Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further representations they have made to the government of Israel to enable the legal team headed by Baroness Scotland of Asthal that produced the report Children in Military Custody to re-visit and assess progress in that area.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not made any further representations to enable the legal team to meet with Government of Israel. The issue of children in detention is a human rights priority for the UK. We are considering alternative options to encourage further progress.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total budget was for West Midlands police force in each of the last seven years.

    Brandon Lewis

    Details of core Government funding to Police and Crime Commissioners (and previously Police Authorities) are published annually in the Police Grant Report. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-finance Figures for 2010-11 to 2016-17 are shown below for information. Police and Crime Commissioners are required to publish annual group accounts showing the budget and expenditure for their respective police forces and their own offices, including precept and other local income. For West Midlands Police, these are available at http://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/transparency/budgetary-and-financial-information/statements-of-accounts

    Year

    Core Government funding (£)

    2010/11

    504,297,082

    2011/12

    497,784,836

    2012/13

    464,421,955

    2013/14

    472,809,895

    2014/15

    456,919,964

    2015/16

    433,573,284

    2016/17

    431,099,809

    Note: Some specific grants have been rolled into core Government funding over this period, including in 2012/13, the Neighbourhood Policing Fund and in 2014/15, the Community Safety Fund. This affects comparison between the figures over the period. Additionally, core funding previously paid by DCLG became part of Home Office core funding in 2013/14. These figures are included in all years to aid comparison.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alistair Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the UK has been asked to use the discretionary powers in Article 17 of the Dublin Regulation EC No 604/2013 since that regulation came into force; and how many of those requests resulted in the UK taking charge of an applicant under that Article.

    James Brokenshire

    We can confirm that the Home Office received 29 requests under Article 17.1 and 17.2 of the Dublin III Regulations, of those requests 14 were accepted. These figures are based on requests received between January 2014 to November 2015.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tommy Sheppard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UN assesses that the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) is a protracted protection crisis with humanitarian consequences. According to the UN, Palestinians in the OPTs face a range of serious threats including threats to life, liberty and security, destruction of homes and other property, forced displacement, and restrictions on freedom of movement and access to livelihoods.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of (a) known available oil and gas reserves and (b) reserves estimated to be found as a result of fracking she plans to be left unexploited.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The amount of exploitable oil and gas reserves is determined by their commercial viability, which is a decision for industry. The shale gas industry in the UK is still at a very early stage and production has not yet started. The Government will not be able to forecast the scale or timing of shale development until the results from first exploration sites are available and it is possible to estimate the extent of gas that can be technically and commercially recovered.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the light of the number of cyber attacks against them in 2015.

    Baroness Shields

    The Government’s National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) aims to tackle cyber crime and make the UK the safest place in the world to do business in the world. This includes the Cyber Essentials Scheme to protect businesses against common cyber threats and the cyber streetwise campaign which offers simple cyber security advice to small businesses and consumers. In addition to the £860 million investment under the NCSP between 2011-2016, in November 2015 the Chancellor announced a new five year £1.9 billion investment in cyber security to make the UK one of the best protected countries in cyber space.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether Government spending in support of the remain campaign for the EU referendum is counted towards the total campaign spending for that campaign.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    During the referendum period ahead of the EU Referendum, which will run from 15 April to 23 June 2016, there are rules that campaigners must follow on spending, donations and reporting. These are set out under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). Spending from public funds is not covered by these rules.

    Section 125 of PPERA does place restrictions on the publication of promotional material by UK and devolved governments and Ministers during the 28 day period before a referendum. Publishing information and arguments for or against the UK remaining or leaving the EU or materials designed to encourage people to vote a certain way are covered by these restrictions. These restrictions will apply between 27 May and 23 June 2016.

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offences with code (a) 17B, (b) 19D, (c) 19E, (d) 19H, (e) 20B, (f) 21, (g) 22B, (h) 74, and (i) 88A under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 were brought to trial in Greater Manchester in each year since 2008; how many such trials resulted in convictions under each category; and what the conviction rate was for such offences in Greater Manchester in that period.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The number of defendants tried at and found guilty at Crown Courts in Greater Manchester, from 2008 to 2014, for selected sexual offences (with conviction ratio in this area) can be viewed in the attached table.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33790, if he will raise with the UK’s European partners allowing Yazidi women in Iraq temporary residence in European countries to access medical and psychological support after rape and torture by Daesh.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain extremely concerned by the barbarity and inhumanity which Daesh has shown towards all Iraq’s communities, and welcome European partners’ support to the humanitarian response

    We understand the depth of feeling at the suffering which Yezidi women have experienced, and calls for them to be granted temporary residence. Our priority is providing assistance to Yezidi women, and other vulnerable Iraqis, within Iraq. We can help more people through providing aid in Iraq compared to bringing people to the UK.

    Through the Department for International Development we have committed £79.5 million to the humanitarian effort to help those who have fled Daesh’s brutality in Iraq. This support is reaching hundreds of thousands of people across the country, including the most vulnerable groups, which includes Yezidis. UK aid has provided medicine, emergency kits, psychological support, clean water and improved sanitation, shelter and cash assistance. The UK is the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund. This is providing life-saving maternal and child health-care, child protection services, and specialised support for escapees of Daesh terror.

    All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity.

  • Lord Evans of Weardale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Evans of Weardale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Evans of Weardale on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the murder of Jo Cox MP, whether they plan to introduce national co-ordinating arrangements to provide a consistent level of security assistance to MPs or members of the House of Lords who have received direct or implicit threats as a result of their parliamentary duties; and if not, why not.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Following threats to MPs following the Parliamentary debates on Syria late last year, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), the police, the Home Office and the House of Commons Security Department worked together to review the security measures available for MPs. Revised security advice and guidance, and a process to access funding for standardised security measures was sent to all MPs in January. In addition enhanced security arrangements are developed on the basis of specific intelligence.

    These measures have been reviewed in light of the tragic murder of Jo Cox. Where Members of either House are subject to abusive behaviour or receive threats, these should always be reported to the police.