Category: Speeches

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

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 15 February (HL5803), what assessment they have made of the criticisms of the admissions practices of a significant number of religiously selective schools in the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association; and what action they are taking to stop any such practices.

    Lord Nash

    Schools which are found by the Schools Adjudicator to have aspects of their admission arrangements which do not comply with the Schools Admissions Code are required to amend their arrangements to ensure they are compliant.

    The Department carefully considers the recommendations of the Chief Schools Adjudicator, as well as feedback from parents and other members of the sector. Where we consider changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department provides for local authorities to share best practice on adult social work.

    Alistair Burt

    Raising the quality and consistency of social work practice remains a priority for the Department and for Government. We continue to provide local authorities with the tools and resources to enable them to share good practice.

    Principal Social Workers are now in place in nearly every local authority and a number of National Health Service trusts, responsible for strong practice leadership in their organisations. They are supported by strong national and regional networks, with links to regional Association of Directors of Adult Social Services networks, helping to identify and share good social work practice. A statement on the role and the responsibility of local authorities to appoint a principal social worker in adult social care, has been included in revised statutory guidance accompanying the Care Act, which the Department published on 10 March.

    In addition, the Department is working with Skills for Care and the Social Care Institute for Excellence to assist local authorities in the implementation of the Care Act and the sharing of best practice across the whole of the adult social care sector, including social work.

  • Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has provided support to developing countries to formulate regulations on mobile financial services.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Work to support formulation and improvements to regulations on mobile financial services is a key part of DFID’s portfolio of financial sector programmes around mobile financial services across Africa and Asia. The UK is also an active advocate at the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), including as co-chair of the key subgroup on regulation and standard-setting bodies.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35934, on epilepsy: death, when he plans to publish a report containing the information collected from GP clinical systems referred to in that Answer.

    Alistair Burt

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre publish their reports for indicators that are no longer on the Quality and Outcomes Framework such as EP002 and EP003 on epilepsy. The latest publication was on 22 March 2016 for the year 2014/15. The report can be found here:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB18887/qof-1415-Report%20v1.1.pdf

    There are no plans to publish data relating to epilepsy deaths.

    “

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to reassure European students studying abroad in Britain that the outcome of the EU referendum will not lead to changes to the tuition fee arrangements of those students.

    Joseph Johnson

    The law determining eligibility for student finance is unchanged. EU nationals who have resided in the EEA for at least three years are granted “home” fee status for the duration of their courses. This is the case for all eligible EU nationals currently studying in English universities, and for those beginning courses in the 2016/17 Academic year.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to ensure that all EU citizens living in the UK will receive proof of their right to remain in the UK before any restrictions on new EU citizens are introduced; and how it will ensure there is sufficient operational capacity for such plans.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The government has been clear that it wants to protect the rights 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. The government will seek to address this issue as part of the wider negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU to ensure fair treatment of British citizens living in the EU.

    EU nationals currently in the UK do not need to apply for any additional documentation in support of their status exercising treaty rights.

  • Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-11-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people making use of new pension freedoms have sought professional, regulated financial advice since April 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government does not hold the information requested.

    However, the Government is committed to ensuring that all consumers can access high quality, affordable advice so they can make informed decisions about their hard-earned money.

    That is why the Treasury has launched, jointly with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Financial Advice Market Review which will examine how consumers can best be provided with the help and advice the need.

    The Treasury and the FCA published a Call for Input on 12 October seeking views from all interested parties on how financial advice could work better for consumers. The Call for Input will run until 22 December and the review will report back with proposals ahead of Budget 2016.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of why representatives of the cantons of Rojava were not invited to the recent conference of Syrian opposition groups in Riyadh, and whether they will call for their inclusion in any future meetings.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Kurds will play an important role in a political settlement for Syria. Members of all major communities of Syrian society participated in the Riyadh Opposition Conference. This included minorities such as the Kurds in the major political parties. Opposition representatives agreed to form a “High Negotiating Committee” to negotiate with the Syrian regime, under the auspices of the UN. The International Syria Support Group has agreed that protecting the rights of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity or religious domination is fundamental. The UK will continue to advocate this, as the political discussions continue.

  • Christina Rees – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Christina Rees – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish the results of its consultation on the review of the BBC’s Royal Charter.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    I refer the honourable member to my response to PQ 22672, submitted to Parliament on 19 January.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings have been held between the new UK Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and that country’s government, and what access the UK non-resident defence attaché to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has had within that country since their appointment.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    On 24 December 2015 our Ambassador in Pyongyang met Kim Yong Nam, the President of the Supreme People Assembly, to present his credentials. Since then our Ambassador has called on senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government departments. The non-resident Defence Attaché meets officials from the Korean People’s Army during his visits to Pyongyang and most recently attended events held in October 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers Party of Korea.