Category: Speeches

  • Heidi Alexander – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Heidi Alexander – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library copies of each Local Education and Training Board’s workforce investment plan for 2016-17.

    Ben Gummer

    This information is not held centrally.

    Health Education England (HEE) will be publishing the local plans as an appendix to the HEE commissioning and investment plan – 2016/17 and will be published on the HEE website before the end of February 2016.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Attorney General, what criteria he uses when deciding whether to make public legal advice made available to Government; and on what occasions such legal advice has been made public since May 2015.

    Jeremy Wright

    It is a longstanding constitutional convention, set out in the Cabinet Manual and the Ministerial Code, that the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised, and the content of their advice, must not be disclosed without their authority. The convention exists for fundamental constitutional reasons and to promote the public interest in the Rule of Law. Whether the Law Officers have advised and the content of that advice is part of the collective Cabinet decision-making process. The convention reflects the public interest in collective Cabinet responsibility. It also reflects the fact that Law Officers’ advice is confidential legal advice and, as with all professional legal advice, it is subject to legal professional privilege. In addition, it acknowledges the feature of Law Officers’ advice which sets it apart from other legal advice, namely that it is sought in relation to issues of particular complexity, sensitivity and constitutional importance. It is a matter of constitutional importance that the provision of advice in these circumstances should be protected in the public interest.

    A decision to disclose would require an exceptional countervailing public interest. No such case has arisen since May 2015.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of nationals from other EU member states who are on social housing waiting lists.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department’s annual Local Authority’s Housing Statistics provide information on the total households on local authority waiting lists in England but do not record nationality. The Department’s English Housing Survey does ask whether respondents are on a waiting list and also records nationality. The sample size, however, is not sufficient to provide a robust estimate by nationality.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what other migration routes or visas are available to a Tier 2 worker earning under £35,000 other than visas requiring participation in full-time education or marriage.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. The impact assessment is available on the gov.uk website at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf.

    Alternative routes available for Tier 2 workers unable to meet the minimum earnings threshold would depend on their individual circumstances. For the most part, economic migrants who wish to change their basis of stay in the UK are expected to leave and re-apply for an alternative visa from their home country. However, in-country switching is permitted in some categories, for example into Tier 1 routes aimed at high value migrants.

    Tier 2 migrants who apply for settlement and do not meet the requirements will be refused. Those who do not qualify for an alternative route and have reached the maximum period of limited leave allowed under Tier 2 should make plans to leave the United Kingdom. Any migrant who has over stayed the validity of their visa or otherwise failed to regularise their stay in the UK may be removed if they refuse or fail to leave of their own volition. They may also be liable to prosecution under the Immigration Act 1971.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to process Disclosure and Barring Service checks for (a) standard and (b) enhanced disclosures between 1 January and 31 March 2016.

    James Brokenshire

    The average time taken to process Disclosure checks between 1 January and 31 March 2016 for (a) Standard was 6 days and (b) Enhanced was 16 days.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with officials in her Department on the potential effect of the outcome of the EU referendum on recipients of overseas development assistance currently given to (a) the European Development Fund, (b) the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department and (c) the European Investment Bank.

    Rory Stewart

    DFID will make an assessment of how we will work with the European Union Institutions as part of the exit negotiations and we look forward to working with all of our international partners in future to achieve the best results possible.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the OECD global trade outlook and its recommendation that governments should step up investment to support growth.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The latest OECD Economic Outlook forecasts the UK to be the joint fastest growing major advanced economy in 2015. The OECD have revised down the forecast for both world trade growth and global GDP growth in 2015 and 2016. This demonstrates the need to continue to fix the economy to ensure the UK can deal with risks from abroad.

    The government remains committed to encouraging long-term investment and promoting a dynamic economy, and recently set out comprehensive reforms to support productivity growth in “Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation”.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of coal-fired power stations under construction worldwide, the number that are planned for the future, and what effect those new stations will have on the total tonnage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The IEA estimate that global coal electricity capacity will be around 8-17% higher in 2020 than 2013, with some growth even under the IEA’s estimate of a 2°C scenario.

    We know that limiting the global growth in unabated coal use is necessary to tackle climate change. The UK Government announced at COP19, in Warsaw in 2013, its plans to end support for public financing of new coal-fired power plants overseas, except in rare circumstances. In order to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees, globally we need to rapidly move away from unabated coal power generation.

    We have negotiated a new policy in November 2015 on how OECD export credit agencies can contribute to our goal to address climate change. The new policy places significant restrictions on the financing of coal-fired power plants by OECD export credit agencies. Support for the larger less-efficient coal-fired power plants is removed, and will encourage a move away from low-efficient towards high-efficient coal-fired power plants. Over two-thirds of the coal-fired power projects receiving official export credit support from Participants between 2003 and 2013 would not have been eligible for such support under the new rules. The new rules will take effect from 1 January 2017, and are subject to a mandatory review starting in 2019, with the goal of strengthening them.

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced that we will consult next year on an end date for coal of 2025 and limiting its use by 2023.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations his Department has received on trends in the number of curry houses closing down.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government does not hold information on the value of the curry industry, the number of curry houses, trends in the number of curry houses or the number of curry chefs.

    Official statistics carry figures on the value and number of restaurants, takeaways and other food service businesses in general, but do not detail specific types of food being served. Similarly while the number of chefs and catering staff will be estimated there is no consideration of their specialisation in terms of cuisine.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Prime Minister, whether it is Government policy to promote multiculturalism in the UK.

    Mr David Cameron

    We have been very clear: we are proud that Britain is one of the most successful multi ethnic, multi faith democracies in the world. The Government is clear that people have full freedom here to choose and practice their faith. It is right though to challenge the view held by some that we should encourage communities to develop separately and effectively live in a segregated way. The Government is committed to boosting integration in some of our most isolated communities, and to proudly promoting the British values that we all share.