Category: Speeches

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of intermediaries were used for (a) witnesses, (b) victims and (c) defendants in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

    Mike Penning

    In 2015, 7% of initial requests from the police and Crown Prosecution Service for a Registered Intermediary were related to witnesses (who were not victims in the case) and 93% to victims. We do not have a figure for how many of these victims then gave evidence as a witness. Information on intermediaries for defendants and the use of non-registered intermediaries is not held centrally.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the frequency of rocket attacks from the West Bank into Israel in the last 12 months.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have not received reports of incidents of rocket fire from the West Bank into Israel . However, military groups in Gaza (including Hamas’ military wing), conduct test-firing of rockets into the Mediterranean on a regular basis. There have also been reports of rocket or mortar fire from Gaza towards Israel.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Turkey since the recent terrorist bombing in Ankara; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government condemns the attacks in Ankara on 13 March and in Istanbul on 19 March. The UK stands in solidarity with Turkey, a NATO ally and valued partner for the UK. As noted in our travel advice, the threat from terrorism remains high, with the Kurdish separatist PKK, Daesh and other terrorist organisations continuing to plan and carry out attacks. The UK condemns terrorism in all its forms, and is clear that PKK terrorist attacks must end. We welcome Turkey’s invaluable contribution to the international campaign against Daesh as a member of the Global Coalition committed to defeating it.

  • 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, who is leading the team which will undertake the national security checking of the text of the Iraq Inquiry report.

    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 types of data they envisage bus companies outside London will have to make available under the provisions of the Bus Services Bill.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The provisions of the Bus Services Bill enable the creation of a single repository of information that could contain information about routes, timetables, fares and tickets, as well as live information about bus arrival times. The information would be open to the public and could be used by software developers to create, for example, information applications for mobile devices.

    The detail of what information is to be provided, and in what format, will be developed through close consultation with bus operators, local transport authorities and potential users and will be included in secondary legislation subject to the affirmative procedure.

  • 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), which Muslim organisations affected by the withdrawal of banking services they continue to work closely with…to better understand their experiences and encourage dialogue with the banking sector”; how that working closely manifests itself; and what is their assessment of the outcomes of that close working.”

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Ministers and officials have received representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals who have been affected by account closure. Officials have discussed the issue of access to banking with individual Muslim organisations as well as representative groups such as the Muslim Charities Forum and Bond.

    The Government remains concerned about the growth of de-risking and the implications it has for NGOs, economic growth, financial inclusion and financial stability. We recognise that this trend remains a global problem, and have taken concrete steps to address this. We put the issue on the G20 agenda in 2015 and, closer to home, we have encouraged the banking sector to produce new guidance to help those affected by de-risking to open a UK bank account, by setting out what information banks will require in order to comply with relevant regulation and the questions they will need to ask. We have encouraged those affected to consider using their bank’s formal complaint service or, if they believe they have been treated unfairly or unreasonably, to consider referring the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service. We have also encouraged those affected to use the Business Account Finder provided by MoneyFacts to locate an alternative account provider.

    In order to continue dialogue with the NGO community on these matters, a Government-NGO Working Group will shortly be convened to explore concerns and identify solutions on the impact of regulation and banking practices on NGO operations in fragile states. The group will examine the specific challenges faced in getting aid into hard-to-reach communities.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department is providing for children displaced in the Iraq conflict against Daesh; and what that funding will be used for.

    Rory Stewart

    On 21 September, the UK announced an extra £40 million of humanitarian funding to Iraq, taking our total commitment to £169.5 million since June 2014. This new support will be targeted specifically to enable a scale up of humanitarian assistance ahead of Mosul operations. An element of this support will aim to help protect civilians displaced as a result of the operations – including children.

    The UK is the largest contributor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, through which the UK has helped thousands of displaced girls and boys to receive education, vaccinations and other forms of support. Our assistance also includes cash programming, which provides the most vulnerable Iraqis with the opportunity to purchase items to address their most urgent needs. For instance, it gives parents the opportunity to buy medicines, clothing and other necessities for their children.

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding her Department plans to allocate to domestic and sexual violence support services after April 2016; and for how long she plans for that funding to be available.

    Karen Bradley

    Tackling violence against women and girls remains a priority for this Government. Allocation of funding for domestic and sexual violence support services is dependent on the outcome of the Spending Review.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what were the total receipts from the sale of Government assets (a) from 1 January to 7 May 2015 and (b) from 8 May 2015 to date; and whether any further such sales are expected to take place before the end of the calendar year.

    Greg Hands

    Reporting on asset sales is made on a financial year basis in departmental accounts. During the 2014-15 financial year the government received £4.2bn from sales of financial assets and £0.2bn from other commercial and financial assets. The timing of any further transactions is a commercial matter and the Government does not forecast exact timing of all sales within a particular fiscal year. Around £30bn of sales are expected in total during 2015-16.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to require the DVLA immediately to (a) suspend the driving licences of people suspected to have drug-related seizures and (b) require such people to undergo medical tests before their suspension can be lifted.

    Andrew Jones

    The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to revoke a driving licence after appropriate medical investigations have been carried out. In cases where a drug related seizure has been confirmed after medical investigations, the DVLA is able to immediately revoke a licence for a minimum of six months. The licence will only be restored when it has been confirmed that the driver has been free from drug misuse or dependence for an appropriate period. It will normally be necessary for independent medical assessment, including appropriate tests and consultant reports, to be carried out before the driving licence is restored.