Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Blood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Blood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Blood on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the UK withdrawing from the EU will have on Port Health Authorities.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the European Union, including the impact on Port Health Authorities (PHAs). The Government recognises the significant contribution PHAs make to public and animal health protection and the United Kingdom is committed to ensuring any potential impacts to PHAs are well managed.

  • Christian Matheson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Christian Matheson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in the (a) steel industry and (b) energy efficiency, solar and low-carbon heating industries at the most recent date for which figures are available.

    Anna Soubry

    The ONS Business Registers and Employment Survey provides figures for the number of jobs in manufacture of primary iron and steel in 2014, the latest year for which official figures are available.

    In March 2015 the Government published a report on ‘The size and performance of the UK low carbon economy’ which contains estimates for the number of jobs supported by various low carbon sectors. The estimates can be found on the ONS and GOV.UK websites.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of disruption to travel as a result of snowfall in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department has not made any such estimate as a result of snowfall in the last 12 months, however, the Department commissioned a review of the resilience of the UK transport networks in the face of extreme snow conditions in 2010.

    ‘The Resilience of England’s Transport Systems in Winter’ estimated the welfare cost of domestic transport disruption from severe winter weather was around £280 million per day in England. The direct economic costs alone amount to £130 million per day.

    The transport sectors have taken steps to implement the lessons from those severe winters and to implement the recommendations from the review. For example, on the rail network additional specialised snow and ice clearing trains have been procured, and on the third rail network south of the Thames heating elements have been installed at critical locations to prevent the third rail from icing up. In terms of aviation readiness, since 2009/2010 Heathrow has invested £36m, and Gatwick £15m, in winter operational readiness.

    In a survey conducted by the Department in mid-November 2015, total salt stocks being held for use on the roads, including emergency salt reserve (salt of last resort) is approximately 2.2 million tonnes. The findings of this survey highlight that local highway authorities are holding robust salt stocks, have been replenishing their stocks and have entered this winter season in a resilient position.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the expected investment spending on housing by central government will be between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

    Brandon Lewis

    Spending Review 2015 prioritised housing by doubling the housing budget from 2018-19 to deliver at least 400,000 new affordable homes. It sets out the most ambitious plan since the 1970s to build homes that support working people in their aim to buy their own home.

    Taken together the capital programme, loan schemes, Help to Buy and other measures amount to over £20 billion investment in housing over the Spending Review period.

    The detailed list of housing programmes for 2016-17 to 2020-21 is outlined in the five point Housing plan in the Spending Review 2015 document (pp. 40-42).

  • Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what rail routes are planned to be designated driver controlled operation in the Northern Franchise.

    Andrew Jones

    This is an operational matter for the new franchisee to discuss with its staff and their trade union representatives after they have taken over the franchise on 1st April.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Indonesian counterpart on freedom of access by journalists to West Papua.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We welcome the Indonesian government’s commitment to improving the situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. President Joko Widodo has visited 3 times since his election, most recently spending New Year in Papua. During his visit in May 2015, he granted clemency to a number of prisoners and announced the lifting of travel restrictions for foreign journalists and international organizations. Since then, a number of foreign journalists have successfully visited and reported from Papua and West Papua. Our Ambassador in Jakarta last visited Papua in January. As well as raising these issues, he also discussed ways to ensure the sustainable and equitable development of the provinces with members of the police, and religious and community leaders.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 27866, what powers EEA states which are not EU members have to (a) terminate and (b) change the terms of the membership of the EEA of another EEA state which is not a member of the EU.

    Anna Soubry

    As set out by the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), the contracting parties of the Agreement are the EU, the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Agreement does not set out what powers Contracting Parties have over the termination or change of others’ engagement with the Agreement. The only mention in the Agreement of termination is that each Contracting Party may withdraw from this Agreement provided it gives at least twelve months’ notice in writing to the other Contracting Parties. Meanwhile, the Agreement states that any European State becoming a member of the EU or of the European Free Trade Association may apply to become a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and that the terms and conditions for such participation shall be the subject of an agreement between the Contracting Parties and the applicant State.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 20 April 2016, Official Report, column 996, what evidence has been gathered and preserved of potential (a) war crimes and (b) genocide in (i) Syria and (ii) Iraq.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    Evidence is being gathered and preserved by a range of state and non state actors for potential prosecutions. The UK is supporting a number of these efforts. In Syria, the UK is funding the work of NGOs who are gathering evidence of Human Rights violations committed across Syria, including by Daesh and the Asad regime. This is being done to the standards required for criminal prosecution against high level perpetrators in a domestic or international court. In Iraq, we are considering how the UK might best complement similar efforts already underway. Working with international partners, we are doing everything we can to assist in the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used by judicial bodies to make a judgement on this matter. It is vital that this is done now, before evidence is lost or destroyed.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to increase reporting and improve data collection of violence against women and girls in developing countries.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    DFID has championed the introduction of a VAWG ‘marker’ by the OECD-DAC to better track donor funding on VAWG. The Department has also already made changes to its own systems so that it can report annually to the OECD-DAC about VAWG spending. The DAC marker is a critical accountability tool for all donors, including in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5.2. In addition the department is supporting some national governments to collect data on violence against women and girls through its bilateral programmes, one example of which is the support to Ghana to conduct a violence against women and girls prevalence survey.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Innovation Hub is still planned to proceed.

    Ben Gummer

    Departments are working to progress the anti-corruption agenda, including work that was set out at the London Anti-Corruption Summit on May 12. However, the new government will wish to consider its approach to specific anti corruption policies, and the governance structures that will oversee this work.