Category: Speeches

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to amending section 29 of the Commons Act 1876 to ensure that a parish council which erects a bus shelter on a village green is not liable to prosecution.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Town or village greens are an intrinsic part of the English community and from their earliest use have been a place where communities come together, celebrate fairs and festivals and take part in sporting and social activities. The Commons Registration Act 1965 provided for town or village greens to be registered and to secure permanent protection.

    Town or village greens are protected under section 12 of the Inclosure Act 1857 or section 29 of the Commons Act 1876 which means that works may not be carried out which could damage the green or interrupt its use as a place for exercise and enjoyment.. The Government has no plans to amend section 29 of the Commons Act 1876 but a Parish Council may carry out works where they would improve the enjoyment of the green and have received any other necessary planning permissions from the local planning authority.

  • Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans Ofqual has to allow visas to be obtained for foreign students from countries in the emerging markets wishing to train for a professional pilot’s licence in the United Kingdom.

    Lord Bates

    The Home Office is responsible for UK visa policy.

    Flight training organisations can teach courses lasting up to six months to international students, under the short-term study visa route.

    Alternatively, they may use the Tier 4 visa route where the course lasts longer than six months and they hold a Tier 4 sponsor licence. To qualify for a Tier 4 sponsor licence, an institution must have a track record of teaching UK or EEA students, and be teaching courses which meet Tier 4 requirements. To meet Tier 4 requirements, a course must lead to an approved qualification, as defined in the Tier 4 Guidance for Sponsors.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the future of the mandated universal elements of the Healthy Child Programme for children aged 0 to five.

    Jane Ellison

    The commissioning of 0 to 5 years public health services transferred from NHS England to local authorities on 1 October 2015. Prior to transfer, Regulations were made to mandate the delivery of five universal health visitor reviews as set out in the Healthy Child Programme. The Regulations have a sunset clause that ends their effect on 31 March 2017, 18 months after coming into operation.

    The Regulations make provision for a review, by the Secretary of State, of the operation of the mandated elements. This will help inform future arrangements.

    In the interim, the Department is working with Public Health England, (as the strategic and professional lead for health visitor services), to monitor progress of the new arrangements.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to consult faith groups on the criteria and processes for decisions that will be made on whether expressions of belief are considered extreme for the purposes of its counter-extremism strategy and policies resulting from that strategy.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government definition of extremism is ‘vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.’ We have been consistent on this since 2011 and have reaffirmed this definition in the Counter-Extremism Strategy.

    Vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, in particular mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs within the Counter-Extremism Strategy definition of extremism is consistent with the incitement provisions within the Public Order Act 1986, in particular Part 3 aimed at those who stir up racial or religious hatred.

    We are clear that Government should not restrict anyone’s freedom of speech or right to practise a faith. These are core values. But we shouldn’t allow the extremist voice to go unchallenged, causing harm to our society and promoting hatred and division.

    Government has engaged widely on the Counter-Extremism Strategy, and continues to engage with partners – including faith groups and communities on the implementation of the Strategy’s measures.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the 119 Saudi-led coalition sorties documented in the Final Report of the UN Panel of Experts in Yemen represent potential violations of international humanitarian law.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We take all allegations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations very seriously. The MOD monitors incidents of alleged IHL violations using available information which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. This includes looking at the allegations raised in the UN Panel of Experts’ report. Looking at the information available to us, we have assessed that there has not been a breach of IHL by the coalition, but continue to monitor the situation closely, seeking further information where appropriate.

  • Peter Lilley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Peter Lilley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Lilley on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the report, The Size and Performance of the UK Low Carbon Economy, published in March 2015, whether estimates of gross value added for electricity generation include (a) the value of renewable obligation certificates and (b) the element of the feed-in tariff and Contract for Difference prices which are above the market price of energy.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The report on the Size and Performance of the UK Low Carbon Economy is based on a bottom-up analysis of company accounts from those businesses participating in the sector.

    The report estimates gross value added within the sector by taking gross profit less the sum of employment costs, depreciation and amortisation. This definition is consistent with the approach generally taken in official statistics as a measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy.

    To the extent they are included within company accounts, the report captures the value of renewable obligation certificates and the element of the feed-in tariff which is above the market price of energy. However, this will exclude payments to householders and other non-business or charity electricity generators.

    No element of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) will be included in the estimates as the report only covers the period 2010 to 2013, before the introduction of CfDs.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25958, when he expects the revised guidance on the national minimum wage for seafarers to be published; and when he last discussed that matter with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The publication of the guidance is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS).

    My officials have been working collaboratively with officials in BIS and the draft revised guidance has now been submitted to key stakeholders, including employee and employer representatives, for comment. BIS has stated that it remains on target to publish the guidance in spring 2016.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-04-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 17 March (HL7133) concerning the protection of personal health and social care data, what was the date on which the stakeholders committed to the delivery of the future state, without the need for interim Accredited Safe Havens.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Data Services for Commissioners Programme Board, which is the oversight mechanism with responsibility for the delivery of the future state, and comprises representatives from the stakeholder groups committed to its delivery, met for the first time on 9 December 2014. The delivery of the programme is ongoing and on track to deliver increasing levels of functionality from 2017 onwards.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on rebalancing the UK’s inland water quotas to smaller, specific locally-based fishing communities.

    George Eustice

    The Government regularly reviews its quota allocation policy. In recent years it has permanently realigned unused quota from Producer Organisations and allocated the first 100 tonnes, plus 10% of any remaining uplift in quota resulting from the introduction of the Landing Obligation, to the small-scale inshore fleet.

    These changes equate to over 1500 tonnes, or an additional £3 million worth of fish, for the small-scale fleet in 2016.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the UK to leave the EU since 23 June 2016; and what further such steps his Department plans to take in the remainder of 2016.

    David Mundell

    The Department for Exiting the European Union has responsibility for overseeing preparations for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and conducting these withdrawal negotiations in support of the Prime Minister.

    In doing this, it is working very closely with other government departments, including the Scotland Office, the devolved administrations and a wide range of other interested parties.