Category: Speeches

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart to request that he (a) take steps to protect trade unionists who have received death threats in the Valle del Cauca region and (b) establish who is responsible for those threats.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Whilst I cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country, I raised human rights concerns with the Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister during the UN General Assembly in September and again with the Colombian Ambassador in November. I continue to urge the Colombian authorities to ensure justice for all victims of the conflict and to thoroughly investigate threats.

    Our Embassy in Bogotá takes every opportunity to urge the Colombian Government to take further measures to prevent violence and threats against human rights defenders including trade unionists. Our Ambassador in Bogota recently raised concerns about human rights defenders with both Colombian Interior Minister and the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights. Furthermore, this year we are funding a Colombian NGO to develop protection measures for human rights defenders in rural areas. Our Embassy will continue to raise these issues in regular meetings with the Colombian government.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Jenrick on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of sanctioned Iranian assets that have been released by (a) UK Government and (b) other UK entities since the conclusion of the agreement with that country in May 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    I refer my Honourable friend to the written answer I gave on 10 March 2016 (Ref: 29924).

  • 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, what criteria will be used to decide what material will be redacted from the Iraq Inquiry report during the national security checking process.

    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 use greener fuel.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    A series of measures have been brought in in recent years to encourage bus operators to use greener fuels.

    Under the Green Bus Fund which ran from 2009-2014, £89m of Government funding helped purchase over 1200 buses. These vehicles met strict rules covering reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, compared with ordinary buses, taking into account both the production and consumption of the fuel. The Low Emission Bus Scheme (LEBS), announced last year, will provide over £30m to help buy several hundred more low emission buses.

    The Government is also encouraging the uptake of greener vehicles through the Bus Service Operators Grant low carbon emission bus incentive under which eligible services receive an additional 6p per kilometre.

    The Bus Services Bill, which was introduced into the House of Lords on 19th May, will provide local transport authorities with new powers to specify the emission standards to be met by local bus services – including through franchising and, with sufficient support from bus operators, under enhanced partnership arrangements.

    The Government has also invested over £26m since 2011 under the Clean Bus and Clean Vehicle Technology Funds for local authorities in pollution hotspots across England to retrofit 1000s of buses, and other vehicles, with pollution reducing technology. This includes converting some buses to either natural gas or to electric propulsion.

  • 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), what steps they are taking with regard to the withdrawal of banking services to encourage banks to take a risk-based approach and to ensure that the measures they take are effective and proportionate; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which that encouragement has been effective.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The government engages regularly with the banking industry and those affected by de-risking in order to facilitate communication. The aim of this is to improve banks’ understanding of how affected sectors work and to improve affected sectors’ understanding of how they can best meet the banks’ requirements for providing services. This process has led to the British Bankers’ Association developing tailored ‘access to banking’ guidance for affected sectors.

    The government continues to work with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who recently published research into the withdrawal of banking services. The FCA are also working with the banking industry to lessen the damaging effects of de-risking without constraining banks’ commercial freedom.

    Internationally, the UK has been instrumental in making de-risking a priority for the G20 and the Financial Stability Board. The government is working with the Bank of England and the FCA on internationally agreed guidance to financial institutions that will clarify regulatory expectations, making their responsibilities clearer to allow a more risk-based approach and better appraisal of risks.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what prisons and security-related sales and services the UK is (a) contracted to provide and (b) planning to provide to other countries in (i) 2017, (ii) 2018 and (iii) 2019.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    As has been announced previously we want the Ministry of Justice to focus firmly on its domestic reform programmes. NOMS continues to be committed to supporting international cross government priorities but does not provide commercial services to other jurisdictions, and has no plans to do so in the future.

    The National Offender Management Service can provide foreign jurisdictions access to a range of information covered by Crown Copyright, including accredited programmes and related assessments and training where there is no, or minimal impact upon resources. This material is delivered in return for a fee, under a licence agreement. The fee is charged on the basis of cost recovery only.

  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ratify the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

    Karen Bradley

    The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention in June 2012 and this Government remains committed to its ratification.

    The UK already complies with the vast majority of the articles through our comprehensive work to protect women and girls from violence, including criminalising forced marriage as required by the Convention. However, primary legislation will be required to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before ratification. The Government is liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including any further legislative steps necessary.

    The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and will only commit to such ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles. We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, end Female Genital Mutilation and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad.

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much from the Funding for Lending scheme has been lent to small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) Scotland and (b) Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency.

    Harriett Baldwin

    UK banks and building societies that participate in in the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) are able to borrow funding from the Bank of England, with the amount they are able to borrow (their ‘borrowing allowance’) linked to their net lending performance. FLS usage and lending data is published on the Bank of England website at the following link: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Pages/FLS/extensiondata.aspx

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 19163, what assessment his Department has made of reasons for changes in the level of prosecutions for tachograph violations.

    Andrew Jones

    Although the numbers of prosecutions in relation to drivers’ hours and tachograph offences decreased in 2014/15 from previous years, the number of offences found actually increased. In 2013/14 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency found 10,283 drivers’ hours and tachograph offences, whereas in 2014/15 DVSA found 15,183.

    The main reason for the decrease in prosecution figures was a drive to deal with all but the most serious offences by way of fixed penalty, freeing up court time and making more effective and efficient use of enforcement resources in line with Government policy.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS trust chief executives have become private sector consultants after leaving that post.

    Ben Gummer

    We do not hold information on the employment of chief executives after they have left the National Health Service.