Category: Speeches

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many European Economic Area citizens in the UK have permanent residence cards; and how many applications for such cards there have been in each of the last 12 months.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Under EU law, European Economic Area (EEA) nationals qualify for a right of permanent residence in the UK provided that certain conditions are met. The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living in the UK, and the only circumstances in which that would not be possible are if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return in the course of agreement with the EU.

    For those EEA nationals who are in the UK and have a right of permanent residence, it is not mandatory to apply for documentation confirming that right. Statistics of decisions and grants of permanent residence documentation issued to EEA nationals are published quarterly in table ee_02_q of Immigration Statistics. The most recent edition is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2016/list-of-tables#european-economic-area-eea

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on (a) temporary agency staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising in real terms in each year since 2010-11.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Administration has been assumed to be the Departmental Expenditure Limit Administrative spend and has been taken from the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2014/15 (Table 4, page 184).

    The information that is available is in the table below:

    The Department for Work and Pensions spent the following amounts:

    Temporary Agency Staff £m

    Consultants £m

    Administration £m

    2010/11

    30.8

    14.3

    5,610

    2011/12

    11.5

    8.7

    1,333

    2012/13

    12.6

    8.4

    1,180

    2013/14

    13.1

    11.7

    1,091

    2014/15

    31.1

    10.5

    894

    Information on marketing and advertising costs could only be provided at disproportionate cost. To put this into context, the cost of temporary agency staff was just over 1% of the Department’s paybill in 2014-15.

  • Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he took the National Crime Agency investigation into the Project Eagle loan sale by Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency to Cerberus into account in decisions on the sale of UK Asset Resolutions’ Granite Portfolio to Cerberus.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Cerberus was selected as the successful bidder for UK Asset Resolution (UKAR)’s Granite portfolio following a thorough due diligence process. Cerberus have confirmed to UKAR that their involvement in the Project Eagle loan sale was conducted with the utmost integrity; and have separately provided a detailed submission to the Northern Ireland Committee on Finance and Personnel, which conducted a full enquiry into the sale.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Bahrain on (a) the treatment of opposition leaders in that country and (b) medical facilities available to Hassan Mushaima.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain – including at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting which was most recently held in November 2015. The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet its human rights obligations, including the treatment of detainees in detention, and to honour all conventions to which it is a party. We are aware of the case of Hassan Mushaima and have raised it with the Government of Bahrain.

  • Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role the National College for Teaching and Learning has in formulating the criteria for qualified teacher status.

    Lord Nash

    The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) had no role in the formulation of the Teachers’ Standards. The Teachers’ Standards were published by the Secretary of State in 2011.

    The National College for Teaching and Leadership publishes the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Criteria. These set out entry, training, management and quality assurance criteria with which all accredited providers of ITT must comply. Ofsted uses these criteria when it inspects ITT providers.

    The Criteria are attached, and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/434608/ITT_criteria.pdf

    “

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the proposal that NHS England will only pay for patients participating in data collection under the new NICE conditional approval route.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have proposed that, where a drug is recommended for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), its entry into the Fund would be subject to the company agreeing to fund the collection of a pre-determined data set, during a period normally lasting no longer than 24 months, and a commercial access arrangement which is affordable within the available CDF budget.

    Access by eligible patients will not be restricted to the number of patients considered necessary for data collection, but any costs for treatment over and above this number will be paid for by the company.

    At its meeting on 25 February 2016, the NHS England Board agreed a way forward which will see the new operating model going live on 1 July 2016.

    The Accelerated Access Review is looking at ways to better use data on treatments and outcomes from initiatives, such as the CDF, to drive innovation, adoption and reimbursement of novel treatments.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which flood defence maintenance works were undertaken in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was of each of those works.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency regularly cleans and maintains several debris screens on the upper reaches of the Ormesby Beck, Middle Beck and Marton West Beck in Middlesbrough. Other maintenance works by the Environment Agency consist of works to maintain, or improve, the flow of water in rivers where it reduces flood risk to homes.

    In accordance with data retention rules, the Environment Agency does not hold financial records for more than five years. The table below outlines expenditure since 2011/12.

