Category: Speeches

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK Government staff are seconded to or directly assist the UK Special Envoy to Yemen and his team.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    No UK Government staff are seconded to or directly assist the UK Special Envoy to Yemen and his team. Through the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, we are providing £1.05 million to the UN Special Envoy’s office to bolster UN capacity to facilitate the peace process, and are also supporting work to broaden the dialogue to include women and other under-represented groups.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of his road investment strategy on productivity.

    Andrew Jones

    The Road Investment Strategy provides certainty about road investment ensuring more efficient operation and faster delivery for the English strategic road network. It sets out the vision and investment plan for a five year period from 2015 to 2020, encouraging the supply chain to invest and innovate from the long term certainty that this provides. Highways England is responsible for delivering the strategy and has been set a series of demanding targets by Government, which is regularly assessed, including independent monitoring by the Office of Rail and Road.

    The combination of the measures will save the taxpayer £1.2 billion in the next 5 years and at least £2.6 billion over ten years. It also means clearer accountability and greater transparency, providing better assurance on the investment of public money.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provision is made to enable young asylum seekers to have legal support and advice on reaching the age of 18.

    Lord Bates

    Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are placed into the care of local authorities and are provided with specialised legal advice and support. If they have an outstanding asylum claim on reaching the age of 18, legal advice will continue to be provided and their social worker will help them to access that support.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech of 11 January 2016, on life chances, what the sources of the £60 million of social investment for drug and alcohol treatment are expected to be.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The Government has actively supported the growth of the social investment market over the last five years. This includes through the establishment of Big Society Capital which is investing up to £600m in growing the social investment market, and the Social Investment Tax Relief which is incentivising individual investors to make social investments. Other social investors investing in social impact bonds include charitable trusts and foundations as well as institutional investors and dedicated social impact funds.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she has made an estimate of the difference in value between coal produced in the UK and coal imported from overseas for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below gives the values of UK coal production and imports for 2010 to 2014. Data for 2015 will be available on 28 July 2016.

    Coal production (£million)

    Coal imports (£million)

    Difference (£million)

    2010

    1,065

    2,080

    -1,015

    2011

    1,175

    3,050

    -1,875

    2012

    990

    3,315

    -2,325

    2013

    535

    3,235

    -2,700

    2014

    450

    2,235

    -1,785

    Source: Tables DUKES 1.4-1.6, Digest of UK Energy Statistics, July 2015, available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-chapter-1-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukesv

    “

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage GPs to undertake out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department and NHS England are committed to addressing the issue of increasing medical indemnity costs for general practitioners (GPs), including those working out of hours.

    Increasing costs of indemnity cover associated with out of hours work may discourage GPs from undertaking out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    The Department was represented at a roundtable event held by NHS England on 17 November 2015 to develop a shared understanding of how to address rising medical indemnity costs. A range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association and Medical Defence Organisations (MDOs), also attended.

    On 9 December 2015, NHS England announced a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers. In addition they have negotiated changes to the products offered by MDOs to bring down costs of indemnity for extended access.

    Discussions are ongoing between the Department and NHS England on a long-term solution.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page two of the minutes of the Office of Rail and Road’s board meeting on 22 September 2015, what the Govia Thameslink class 700 evacuation safety risks are that are referred to in those minutes.

    Claire Perry

    The evacuation safety risk referred to in the Office of Rail and Road’s Board meeting on 22 September 2015 relates to evacuation from a class 700 new Thameslink train in the Snow Hill Tunnels within the Thameslink core section. The Office of Rail and Road has since confirmed that this is a matter for the London Fire Brigade to consider. Both Network Rail, the infrastructure operator, and Govia Thameslink Railway, the Thameslink train operator, have met with the Fire Brigade to discuss the matter. We understand that the London Fire Brigade is content with the measures that have been put in place.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to publish guidance on the handling of family reunion cases under the Dublin III Regulations including clarifying responsibilities, procedures for unaccompanied children in Calais prior to any transfer, and ensuring that local authorities have sufficient funding and capacity to conduct assessments.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Dublin III Regulation sets out the criteria for determining responsibility for asylum cases and using discretionary powers. The procedures for dealing with an asylum seeker in Calais, including an unaccompanied child, are for the French authorities to determine, in line with their obligations under the Regulation. We are committed to making the Dublin Regulation work effectively and are in ongoing discussions with France, Italy and Greece to ensure that the right processes and resources are in place to enable this. We are also working with other EU Member States, the UNHCR and other non-governmental organisations and local authorities in the UK to establish the best way to implement the provisions of the Immigration Act 2016 for the transfer of unaccompanied refugee children from elsewhere in the EU to the UK.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Equal Rights Coalition, which was agreed at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The establishment of the Equal Rights Coalition, to which the United Kingdom was pleased to become a signatory at its launch at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference in Montevideo (13-15 July), is a positive step. Her Majesty’s Government believes that the Equal Rights Coalition has the potential to become a useful forum for exchanging ideas and best practice and for advocating progress in LGB&T rights. The Government looks forward to the further elaboration of the Coalition’s objectives in the coming months and supports the aim of widening its membership.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) policy his Department follows and (b) advice his Department gives to staff travelling to malarial regions regarding the use of Lariam as an anti-malarial drug; and what records his Department holds on the number of times (i) Lariam and (ii) alternative anti-malarial drugs have been prescribed to staff in his Department in the last three years.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follows guidance from the UK Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention (ACMP). The FCO provides medical advice to staff travelling to malarial regions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the age of the officer concerned, location and duration of stay. This might in some instances result in an officer being advised to take mefloquine (larium), but no officer is forced to do so. Any staff with concerns are encouraged to discuss with the FCO Healthline or their Regional Medical Advisor, as well as with their local clinic of healthcare provider. The FCO does not hold records on the numbers of staff prescribed mefloquine (larium) and alternative anti-malarial drugs.