Category: Speeches

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 10 May 2016 to Questions 36574 and 36576, in what way his Department carried out its assessment of the human rights situation in Tibet; and for what reasons the 2015 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy contained no relevant information on that situation.

    Alok Sharma

    Our assessment of the situation of Tibet is based on range of credible sources and information gathered by diplomats and officials. I draw the Hon. Members attention to the most recent version (updated in July 2016) of the Human Rights and Democracy report where we outline a number of concerns relating to Tibet. We raise these concerns regularly, for example I raised two Tibetan cases involving freedom of expression (Tashi Wangchuk and Druklo (Shokjang)) with the Chinese Ambassador on 1 August.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will increase investment in decentralised renewable energy to benefit the world’s poorest people.

    James Wharton

    The UK Government is already playing a leading role in improving energy access in developing countries through decentralised renewable energy. DFID has a range of programmes which are working with developing countries to ensure renewable energy markets work effectively as well as supporting energy businesses to grow, and providing consumers with access to funding to buy solar goods.

    DFID’s Energy Africa campaign is one way that we are helping increase access to energy. Energy Africa aims to accelerate the expansion of the household solar market in Africa, and is about making the market work for the poor. It helps remove the barriers to household solar market expansion, including policy and regulatory obstacles, and supports businesses to innovate in energy services and technologies. DFID also supports numerous other initiatives to increase people’s access to energy through decentralised renewable energy. For example, the Renewable Energy and Adaptation to Climate Technologies (REACT) Challenge Fund has supported businesses in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda to provide clean energy for households, communities and businesses.


  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the planned increase in the national minimum wage on the level of provision of care homes.

    Alistair Burt

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 October 2015 to Question 11609.

    “

  • Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Ellman on 2015-12-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of his plans for HM Revenue and Customs offices in Liverpool on jobs and services in that area; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025. HMRC intends to have extensive discussions with all our staff to keep them fully informed of their options as the programme continues.

    HMRC views Liverpool as a key site for customer service activity. The Department will be making a long term investment in the City and is planning to open a Regional Centre there from 2018/19 employing between 2,800 and 3,100 employees.

  • Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of devolving to the Scottish Parliament all aspects of (a) gaming and betting legislation, (b) including curbing the terminals’ speed of play and maximum stakes for fixed-odds betting terminals and (c) other regulation of fixed-odds betting terminals.

    Tracey Crouch

    The Scotland Bill will give the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers the power to vary the number of sub-category B2 gaming machines (FOBTs) permitted by new betting premises licences. The UK Government will retain the equivalent powers on FOBTs for the rest of the UK, except for Northern Ireland where gambling is a devolved matter.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many UK citizens resident overseas registered to vote in the 2015 general election; and how many such citizens voted in that election.

    John Penrose

    105,845 overseas electors were registered to vote in May 2015. The marked register, which records electors who have cast their vote, is not collated centrally. It is therefore not possible to tell how many overseas electors voted at the 2015 General Election.

  • Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect on passenger safety of reduced staff numbers on London Underground.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The safety of customers and staff is the top priority of Transport for London (TfL). TfL work as a team with London Underground (LU), the police, emergency services and my department, to prepare for, and deal with, incidents that threaten the security of the transport network. Station staff are supported by the LU Control Centre, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, working closely with the police, with access to CCTV cameras and other systems in order to manage and respond to incidents.

    LU will continue to ensure there are sufficient staff in place to maintain each station’s security, congestion control and emergency plans.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Government buildings have been transferred to finance Islamic bond schemes; what restrictions there are on the use of such assets as a result of Sharia financing; and why that method of raising money was chosen.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Three government properties underpin the Sukuk. These are Richmond House, Wellington House and 22-26 Whitehall.

    The Sukuk is issued under, and governed by, English law. The properties underpinning the Sukuk continue to be occupied by the departments that were there before issuance, with no change to their use. While investors have a beneficial interest in the assets, they do not have any say over how the properties are used.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the total amount of income paid to UK citizens living in other EU countries except Ireland which derived from UK sources in the most recent year for which statistics are available.

    Mr David Gauke

    The information requested is not available.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a Board of Inquiry was held following the deaths of the recruits at Deepcut barracks between 1995 and 2002; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    A Board of Inquiry was held into each of the deaths at Deepcut; Private Sean Benton on 9 June 1995; Private Cheryl James on 27 November 1995; Private Geoff Gray on 17 September 2001 and Private James Collinson on 23 March 2002. All are available on the gov.uk website