    2011 – 12

    2012 – 13

    2013 – 14

    2014 -15

    2015 – 16

    £1,370

    £22,990

    £21,730

    £16,920

    £116,220
  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what regulations address the criminal use of drones; and what plans the Government has to bring forward further regulations related to such activity.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There are a range of laws in place to regulate the use of drones, prevent criminal use, and enable enforcement action to be taken when needed.

    The Air Navigation Order 2009 (ANO) regulates the use of all aircraft, including drones, and provides for a range of offences to guard against criminal use. For example the offences of endangering the safety of an aircraft, and endangering the safety of any person or property, apply to the users of all drones. There are also offences specific to users of small drones, and those using drones for aerial works. Please see at the end of the answer below for a list of these provisions.

    The Civil Aviation (Insurance) Regulations 2005 deal with insurance requirements for drones, and contain offences to enforce these.

    Offences relating to personal data are provided for in the Data Protection Act 1998.

    Other legislation which is not aviation or transport specific may also be relevant to addressing criminal use of drones.

    On future regulation, a proposed new EU Regulation on aviation safety is currently being negotiated with the European Aviation Safety Agency and other EU Member States. This will apply to all drones.

    While the Government considers that there are comprehensive rules in place to guard against criminal use of drones, we continue to keep under careful review whether there is any need for further legislation in this area.

    Provisions in ANO which are enforced by offences listed in Schedule 13 ANO

    a) Relevant to all drones:

    • Article 137 – endangering safety of an aircraft
    • Article 138 – endangering safety of any person or property

    b) Relevant to drones above 20kg (those over 150kg have additional requirements to meet):

    • Article 3 – registration (unless comply with B Conditions – see Schedule 2 ANO)
    • Article 16 – certificate of airworthiness (unless comply with B Conditions)
    • Article 21 – issue of national permits to fly
    • Article 31 – dropping articles for purposes of agriculture etc
    • Article 129 – dropping of articles and animals

    c) Relevant to drones up to 20kg:

    • Article 166 – requirements for small unmanned aircraft

    Applying to person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft of 20kg or less (without fuel but including equipment):

    • article 166(1) – Causing or permitting an article or animal to be dropped from a small unmanned aircraft so as to endanger persons or property.
    • article 166(2) – Flying without being reasonably satisfied that the flight can be safely made.
    • article 166(3) – Failing to maintain direct, unaided visual contact sufficient to monitor flight path.
    • article 166(5) – Flying for the purposes of aerial work without permission.

    Applying to person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft 7kg – 20kg (without fuel but including equipment):

    • article 166(4)(a) – Flying in Class A, C, D or E airspace without the permission of the appropriate Air Traffic Control unit,
    • article 166(4)(b) – Flying within an Air Traffic Zone during the notified hours of watch without permission,
    • article 166(4)(c) – Flying at a height of more than 400ft above the surface unless within 166(4)(a) or (b).
    • Article 167 – requirements for small unmanned surveillance aircraft.

    Applying to person in charge of a small unmanned surveillance aircraft of 20kg or less (without fuel but including equipment):

    • article 167(1) – Flight over or within 150m of a congested area,
    • article 167(1) & (2)(b) – Flight over or within 150m of an organised open-air assembly or more than 1,000 persons without permission,
    • article 167(1) & (2)(c) – Flight within 50m of any vessel, vehicle or structure or person (not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft) without permission,
    • article 167(3) – Taking off within 30m of a person (not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft).
  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children in England have been detained in immigration removal centres in each year since 2015; how many of those children so detained have been deported; and how many children are still in detention.

    James Brokenshire

    In 2015, 133 children left detention, of which: 50 were removed, 81 were granted temporary admission or release and 2 for other reasons. As at 31 December there were no children held in detention.

    The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within Immigration Statistics. Information on those leaving detention is available in the latest release, Immigration Statistics: January to March 2016, table dt_09 from GOV.UK on the statistics web pages at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.

  • Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the imposition of broadband service cessation fees by providers who are unable to provide customers with adequate service.

    Matt Hancock

    Most major broadband providers have signed up to Ofcom’s Residential Broadband Speeds Code of Practice. This requires providers to give new customers, or customers who have changed their service, information on their guaranteed minimum speed. If a customer cannot get this guaranteed access line speed and providers are unable to resolve the problem, the Code states that providers must allow customers to leave their contract without penalty.