Category: Speeches

  • Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she plans to have with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on job losses at Bombardier.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I recently held discussions on Bombardier with the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise and the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. I will continue to discuss this issue with Government and Executive Ministers.

  • Lord Birt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Birt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider exempting traditional windmills producing high-quality artisan flours from any obligations to introduce additives.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    In the UK iron, niacin and thiamin are added back by law to all UK milled flour (except wholemeal) to restore nutrients lost in milling. Flour milled in the UK is also fortified with calcium to reduce the risk of calcium deficiency, a condition associated with poor bone health and osteoporosis. The Government is currently considering requests to exempt certain minor flour uses from these mandatory fortification requirements. This exercise could be extended to consider exempting traditional stoneground mills producing low volumes of flour should a case be made.

  • 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 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the rate of progress of the implementation of commitments made by the government of Sri Lanka on human rights and the investigation of alleged war crimes.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We welcome the progress Sri Lanka has made in implementing its commitments to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution it co-sponsored in October 2015. The Government has started public consultations on reconciliation mechanisms and on constitutional reform. We also welcome the Government’s cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the progress it has made through the return of some military occupied land and the release on bail of some long-term Tamil detainees held under anti-terrorism legislation. We recognise that there is still much to be done and we remain committed to supporting and encouraging the Sri Lankan Government to fully deliver against its commitments. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) reiterated this message when he visited Sri Lanka in January. We now look forward to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment of progress at the next meeting of the UNHRC in June.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on violence perpetrated against albino children in Malawi; and if he will make a statement.

    James Duddridge

    We are concerned by reports of a rise in human rights violations against persons with albinism in Malawi. Our High Commissioner to Malawi discussed the issue during a meeting with the Malawian Foreign Minister on 27 April and also with United Nations Independent Expert on the rights of persons with Albinism Ms Ikponwosa Ero, during her visit to Malawi on 29 April. Malawian President Mutharika has condemned the attacks and ordered the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

    UN research recorded a total of 66 incidents in the last 14 months, 40% related to exhuming graveyards to collect body parts and 24% the sale of body parts by perpetrators including traditional healers.

    In a recent press conference he said attacks on albinos are barbaric and ordered security agencies to intensify actions against perpetrators. So far 69 suspects have been arrested, awaiting prosecution.

  • Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Greenwood on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the internal guidance that his Department issues to staff on the safeguards that those staff must observe when consideration is being given to (a) suspend or withhold payment, (b) impose a sanction or (c) terminate a claim in the case of a claimant of jobseeker’s allowance who has a mental health condition.

    Damian Hinds

    There is no intention to publish the internal guidance as it is for Department use only.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has made to the Football League and the Premier League on whether the Fit and Proper Person Test they use is appropriate and effective; and if she will make a statement.

    Tracey Crouch

    I have regular meetings with the Leagues, and have discussed the Owners and Directors Test (formerly Fit and Proper Persons Test) with them. The test exists to protect clubs from individuals who fall within the disqualifying criteria, and I am pleased that The Football Association, The Premier League and the English Football League have committed to keeping it under constant review so that it is achieving its intended purpose. This commitment is set out in the report by the Government’s Expert Working Group on Supporter Ownership and Engagement published earlier this year.

  • Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Statement of 16 November 2015, Official Report, columns 379 to 382, what proportion of the new security officers announced in that Statement she plans will be based in Scotland.

    Mr John Hayes

    We do not discuss specific deployments of SIA officers. The Rt. Hon member can be confident that the Strategic Defence and Security Review is a good result for the whole of the UK.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what testing for bovine tuberculosis has been conducted on badgers that were killed as part of the cull to eradicate bovine tuberculosis.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Badgers culled under licence in Somerset and Gloucestershire in 2013 – 2015 and Dorset this year were not routinely tested for tuberculosis (TB), since this research had already been carried out under the Randomised Badger Cull Trial (RBCT).

    However, testing of badgers between 1998 and 2005 via the RBCT and Road Traffic Accident surveys provided evidence of the typical prevalence of TB in badgers in areas of high incidence of TB in cattle. TB was found in around one third of all badgers in these areas.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last met his Pakistani counterpart.

    Michael Fallon

    I met Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, on 5 August 2015.

    During my visit I also paid calls on the Prime Minister and other key interlocutors. Most recently, I met with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif when he visited the UK last October.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of funding to the new northern rail franchise will be provided by (a) subsidies to Northern Rail, (b) investment by Network Rail, (c) passenger revenue and (d) investment by Arriva.

    Andrew Jones

    We are unable to disaggregate the proportion of funding on the new Northern Rail franchise.

    I refer the hon Member to my answer of 11 January to the Hon Member for Nottingham South, Lilian Greenwood, (UIN 21124) where the level of subsidies to the Northern franchise was provided and which gives the biggest transformation in decades. These will achieve an unprecedented package of improvements unlike the last Northern franchise in 2004 which included limited plans to invest in services or meet demand, offers better value for the taxpayer and reduces the amount of annual government subsidy required by the Northern franchise by £160 million over nine years (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=21124).

    Network Rail investment is not allocated per franchise. Investment is made on the infrastructure which multiple franchises use and so it is not possible to ‎disaggregate.

    Predicted Passenger revenue and investment by Arriva are commercially confidentially information that we are unable to provide. Actual Passenger revenue is published retrospectively through annual financial statements.

    “