Category: Speeches

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of annual funding cycles on the ability of further education and sixth form colleges to undertake financial planning; what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on that matter; what plans the Government has to change those funding cycles to reflect Government spending review cycles; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    16-19 funding is that it is based on the level of recruitment institutions delivered in the previous year. That means institutions’ funding keeps pace with changing student numbers with the minimum delay. The Government has no plans to change the 16-19 funding system.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to guarantee that all patients who had their operations cancelled as a result of the proposed industrial action by junior doctors will be offered another date for their operation within the next 28 days.

    Ben Gummer

    The NHS is making every effort to rearrange treatment for people whose operations were cancelled as quickly as possible.

    We recognise that cancellations by the hospital are upsetting and inconvenient for patients, which is why there is a pledge on cancelled operations in the Handbook on the NHS Constitution. When a patient’s operation is cancelled by the hospital at the last minute (on or after the day of admission, including the day of surgery) for non-clinical reasons, the hospital should offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient’s treatment at the time and hospital of the patient’s choice.

    For operations that were cancelled before the day of admission, the pledge does not apply. However, the NHS Constitution includes the right “to access services within maximum waiting times, or for the NHS to take all reasonable steps to offer you a range of alternative providers if this is not possible”. Patients have the right to start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent conditions. If this is not possible, and where patients request it, the organisation responsible for commissioning the patient’s care must investigate offering a range of suitable alternative providers that would be able to see or treat the patient more quickly than the original provider. The commissioning organisation must take all reasonable steps to meet patients’ requests.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Palestinian Authority on recent comments related to the practice of honouring terrorists by Rami Hamdallah.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We condemn the glorification of terrorism and all incitement to commit violence, whichever side it comes from. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, urging them to use their influence to de-escalate the tensions. We regularly raise incitement with the Palestinian Authority, and have urged key figures to encourage calm and condemn violence. We continue to support the reinstatement of the Tripartite Committee as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of incitement from either side.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the quantity and quality of specialist therapeutic support available to children who have experienced abuse.

    Alistair Burt

    Children who have been abused may require a range of services to meet their needs. Local commissioners are responsible for assessing local need and ensuring the delivery of appropriate services. Local partners and NHS England need to work together to help children who have experienced abuse or neglect access appropriate care pathways and evidence-based care.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 5 and 16 February 2016 to Questions 25342 and 26658, by when he expects the land and property for disposals to be identified; and whether he expects the decisions on the selection of that property to be subject to public consultation.

    Matthew Hancock

    The land and property for disposals will be identified in due course.

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is taking to encourage people to join the merchant navy.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has no direct control over recruitment into the merchant navy.

    The MCA works with strategic partners such as the Chamber of Shipping, Nautilus, the RMT and organisations such as the British Tugowners Association and National Workboat Association to encourage economic growth, including the employment of seafarers.

    The MCA also manages the Government’s Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme that subsidises seafarer training by £15M annually. More than 700 new officer trainees started last year. The MCA is also involved with industry in supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills apprenticeships for seafarers.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s timetable is for the renewal of Trident.

    Michael Fallon

    The key elements of the UK Trident nuclear deterrent are the Vanguard-class submarines, the Trident D5 missile and the UK warhead. As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we expect the first Successor submarine to enter service in the early 2030s. A replacement warhead is not required until the late 2030s, possibly later. Given lead times, however, a decision on replacing the current warhead may be required later in this Parliament or early in the next. While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend its current life to the 2060s.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement on (a) academy chains and (b) the ability of US or European companies to establish academy chains in the UK.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government remains committed to academies and providing the best quality education for all children and young people. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will not change this. The Government of the day will always set the rules governing how the education system is run.

    We have protected public services, including education, in all of our trade agreements and will continue to do so in the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This is non-negotiable.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received a copy of the report by the Westminster Commission on Autism, entitled A Spectrum of Obstacles, published in July 2016; and what plans he has to implement that report’s recommendations.

    David Mowat

    The Department welcomes the Westminster Commission report as a valuable addition to the autism debate. Departmental Officials met with the co-ordinator of the report in July to discuss the report and work is underway to consider the report’s recommendations.

  • Lord Bowness – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Lord Bowness – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bowness on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the projected annual running costs for the next three years, including salaries or fees paid to seconded staff and consultants, for (1) the Department for Exiting the EU, and (2) the Department for International Trade.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The budget for the Department for Exiting the European Union will be voted on by Parliament at the Supplementary Estimate and published in line with standard practice.