, a number of which reference Access for All works. My Department is committed to publishing a report summarising these responses and decisions made in light of them later this year.

    In addition to the consultation my Department has received letters from a wide range of stakeholders discussing a variety of Access for All subjects, a number of whom Ministers and officials have also met.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 June (HL515), what progress has been made in assessing the detailed implications for the timetable and train performance on the East Coast Main Line of the decision to run 7.5 long distance trains per hour from 2021.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail and the relevant train operators will continue to develop the detail and performance implications of the 2021 timetable in line with the industry’s normal timetable development process, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road.

    With regard to the operation of the Thameslink central core, this is a matter for Network Rail and the relevant train operators, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road. The industry is continuing to develop plans for integrating the 24 trains per hour proposed to run on the Thameslink route at peak times from December 2018 with other services on the East Coast Main Line, including the implications for punctuality and reliability.

    After consulting with Network Rail we have established that there were five ‘unplanned closures’, on various sections of the line, on five separate days in August, two of which were infrastructure related and three as a result of passenger action.

    Network Rail have defined days with ‘unplanned closures’ of the East Coast Main Line as days where there are more than five cancellation events. A cancellation event covers any service suffering one or more of the below events:

    • Full Cancellation
    • Part Cancellation
    • Diversion
    • Fail to stop
    • Change of Origin
  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprenticeships have been provided to date by HS2 Ltd.

    Andrew Jones

    HS2, through both HS2 Ltd and its supply chain, has a target of creating 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities over the lifetime of the project, from a forecast average annual workforce of 11,000 (with a peak of 25,000).

    HS2 Ltd itself has to date provided five apprenticeships, though this is in the context that HS2 does not yet have Royal Assent and construction hasn’t yet started. Looking forward, it is anticipated that HS2 Ltd will bring in 36 apprentices a year based on an average workforce of 1,500.

    For the companies that will design and construct HS2 there will be requirements to deliver Skills, Employment and Education outcomes, including apprenticeships. In each of the major HS2 Ltd contracts, all bidders are assessed on their ability to deliver on these outcomes through the procurement process. Therefore, as HS2 enters its construction stage in 2017, apprenticeships are expected to increase rapidly.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the British Business Bank will support UK productivity.

    Greg Hands

    The British Business Bank aims to make finance markets work better for smaller businesses. The Bank’s work improves productivity by encouraging investment and promoting a dynamic economy.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical assistance they are providing to Burma to help that country in its democratic transition following the elections on 8 November.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Our package of development assistance to Burma this year is £82 million and we have allocated £25 million between 2014 and 2019 specifically to strengthen democratic governance in Burma. This sum included support to elections through the provision of technical advice to the Burmese election commission, voter education and building capacity in monitoring and observation of the electoral process.

    Following the November elections, we will continue to engage with Burma to encourage the country along its journey of democratic reform. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on 10 November to offer continued political and economic support for the people of Burma. We will of course keep in close contact on a range of topics and look forward to working with the new administration, which takes office in March 2016.