Category: Speeches

  • Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Police Federation of Northern Ireland on levels of recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I met representatives from the Police Federation of Northern Ireland (PFNI) in December 2015 to discuss a range of issues. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland also met the PFNI in March 2016.

    Levels of recruitment are an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on armed forces and civilian staff of the planned sale of RAF Henlow.

    Mark Lancaster

    Military personnel currently based at RAF Henlow will be relocated with their unit, the details of this relocation will be made clear later this year.

    Civilian staff will be expected to honour the mobility obligations if their post is being relocated. Where an individual’s post is being relocated outside the scope of their personal mobility obligation they will be managed in accordance with normal Departmental policy and processes.

    Trade Unions have been consulted and detailed discussions regarding civilian staff will take place well in advance of any closure.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, FCO, Tobias Ellwood MP on 20 July (HC6867), what assessment they have made of the legality of coalition airstrikes in Yemen, and to what extent that assessment differs from those produced by Human Rights Watch.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK supports the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition military intervention in Yemen, which came at the request of legitimate President Hadi to the UN Security Council, the Gulf Co-operation Council, and the Arab League for support by ‘all means and measures to protect Yemen and deter Houthi aggression’. We are aware of reports, including from Human Rights Watch, of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law by the Coalition. We have received repeated assurances from the Saudi Arabian-led coalition that they are complying with International Humanitarian Law and we continue to engage with them on those assurances. The Saudi Arabian authorities have their own internal procedures for investigations and we encourage them to be open and transparent in this. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law and international human rights law.

  • and (4) more than 30 – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    and (4) more than 30 – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by and (4) more than 30 on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, on the current definition of coasting”

    Earl of Courtown

    No school can be defined as coasting under the government’s proposed coasting definition until after the 2016 results are available. The definition of coasting is determined by performance over a three year period.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to support farmers in obtaining fair production contracts with supermarkets.

    George Eustice

    The Government introduced the Groceries Code Adjudicator so farmers receive fair contracting, adherence to the code, from supermarkets.

    We are also pursuing a host of measures, including better branding and labelling in supermarkets, to improve the stability of the industry and help farming businesses to become more resilient and take advantage of the growing demand for British food both at home and overseas.

    I have recently spoken to all the major supermarkets to encourage them to source more British produce, to promote British produce at point of sale and to consider greater use of aligned contracts linked to cost of production.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the new grading system for GCSEs on students of Latin and Greek; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to encourage provision of public sector work experience placements for 14 to 19 year-olds in education.

    Nick Boles

    We encourage all employers, including those in the public sector, to provide quality work experience opportunities, and government guidance is available.

    Additionally, the government works in partnership with Movement to Work to offer placements in the Civil Service and we encourage all public sector bodies to offer traineeships, which include a quality work placement, and are available for 16-24 year olds.

    In January, the Prime Minister gave a speech focusing on life chances during which he expressed his wish to set out a plan for using work experience more creatively. We are well aware that work experience can be a transformative opportunity, and we look forward to receiving the Lord Sainsbury-led Independent Panel Report on Technical and Professional Education which we expect will make recommendations in this area.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Care Quality Commission report, British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS-Richmond, Quality Report, published in November 2015, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to abortion clinics on consultation on disposal arrangement following terminations.

    Jane Ellison

    The termination of pregnancies is a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and must meet all of the relevant Regulations under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, including meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety, which includes independent sector termination of pregnancy providers and managers. The CQC is responsible for monitoring and, where appropriate, inspecting providers in relation to their ongoing compliance with meeting those requirements. Independent sector providers are also required to comply with the Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures which the CQC inspect against.

    The CQC has made a public commitment to undertake inspection of all independent providers of termination of pregnancy services using their new inspection approach and will continue to respond to risk as appropriate and take regulatory action as required.

    On the issue of whether the Department plans to issue guidance to abortion clinics on consultation on disposal arrangements following termination, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 April 2016 to Question 32357.

    We have no plans to issue guidance to abortion clinics on the administration of drugs. The administration of drugs is managed through the CQC’s fundamental standards and through inspection visits.

    “

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the funding which Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services received from the public purse has been recovered by the Government; and if he will establish an investigation into that body’s handling of its finances.

    Ben Gummer

    This is a matter for Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which managed the contract with Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services (CNCS).

    NHS England advises that the CCG has paid CNCS the sums it was contractually due. The CCG will endeavour to recover costs incurred as a result of the provider failure.

    Local commissioners will conduct a review of the contract with CNCS, and the contingency process, to see if procurement processes can be strengthened in the future.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the resources available for the development of UK policies towards the UN, the UN Security Council, UN operational agencies, and international financial institutions.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government regularly reviews resources devoted to supporting policy development on key multilateral institutions, including the UN and international financial institutions.