Category: Speeches

  • Lord Truscott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Truscott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Truscott on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of recent flooding, what plans they have to re-allocate the proposed funding for HS2 to the funding of strengthened flood defences.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    There are no plans to re-allocate HS2 funding to flood defences. The HS2 budget is to deliver HS2.

    The Government is separately investing £2.3bn in flood defences through the six-year capital programme, which will better protect 300,000 homes and reduce overall flood risk in England by 5% by 2021.

  • 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 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2016 to Question 23290, whether it is his policy for the House to be given an opportunity to debate in advance any decision to (a) launch airstrikes against ISIL/Daesh targets outside Syria and Iraq and (b) deploy UK military personnel, embedded within other nations’ armed forces, on military operations against ISIL/Daesh targets outside Syria and Iraq.

    Michael Fallon

    The Government is committed to the convention that, before UK troops are committed to conflict, Parliament should have an opportunity to debate the matter, except when such action is necessary in an emergency. The Government will inform the House of any exceptional operation where there has not been prior debate in Parliament, as the Prime Minister did on 7 September 2015 in relation to the precision airstrike that took place on 21 August 2015.

    The embedding of UK forces in the armed forces of allies is a valuable and commonplace activity governed through long standing and frequently reciprocal international arrangements. Although it is not policy for the House to be given the opportunity to debate their deployment we are committed to continued transparency about UK Service personnel embedded in other nations’ armed forces on operations and I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 17 December 2015 (Official Report, column 97-98WS) which updated the House on this.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 4 January (HL4800), whether they are aware of any limitations regarding the data contained in the Nursing Times report in December 2014, in particular its accuracy and relevance to the UK.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    There were 856 responses to the Royal College of Nursing survey run by Nursing Times in December 2014. The respondents were keen to get involved in the procurement process and recognised opportunities to save money.

    The respondents to the survey included a broad spectrum of nursing staff, the breakdown of which was as follows: 35% Staff nurses, 31% Clinical nurse specialists; 16% ward sisters; 10% Senior nurse managers; 4% Healthcare Assistants; 1% Directors of Nursing; and 1% Student nurses. 74% of respondents to the survey saw opportunities to reduce duplication on wound care products.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects his Department’s review of airside VAT-free shopping to be published.

    Mr David Gauke

    On 31 December 2015, the Chancellor announced a review of the tax treatment of airside retail sales, with a view to identifying options for passengers to receive more of the direct benefits. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has completed its initial fact finding.

    The Government is keen to identify options that provide overall best value for travellers. This means fully understanding the potential impacts of possible changes on travellers, retailers and airports, and I have asked HMRC to explore these thoroughly. Once this work has been completed, decisions on the best way forward will be made in the autumn.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Rural Payments Agency and the Welsh Government on delays in paying Basic Payments Scheme cheques to cross-border farmers.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency has regular discussions with the Welsh Government and they are working together to get Basic Payment Scheme claims paid to cross-border farmers.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 22462, if he will place in the Library a copy of NHS England’s report on individual funding requests for palivizumab.

    George Freeman

    NHS England has advised that it is assessing the effect of individual funding requests for palivizumab on premature babies at risk of severe complications from respiratory syncytial virus. It will report its findings in July 2016.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the Government’s discussions with the German government on (a) the proposed compensation scheme for UK thalidomide survivors and (b) proposals for UK Thalidomide Trust to submit collective compensation applications.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 2 August 2016 (42407).

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the UK leaving the EU for plant passports; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    We recognise that the UK’s exit from the EU may have implications for the way in which current UK plant health services operate, including phytosanitary certification on imports, quarantine measures to mitigate the highest risk pests and diseases, and plant passporting.

    We are considering the implications and possible options as part of our planning for, and negotiations on, the UK’s exit.

    Continuing to deliver a risk-based, proportionate plant health regime that effectively protects the UK from plant pests and diseases, whilst maximising the free movement of goods, remains of the highest priority.

  • Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many responses her Department received to the recent consultation on a review of the feed-in tariff scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We have received nearly 55,000 responses. We currently estimate that just over 2,600 are unique and detailed responses; the rest are briefer and more uniform responses, generated by campaigns. We will assess and evaluate all responses and will respond in due course.

  • Lord Grocott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Grocott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 12 November (HL3121), how many members there were in the House of Lords of (1) the government party, or parties, and (2) the official opposition party, in each year since 1997.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    For each of the sessions requested, I have set out below the number of those peers eligible to take part in the work of the House of Lords sitting on the Government benches and those of the benches of HM Official Opposition.

    Year

    Governing Party/Parties

    HM Official Opposition

    97-98

    Lab: 176

    Con: 478

    98-99

    Lab: 193

    Con: 484

    99-00

    Lab: 201

    Con: 232

    00-01

    Lab: 195

    Con: 225

    01-02

    Lab: 190

    Con: 217

    02-03

    Lab: 185

    Con: 210

    03-04

    Lab: 201

    Con: 202

    04-05

    Lab: 199

    Con: 205

    05-06

    Lab: 212

    Con: 208

    06-07

    Lab: 217

    Con: 202

    07-08

    Lab: 214

    Con: 199

    08-09

    Lab: 212

    Con: 189

    09-10

    Lab: 211

    Con: 185

    10-12

    Con: 214 Lib Dem: 90

    Lab: 235

    12-13

    Con: 212 Lib Dem: 89

    Lab: 222

    13-14

    Con: 220 Lib Dem: 99

    Lab: 218

    14-15

    Con: 226 Lib Dem: 103

    Lab: 216

    15-16 (as at 21/12/15)

    Con: 251

    Lab: 213