Category: Speeches

  • Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse has been of storing, maintaining and facilitating research access to the Corsellis Brain Collection in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The excess costs of maintaining the collection compared with the income from specimen preparation over a number of years have rendered the collection unsustainable as a research resource. West London Mental Health Trust has therefore decided – once it has responded to current requests for samples – to respectfully dispose of those tissue samples for which no scientific purpose can be envisaged. Some tissue has also been requested by the University of Hong Kong for training purposes for their neuropathology students, which the Trust is providing as a more appropriate use of such clinical material than respectful disposal. The Trust has obtained the appropriate Human Tissue Authority licenses for this work. We understand that the collection will close by the end of June 2016.

    The Trust has provided figures for each of the three years to 2014/15. In each case the cost has been borne by the Trust, offset (to a relatively small extent) by fees received for tissue sample requests and – in 2014/15 – by a donation. The figures are shown in the following table.

    Financial Year

    Cost

    Income

    Donation

    2012/13

    £101,126

    Nil

    Nil

    2013/14

    £84,561

    £7,016

    Nil

    2014/15

    £80,684

    £1,003

    £69,316

    The Medical Research Council supports a range of brain tissue banks which have been set-up around specific disorders and diseases generally to collect post-mortem brain tissue from consented donors.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the German Bundeswehr’s M3 Amphibious Rig bridging vehicles were loaned to UK armed forces in each of the last six years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    38 M3 Amphibious Rigs have been in service with the British Army in each of the last six years. No additional rigs have been loaned from the German Army during that time. The planned out of service date for the M3 amphibious rig is 2027; early work is under way to provide a wide wet gap crossing capability in future. No decisions have yet been made about future basing sites for the M3 Amphibious Rig.

    The following table shows the number of recorded equipment failure reports (EFR) in each of the last six years.

    Calendar Year in which EFR recorded

    No of EFRs recorded in calendar year

    2010

    16

    2011

    0

    2012

    5

    2013

    1

    2014

    4

    2015

    0

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mechanisms for parliamentary oversight of the UK’s bilateral investment treaties.

    Anna Soubry

    Treaties, including bilateral investment treaties, that are subject to ratification, approval, acceptance, accession or the mutual notification of completion of procedures are laid before Parliament for scrutiny purposes for a period of 21 parliamentary sitting days under the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (Part 2: ratification of treaties) which commenced on 11 November 2010. This legislation provides that the UK cannot legally ratify or consent to be bound by a treaty laid under its provisions until the statutory 21 sitting day process has elapsed. During the 21 sitting days, hon Members and Select Committees have the chance to scrutinise the treaty provisions, ask questions, and potentially report. They may ask for extra time. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act does not guarantee a debate, but any request would have to be seriously considered. If Parliament debated and resolved that HMG “shall not ratify”, then the latter could not legally do so at that point.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35819, on Islamic State, how much funding the Government provided to (a) each of those projects listed in that Answer and (b) other projects to support survivors of sexual violence in each year since the conflicts in Syria and Iraq began.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    In the 2015/16 financial year, we provided £198,000 through the Human Rights and Democracy Fund for the project referenced in the answer to PQ 35819. Since June 2014 we have provided over £1.3million for projects that support gender equality and work to combat sexual violence. This includes funding this year to promote the use of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict and to combat the stigma associated with sexual violence. The Department for International Development also funded two experts to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to improve coordination and information management of the gender based violence response. We continue to work to mainstream gender sensitivity effectively into all of our programmes in Iraq. Under the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, its predecessor the Conflict Pool, and the Magna Carta Fund, the Government has provided £7 million in direct support to gender related projects in Syria since the start of the crisis. For financial year 2016/17, we are spending a further £1.9 million. And across the 2016 programme, all projects are gender sensitive and taking action to raise awareness of gender equality issues, promote the empowerment of women, and gather evidence and accountability for sexual and gender-based violence. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq have placed many women and girls at risk of violence, exploitation and insecurity. The UK has pledged over £2.3 billion in response to the Syria crisis and since June 2014, has committed £129.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. UK support is enabling INGOs and UN agencies to provide specialist assistance to those affected by sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This includes clinical care, case management and counselling, reproductive healthcare and cash assistance to particularly vulnerable households. We are working to ensure all humanitarian programmes follow good practice and are sensitive to SGBV, child protection and the importance of women’s participation.

  • Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on supporting a new UN Security Council Resolution in the event that Resolution 2216 remains an obstacle to a negotiated peace in Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We fully and actively support UN efforts in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2216. This remains the framework to achieving an immediate and lasting ceasefire and a mechanism for the withdrawal of forces, release of political prisoners, and the resumption of an inclusive political process. We encourage all parties to get behind the UN political process to achieving a lasting peace, and to enter any peace talks in good faith and with no pre-conditions. We welcome the announcement by the UN Special Envoy that these talks are forthcoming.

  • The Earl of Clancarty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Earl of Clancarty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 8 December (HL3697), what is the name of the new school; whether that school is a free school; and what involvement, if any, the New Schools Network had in founding that school.

    Lord Nash

    We cannot yet confirm which school the Commercial Road site will be developed for as the latest wave of applications is currently being assessed. Whether the entire site will be used will depend on the type of school approved.

  • Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an estimate of the collective cost to small and medium-sized enterprises to recover overdue payments in each of the last five years.

    Anna Soubry

    We know that the collective cost of late payment has been, and remains, a significant burden for small and medium sized businesses. Small businesses spend too much valuable time and resource chasing late payments, which impacts on their ability to invest in growth.

    The Department does not hold the information required to make an estimate of the collective cost to small and medium-sized businesses to recover overdue payments in each of the last five years. As late payment affects so many different types of business in different ways, no single survey gives a full picture of the impact of late payment on small and medium-sized businesses. The three sources that we look to as an indicator of late payment are the SME finance monitor, the regular BACs survey and Experian’s late payment index.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the strength of diplomatic and economic relations between India and the UK.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    As, respectively, the world’s oldest and largest democracies, the United Kingdom and India have a strong friendship, which Prime Minister Modi’s visit has enhanced. We continue to work together to strengthen our defence and security partnership and expand trade and investment.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the report on the review of the retention of custody images will be made public.

    Lord Bates

    The Review of the use and Retention of Custody Images has concluded and will be published in due course.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the effect of the EU-Turkey refugee deal on her Department’s policy on family reunification for refugees.

    James Brokenshire

    The EU-Turkey deal does not affect our family reunion policy.

    Under the family reunion policy a spouse, partner or children under 18 can apply to join someone granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK providing they formed part of their family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.