Category: Speeches

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings he has had with Ministers from the Cabinet Office at which the privatisation of Channel 4 was discussed in August and September 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Secretary of State meets regularly with Ministers from the Cabinet Office to discuss matters relating to DCMS policy. The government has made no decisions regarding reform of Channel 4. The government is considering a range of options as to how best to ensure Channel 4’s future sustainability while maintaining its ability to deliver against its remit, including options put forward by Channel 4.

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assistance and advice her Department is providing to UK volunteers offering assistance to refugees in Calais.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

    The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance his Department provides for members of the Yemeni community in the UK to contact or find out information on relatives in Yemen affected by the civil war in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    For the past four years Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Travel Advice has consistently advised against all travel to Yemen. We recommend that British nationals in Yemen leave immediately. In addition to ongoing fighting, there remains a very high threat of kidnap and unlawful detention from militia groups, armed tribes, criminals and terrorists. The operations of our Embassy in Sana’a have been suspended since February 2015, which makes it difficult to provide any assistance in country. The FCO would not usually be responsible for facilitating contact between family members in a conflict, but as far as we are aware telephone communication is still possible in some areas.

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will release all departmental papers relating to the role his Department allegedly played in co-ordinating and facilitating strike breaking activities during the miners’ strike in 1984.

    Stephen Crabb

    The Wales Office holds no records of the papers referred to.

    When the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999, all documents held by the Welsh Office at that point were transferred to the Assembly.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the average change in annual household energy consumption after the installation of a smart meter.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Our central estimate of energy savings to domestic consumers as a result of smart metering is 2.8% for electricity (prepayment and credit) and 2% for gas (credit) and 0.5% for gas (prepayment).

  • 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 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the Government plans to close Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

    Alistair Burt

    These are matters for the National Health Service.

    It is for the local NHS, in conjunction with NHS England as specialised commissioners, to effect change.

    We are advised by NHS England that following authorisation as a foundation trust, Mersey Care NHS Trust intends to acquire Calderstones.

    We expect consideration of patients’ interests to be paramount. The re-provision of care will be considered on a case by case basis and we expect patients and their families to be supported throughout the transition process.

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for the publication of the obesity strategy; and what role (a) Public Health England and (b) his Department is playing in the drafting of that strategy.

    Jane Ellison

    The Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, is being led by the Department with input from across Government, including Public Health England.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the number of lawyers trained in supporting people with mental health problems.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The legal profession in England and Wales is independent from government and we have no estimate of these numbers.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy that all employees are entitled to paternity leave from the first day of employment; and if he will make a statement.

    Margot James

    The Government is taking a range of steps to improve provision for working parents . The eligibility rules for statutory paternity entitlements balance the needs of parents and the cost both to employers and to the taxpayer.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of boys were (a) White British, (b) White British eligible for free school meals, (c) White Non-British, (d) White Non-British eligible for free school meals, (e) Black, (f) Black eligible for free school meals, (g) Indian, (h) Indian eligible for free school meals, (i) Chinese ethnicity, (j) Chinese ethnicity eligible for free school meals, (k) other Asian, (l) other Asian eligible for free school meals, (m) any other ethnicity and (n) any other ethnicity eligible for free school meals received a place in a grammar school in each of the last five years.

    Nick Gibb

    Proportion of Year 7 pupils in Selective schools by selected ethnic groups, gender & FSM eligibility

    Boys

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    2016

    White British

    3.6%

    3.6%

    3.8%

    3.7%

    3.7%

    White British – Eligible for FSM

    0.6%

    0.5%

    0.5%

    0.6%

    0.6%

    White non-British

    2.9%

    2.8%

    3.3%

    3.0%

    3.1%

    White non-British – Eligible for FSM

    0.3%

    0.4%

    0.3%

    0.5%

    0.5%

    Black

    2.3%

    2.7%

    2.9%

    2.9%

    3.3%

    Black – Eligible for FSM

    0.3%

    0.4%

    0.4%

    0.5%

    0.7%

    Indian

    13.0%

    12.9%

    14.0%

    15.2%

    15.5%

    Indian – Eligible for FSM

    3.0%

    2.5%

    2.4%

    3.5%

    3.2%

    Chinese

    18.9%

    20.5%

    22.4%

    17.9%

    18.5%

    Chinese – Eligible for FSM

    9.0%

    12.0%

    14.3%

    5.8%

    6.0%

    Other Asian

    5.9%

    5.7%

    6.3%

    6.0%

    6.4%

    Other Asian – Eligible for FSM

    1.9%

    1.2%

    1.5%

    1.5%

    1.8%