Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Barker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Barker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Barker on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provision they have made to include disabled cyclists within the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government will work to increase awareness of both the use of cycles as a mobility aid and the need for discretion when implementing ‘cyclist dismount’ regulations in public areas, including stations.

    We recently consulted on the draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy and as part of the consultation sought views on how to increase cycling and walking in typically under-represented groups, including disabled people. The Government is in the process of analysing responses to the consultation and will publish a Government Response later this summer.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people the Government sought to deport from the UK in 2015-16 where the immigration status application had not been finally determined.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    All removals adhere to existing legislative requirements contained within the Home Office Enforcement Instructions and Guidance, available at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapters-46-to-62-detention-and-removals

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent animal crime in relation to the import and export of horses before the implementation of the Equine Identification Regulations.

    George Eustice

    Defra is taking a number of steps to simplify and strengthen existing rules for horses. These include implementation of new tighter EU legislation for equine identification, introduction of a new UK equine database recording horse identification information, and continuing to take an intelligence-led and risk based approach to enforcing the regulatory framework which relates to the domestic and international trade in horses.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff were employed by full-time equivalence (a) in total and (b) by region in the National Apprenticeship Service in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2014-15; and how many staff will be employed by full-time equivalence in the National Apprenticeship Service in (A) 2015-16, (B) 2016-17 and (C) 2017-18.

    Nick Boles

    The National Apprenticeships Service is housed within the Skills Funding Agency. The tables below outline the total number of staff employed by full-time equivalence and by region in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2014-15; and how many staff will be employed by full-time equivalence in (A) 2015-16, (B) 2016-17 and (C) 2017-18.

    *The Skills Funding Agency is unable to forecast future headcount.

    Year

    Total

    Region

    2010-11 (as at 31 March 2011)

    Headcount 382

    East Midlands – 33 East of England – 32 London – 37 North East – 26 North West – 36 South East – 33 South West – 35 West Midlands – 27 Yorkshire & Humber – 36 National – 87

    2012-13 (as at 31 March 2013)

    Headcount 340

    London – 54 Central – 66 North East – 64 North West – 40 South East – 39 South West – 51 National – 26

    2014-15 (as at 31 March 2015)

    Headcount 317

    London – 54 Central – 66 North East – 64 North West – 40 South East – 51 South West – 39 National – 3

    2015-16 (as at 11.12.15)

    Headcount 245

    N/A

    2016-17*

    Not available

    N/A

    2017-18*

    Not available

    N/A

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2016 to Question 22284, how many members of (a) the National Tactical Response Group and (b) Tornado Teams have been injured during a call out at HM Prison Oakwood in each of the last three years.

    Andrew Selous

    There have been zero injuries to members of the National Tactical Response Group and Tornado Teams during a callout at HM Prison Oakwood in each of the last three years.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart to request that he (a) take steps to protect trade unionists who have received death threats in the Valle del Cauca region and (b) establish who is responsible for those threats.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Whilst I cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country, I raised human rights concerns with the Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister during the UN General Assembly in September and again with the Colombian Ambassador in November. I continue to urge the Colombian authorities to ensure justice for all victims of the conflict and to thoroughly investigate threats.

    Our Embassy in Bogotá takes every opportunity to urge the Colombian Government to take further measures to prevent violence and threats against human rights defenders including trade unionists. Our Ambassador in Bogota recently raised concerns about human rights defenders with both Colombian Interior Minister and the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights. Furthermore, this year we are funding a Colombian NGO to develop protection measures for human rights defenders in rural areas. Our Embassy will continue to raise these issues in regular meetings with the Colombian government.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Jenrick on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of sanctioned Iranian assets that have been released by (a) UK Government and (b) other UK entities since the conclusion of the agreement with that country in May 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    I refer my Honourable friend to the written answer I gave on 10 March 2016 (Ref: 29924).

  • Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria will be used to decide what material will be redacted from the Iraq Inquiry report during the national security checking process.

    Matthew Hancock

    The following Departments will be involved in National Security checking: Cabinet Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and the Intelligence Agencies.

    National Security checking will ensure that the Government meets its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights so that on publication the lives or safety of individuals are not put at risk. It will also ensure that publication of the report will not compromise national security.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to require bus operators to use greener fuel.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    A series of measures have been brought in in recent years to encourage bus operators to use greener fuels.

    Under the Green Bus Fund which ran from 2009-2014, £89m of Government funding helped purchase over 1200 buses. These vehicles met strict rules covering reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, compared with ordinary buses, taking into account both the production and consumption of the fuel. The Low Emission Bus Scheme (LEBS), announced last year, will provide over £30m to help buy several hundred more low emission buses.

    The Government is also encouraging the uptake of greener vehicles through the Bus Service Operators Grant low carbon emission bus incentive under which eligible services receive an additional 6p per kilometre.

    The Bus Services Bill, which was introduced into the House of Lords on 19th May, will provide local transport authorities with new powers to specify the emission standards to be met by local bus services – including through franchising and, with sufficient support from bus operators, under enhanced partnership arrangements.

    The Government has also invested over £26m since 2011 under the Clean Bus and Clean Vehicle Technology Funds for local authorities in pollution hotspots across England to retrofit 1000s of buses, and other vehicles, with pollution reducing technology. This includes converting some buses to either natural gas or to electric propulsion.

  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 12 July (HL883), what steps they are taking with regard to the withdrawal of banking services to encourage banks to take a risk-based approach and to ensure that the measures they take are effective and proportionate; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which that encouragement has been effective.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The government engages regularly with the banking industry and those affected by de-risking in order to facilitate communication. The aim of this is to improve banks’ understanding of how affected sectors work and to improve affected sectors’ understanding of how they can best meet the banks’ requirements for providing services. This process has led to the British Bankers’ Association developing tailored ‘access to banking’ guidance for affected sectors.

    The government continues to work with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who recently published research into the withdrawal of banking services. The FCA are also working with the banking industry to lessen the damaging effects of de-risking without constraining banks’ commercial freedom.

    Internationally, the UK has been instrumental in making de-risking a priority for the G20 and the Financial Stability Board. The government is working with the Bank of England and the FCA on internationally agreed guidance to financial institutions that will clarify regulatory expectations, making their responsibilities clearer to allow a more risk-based approach and better appraisal of risks.