Category: Speeches

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define moderate” in the context of opposition in Syria.”

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The moderate opposition in Syria, the majority of whom use the brand of the Free Syrian Army, call for a pluralistic political system in Syria that respects the rights of all Syrians (including minorities) and rejects terrorism and terrorist tactics. They have repeatedly condemned Islamic extremism, and have been fighting, and beating back Daesh in Syria for over two years while also protecting their communities from vicious attack from the Assad regime. They have scored significant victories in Idlib and Aleppo in Northwest Syria and in Dera’a province in the South.

  • Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the commercial provision of consumer debt advice services.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is very concerned about evidence of consumer detriment in the debt management market. That is why we have given the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) robust powers to protect borrowers using debt management firms.

    For profit debt management plan providers, operating with consumers’ interest at heart and in full compliance with regulatory requirements, can help provide a wider supply of solutions and products for consumers, and help them get in control of problem debts. The Government’s focus has therefore been on comprehensively reforming regulation of this sector, and ensuring firms act in customers’ best interests.

    The FCA is currently scrutinising debt management firms as part of its authorisation process. Firms which do not meet the required standards will not be able to continue to provide debt management services.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent finding by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine that pre-exposure prophylaxis could reduce HIV rates in men who have sex with men by between 40 and 60 per cent; and what steps he is taking to make pre-exposure prophylaxis available to people in this group.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is working with local authorities, clinicians, patient representatives and Public Health England to consider the clinical and cost effectiveness of providing Pre-exposure prophylaxis to at-risk groups to prevent them acquiring HIV. This includes a full review and analysis of published literature in this area.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health on implementation of the Ross Fund.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Ross Fund is a new £1 billion fund that will be used to support the global fight against malaria and other infectious diseases. Programmes will be led by either the Department for International Development or the Department of Health. By bringing together the range of DFID and DH’s activity into the Ross Fund and ensuring coordination, we can maximise synergies and avoid duplication.

    The accountability and responsibility of delivering on the individual programmes within the Ross Fund is with the respective lead department. The teams in each department are working closely together to ensure there is a complementary approach. A cross-government senior officials group (including Department for International Development and Department of Health) is also meeting on a regular basis to provide strategic direction in global health, including for the Ross Fund.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many former civil servants who worked on JSi projects have now left his Department.

    Andrew Selous

    I refer my the Rt Hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 14 March:

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-03-14/HCWS619/

    I will update the House once the investigation is complete.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the levels of awareness among parents of the (a) School Admissions Code and (b) ability to object to a school’s admission arrangement through the Office of the Schools Adjudicator; and what steps she plans to take to increase that awareness.

    Nick Gibb

    The School Admissions Code imposes requirements on local authorities and school admission authorities. Local authorities are responsible for providing parents with the information they require about the admissions process. It is available at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code–2

    Information about how to object to the Schools Adjudicator is available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/schools-adjudicator-make-an-objection-appeal-or-referral#objections-to-and-referrals-about-determined-school-admission-arrangements

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the North East Commissioning Service has not accepted an offer from Newcastle City Council’s Director of Public Health to place a contract to modify data systems to facilitate analysis at council ward level.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    This is an operational matter for the Commissioning Support Unit and the local Council.

    The North of England Commissioning Support Unit advises that it has held discussions with the Director of Public Health but is not aware of any offer to place a contract with the organisation.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to ensure that EU law relating to traffic will continue to be enforced when the UK leaves the EU.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation. Until we leave the EU, EU law continues to apply, so we continue to comply with the requirements relating to traffic.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received on the ability of the Pubs Code Adjudicator to enact its role impartially.

    Margot James

    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received one letter from the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Iain Wright) as Chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and one letter from the hon. Member in his capacity as Chair of the British Pub Confederation. The Department has also received correspondence from members of the Pubs Advisory Service and the British Pub Confederation.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of tax credit claimants who claim housing benefit are entitled to a higher rate of housing benefit due to the childcare cost disregard.

    Damian Hinds

    This Government is committed to moving from a high welfare, high tax, low wage economy to a lower welfare, lower tax, higher wage society. As the Chancellor made clear, the Government will set out at Autumn Statement how we plan to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits, saving the money we need to save to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

    As announced at Summer Budget, the Chancellor announced that free entitlement childcare would be doubled from 15 hours to 30 for working parents. This will not be rolled out until September 2017, with early implementation in some areas in September 2016.

    Information about the age, gender and number of children in receipt of tax credits can be found in HMRC’s Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics, April 2015. Available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-tax-credits-provisional-statistics-2013-to-2009