Category: Speeches

  • Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of security at London City Airport after the recent protestor security breach.

    Mr John Hayes

    We keep aviation security under constant review. The Civil Aviation Authority, as regulator, has carried out a full investigation of the incident on 6 September, and will continue to monitor London City Airport’s response to the incident and subsequent investigation. For obvious reasons we would not comment publicly on the details of this response.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer on improving the environment as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

    Rory Stewart

    Improving the environment is essential for providing the natural resources that underpin our economic success. We also want to see businesses whose products improve the environment grow. As a member of the Informal Ministerial Group on the Northern Powerhouse, I have discussed with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and other Ministerial colleagues ways in which a healthy environment and economic growth in the north of England go together.

  • Catherine West – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Catherine West – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether apprentices are required to achieve a Level 1 qualification, including mathematics and English, in order (a) to be entered for an Intermediate Level Apprenticeship and (b) for entries to be in accordance with the Specification of Apprenticeships Standards for England.

    Nick Boles

    In order to maximise accessibility, there are no centrally set entry requirements to start an apprenticeship. However, as apprenticeships are jobs with training, individual employers may set their own entry requirements for a specific apprenticeship.

    The government does set requirements relating to training and achievement in English and maths during apprenticeships. This is because English and maths are fundamental to career progression and access to further learning.

    All apprenticeship frameworks must comply with the Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE). Under SASE, English and maths qualifications are a mandatory component of all Intermediate and Advanced apprenticeships. However, all adult apprentices are assessed for prior learning, and people who start an apprenticeship with current English and maths qualifications at the right level need not repeat these.

    We are reforming apprenticeships to ensure that they are based on standards designed by employers.The government sets minimum requirements for apprenticeship standards, though employers are able to go further in the standards they design. They are able to specify a higher level of English and/or maths achievement or to specify a particular qualification or qualifications where this is needed for a particular occupation or sector. . The minimum requirements are – passing level 1 English and maths and taking the test for level 2 before taking the end-point assessment for an intermediate apprenticeship; and passing level 2 English and maths before taking the end-point assessment for an advanced or higher apprenticeship.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the five items most commonly recorded by the Incident Report System are; and how many of each such item were recorded in the last year for which figures are available.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • 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 recent discussions he has had with the Saudi Arabian government on tackling the spread of Daesh in the Middle East.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We regularly hold discussions with Saudi Arabia about the threat from Daesh. Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of international efforts to defeat Daesh and was one of the first countries to participate in air strikes against Daesh in Syria. The King and the religious establishment continue clearly and publicly to condemn Daesh and its poisonous ideology, and to emphasise that Daesh do not in any way represent the teachings of Islamic faith.

    The Saudi Arabian Government is working to reduce the threat that religious extremists pose in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. It has a comprehensive set of laws in place to prevent terrorist financing, which it enforces vigorously. We welcome the recent announcement of the creation of the Islamic Military Coalition which, among other things, aims to help Islamic countries to counter the threat from terrorism. Regional and Arab countries are best placed to tackle extremism and confront Daesh on the ground.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on protecting the rights of citizens with dual British and Chinese nationality living in Hong Kong.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    During his meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on 5 January and in London on 4 February, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), stressed the importance of respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all residents of Hong Kong. He also made clear our expectations that the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law for Hong Kong should be respected. During those meetings, China reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy.

    During the visit to London by Hong Kong Chief Executive C Y Leung on 15 and 16 October 2015, the Foreign Secretary and I also discussed with him the importance of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and the need to preserve the rights and freedoms which are enshrined in the Joint Declaration.

    The Foreign Secretary’s most recent six-monthly report to the House, published on 11 February (covering the period 1 July–31 December 2015), urged “the Chinese and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region governments to reassure the people of Hong Kong that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents will continue to be fully protected, and respected by all, in accordance with the Joint Declaration and Basic Law.” The report also stated that “while we assess that during the reporting period ‘One Country, Two Systems’ has, in very many areas, continued to function well, there have been some areas which have given grounds for concern. These revolve principally around the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, including academic freedom and the freedom of the press.” We will continue to raise such issues with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.

    We aim to provide consular assistance to all British citizens, and to dual nationals in their country of other nationality in exceptional circumstances, in line with our consular guidance. We acknowledge that some countries do not accept dual nationality.

    In the case of British citizen Mr Lee Po, the Government continues to call at the highest level on the Chinese Government for his
    immediate return to Hong Kong. Despite formal requests which we continue to make, we have not been granted consular access to Mr Lee. We also stand ready to provide consular assistance to Mr Lee’s family.

    The Government will continue to monitor rights and freedoms in Hong Kong through the Foreign Secretary’s six-monthly reports.

    The full report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/six-monthly-report-on-hong-kong-july-to-december-2015

    “

  • 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, how many officials will be involved in the national securing 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 plans they have to require bus operators to collaborate to make bus journeys more integrated.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Bus operators and local transport authorities can work together to improve bus services for passengers through voluntary arrangements and statutory partnerships. The Bus Services Bill will improve the range of partnership options available to authorities and operators.

    The Bill will make the statutory partnership schemes more attractive by removing the requirement that the scheme must involve the provision of specific facilities. The Bill will also create a new enhanced partnership arrangement. This will enable local transport authorities to set the frequency and timing of specific services, introduce a zonal ticketing scheme, mandate types of payment that must be accepted, and require certain information to be given to passengers. Any proposals must receive sufficient support from the bus operators before they can be introduced.

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

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Competition and Markets Authority about the potential contents of secondary legislation and guidance needed to complement the Bus Services Bill [HL].

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We have worked closely with the Competition and Markets Authority in developing the Bill and will continue to do so as we prepare guidance and secondary legislation. We have received several recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority and we are currently reflecting on these and will respond in due course.

  • Jo Churchill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jo Churchill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Churchill on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many decisions taken on claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment have been appealed in (i) Bury St Edmunds (ii) Suffolk and (iii) the UK in each of the last five years; and how many of those appeals have been successful.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    I refer the honourable member to the answers given to PQ 43251 on 18 July 2016 and PQ 44405 on 12 September 2016.