Category: Speeches

  • David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on rolling out independent child trafficking advocates.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government is committed to introducing appropriate support for trafficked children. It is important we get these structures right however, given the significant risks to these children.

    In line with the requirements of Section 48(7) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Government laid a report before Parliament in December 2015 setting out the steps we proposed to take in relation to independent child trafficking advocates. The full report can be obtained here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-child-trafficking-advocates-trial-government-report

    Since December 2015, we have worked to address issues identified during the trial. We have engaged with Members of both Houses, the offices of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and Children’s Commissioner for England. We have also sought views from the voluntary sector and statutory organisations in England and Wales. This engagement has been valuable in assessing how best to deliver an improved service for trafficked children in England and Wales.

    As part of this engagement, I wrote to the Chairs of the three All Party Parliamentary Groups with the strongest interest in the trial in March, saying that I would wait to receive their views in writing before making a statement to the House about how we will proceed. This week I received letters from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery and from the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. I am reflecting on their recommendations and will provide an update to Parliament once we have had an opportunity to consider their valuable input.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, by what process his Department plans to evaluate and continue to develop national antibiotic prescribing targets for primary and secondary care.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department takes advice on the measurement of prescribing levels and the development of objectives for levels of prescribing of antibiotics from the Department’s Health’s Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections as well as the English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance.

    The English Surveillance Programme on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance, (ESPAUR), was established by Public Health England (PHE) in 2013 in response to the publication of the UK 5 year Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). ESPAUR provides the data on prescribing of antibiotics and levels of resistance to antibiotics in both primary and secondary care that allows the Department to evaluate progress.

    PHE uses the ESPAUR data to provide ongoing expert advice to NHS England to enable ongoing development of commissioning incentives to encourage healthcare providers to achieve the antibiotic prescribing quality measures recommended by the national expert Advisory Group on AMR and Healthcare Associated Infections for primary and secondary care.

    The Department’s Policy Research Programme has also commissioned the Imperial National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit to evaluate and research the impact of reduced antibiotic prescribing on hospital admissions and mortality.

  • Baroness Helic – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Helic – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the security and political stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the planned referendum in the entity of Republika Srpska on 25 September.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government remains concerned about the increasing tensions over the Republika Srpska referendum planned for 25 September. We, together with international partners, are calling on all parties to find a way forward that is line with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution and the Constitutional Court’s rulings.

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much income has been received from anglers through the rod licence in each of the last five financial years; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The income received from anglers through the rod licence for each of the last five years is provided in the table below:

    Income (in million)

    2015/16

    £21,083

    2014/15

    £21,147

    2013/14

    £21,590

    2012/13

    £21,840

    2011/12

    £23,742
  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will discuss with the Treasury the introduction of three-year funding plans for colleges to align with the period of the Spending Review.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    16-19 funding is based on the level of recruitment institutions delivered in the previous year. That means institutions’ funding keeps pace with changing student numbers with the minimum delay. The Government has no plans to change the 16-19 funding system.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions a special adviser in her Department accompanied a Minister on an overseas trip since May 2015.

    George Eustice

    Special Advisers have accompanied Ministers on two overseas trips since May 2015.

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase quota levels for the under-10 metres fishing fleet.

    George Eustice

    Defra is in the final stages of a permanent quota realignment exercise which will represent a14% uplift in the amount of quota the inshore fleet currently receives.

    For species subject to the discard ban from January 2016, we have announced that the non-sector pools, which includes fishing vessels under 10 metres, will receive the first 100 tonnes of any quota uplift received and 10% of any remaining uplift. For 2016 this represents more than 1,000 tonnes of uplift to support the non-sector in their adaptation to the landing obligation.

    The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is currently determining the 2016 monthly catch limits for the inshore fleet in light of the December 2015 Fisheries Council agreement. This quota will be used to maximise the income that can be achieved, while minimising discards for the non-sector fleet. The MMO welcomes views on quota management and utilisation of quota uplift for the non–sector via the MMO coastal quota advisory meetings and monthly quota consultations.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will ensure that all proposed Local Government Pension Scheme asset pool governance structures have an equal number of scheme member representatives.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The governance structures of the new pooling arrangements are matters to be determined locally and submitted as part of the detailed proposals we have asked funds to submit by 19 July.

    The pool governance structures should provide funds with the assurance that their investments are being managed appropriately by the pool, in line with their stated investment strategy and in the long term interests of scheme members.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the recommendations on page 13, paragraph 2, of the Mental Health Taskforce report, published in February 2016, what steps he is taking to ensure all local areas have a multi-agency suicide prevention plan.

    Alistair Burt

    We welcome the recommendation by the independent Mental Health Taskforce that every area should have a local suicide prevention plan in place delivered through multi-agency groups.

    We will be working with Public Health England to engage and support local authorities that do not have a local multi-agency suicide prevention plan to put one in place.

    I will be meeting soon with Departmental officials and our delivery partner organisations on suicide prevention to explore ways in which we can work together to re-invigorate the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, including improving local delivery of its aims.

  • The Lord Bishop of Leeds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Leeds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Leeds on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to record the atrocities that have been committed by Daesh in Iraq so that, in due course, offenders may be brought to justice.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    This Government wants to see accountability for Daesh abuses, and has supported efforts to document them. The UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council Resolution in September 2014 mandating the investigation of Daesh abuses.

    In Iraq, we are funding training for human rights defenders to improve victim support and case documentation of sexual violence committed by Daesh. It is hoped that this evidence will be able to be used in the future to hold the perpetrators to account.