Category: Speeches

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which areas of the UK had (a) limited and (b) no mobile coverage in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Following the Government’s landmark agreement with mobile network operators in December 2014 and the 4G licence obligation on Telefonica we expect mobile coverage to improve significantly – with coverage to nearly 98% of UK landmass by 2017.In August 2015 Ofcom published an online interactive map showing areas of mobile coverage in the UK. The map is available at:http://www.ofcom.org.uk/mobile-coverage. No such map exists for coverage in 2010.

    “

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people aged between 15 and 18 took their own lives in each of the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    The information is not available in the format requested. The table below shows the number of deaths by suicide in people aged 15-29 in the United Kingdom between 2011 and 2013. 2013 is the latest year in which statistics are available.

    Age-specific deaths by suicide (15-29 years): males and females, United Kingdom, 2011 to 2013

    Year

    Deaths (Males)

    Deaths (Females)

    Deaths (Total)

    2011

    844

    259

    1,103

    2012

    862

    214

    1,076

    2013

    797

    180

    977

    Notes:

    1. In the United Kingdom, suicide is defined as deaths given an underlying cause of intentional self-harm or injury/poisoning of undetermined intent.

    2. Figures include deaths of non-residents.

    3. Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

    Source: Office for National Statistics, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, National Records of Scotland

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NICE plans to issue a consultation on a draft update to its guideline on Parkinson’s disease.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence currently expects to consult on its draft updated clinical guideline on Parkinson’s disease between 4 October 2016 and 15 November 2016. The anticipated publication date for the updated guideline is April 2017.

    Further information is available at:

    www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-cgwave0698

    “

  • Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many convictions resulted from offences under (a) Part 1 and (b) Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 in (i) England and (ii) each local justice area in (A) 2013, (B) 2014 and (C) 2015.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not hold data on such convictions.

    The Housing and Planning Bill contains measures to tackle rogue landlords who rent out sub-standard accommodation. Proposals include a database of rogue landlords and property agents, introducing banning orders for serious or repeat offenders, a tougher fit and proper person test, extending Rent Repayment Orders and introducing civil penalties of up to £30,000.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help give the views of young people greater prominence in policy decisions in their community.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The Cabinet Office supports the Government’s commitment of giving young people the power and opportunity to play a real part in their community. We promote engagement, advocacy and consultation at both national and local level

    We support the British Youth Council (BYC) to deliver its ‘youth voice’ programme, including key activities such as the national annual Make Your Mark ballot, UK Youth Parliament, and the Youth Select Committee.

    Cabinet Office has committed to continuing its support for these activities for the remainder of the current Parliament.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides when granted emergency authorisation on the bee population in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

    George Eustice

    Emergency authorisation was granted in 2015 for the use of two neonicotinoids on up to around 32,000 hectares of oilseed rape crop in high-risk situations in England and used by the applicant in Eastern counties. The expert assessment of the application concluded that this would not pose an unacceptable risk to bees. No authorisations were granted for use in Northern Ireland.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department has allocated to schools in (a) Calderdale and (b) West Yorkshire to tackle bullying in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government continues to make tackling all forms of bullying a top priority. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy with measures to tackle bullying among pupils. While they are free to develop their own anti-bullying strategies they are held clearly to account for their effectiveness through Ofsted.

    School funding to prevent and tackle bullying is part of their overall funding allocation, and is not separately identified at school or local authority level. In addition, the Department has directly funded a number of national anti-bullying organisations, supporting their work within schools across England to combat bullying.

    In 2015/16 we provided around £1.3 million to various anti-bullying charities including the Diana Award, Kidscape and the National Children’s Bureau (hosted by the Anti-bullying Alliance). These organisations train teachers and pupils in schools to prevent bullying and deal with its impact when it occurs so that bullied children do not suffer continuing distress. Additionally in the past 12 months we have supported the Government Equalities Office (GEO) to deliver a £2 million grant programme aimed at combatting homophobic bullying in schools.

    Between 2011 and 2016 we provided over £6.6 million to these and other charities to help them to support schools to support pupils who are bullied and to develop strategies to prevent bullying from happening.

    The Department and GEO will both be funding further projects this year.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the findings of the RSPCA report entitled, Breed Specific Legislation – A Dog’s Dinner, published in August 2016, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of breed specific legislation.

    George Eustice

    The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was reviewed as recently as 2014. At that time it was decided to make some changes, including extending the criminal offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control to all places and increasing the maximum penalties substantially from 2 years’ imprisonment to (i) 14 years‘ imprisonment in cases of death of the victim; (ii) 5 years’ imprisonment in cases of injury; and (iii) 3 years’ imprisonment in cases where a dog attacks an assistance dog.

    The Government does not consider that dogs bred for fighting, or those that share the characteristics of these animals, make ideal pets. However, the law allows individual dogs to be exempt from the general prohibition if a court is satisfied that they do not pose a threat to public safety and if the owner is considered a fit and proper person.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for retrospective reviews for continuing healthcare have been refused in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for each such refusal.

    David Mowat

    NHS England does not collect this information.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been referred by the National Crime Agency to regional police forces in (a) 2014 and (b) so far in 2015; and how many of those people are under suspicion of involvement in crimes of child abuse.

    Mike Penning

    The National Crime Agency does not collect data on the number of people referred to police forces. In respect of child abuse, the NCA disseminates information related to child sexual exploitation to law enforcement partners on a regular basis.