Category: Speeches

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a list of (a) ongoing projects and (b) planned projects within the strategic road network in each region under the first road investment strategy; and how many such projects he expects will be completed (i) ahead of schedule, (ii) on schedule and (iii) behind schedule.

    Andrew Jones

    The Road Investment Strategy (RIS) and the Highways England Delivery Plan 2015-2020 list the ongoing projects and planned projects for each region. Of the 112 projects named in the RIS, five projects have either opened of will open in 2015-16 as planned. For the remaining projects all but two are progressing on or ahead of schedule.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s timeline on its cycling and walking investment strategy, published in December 2015, what progress it has made on its obligation of being ready to announce its funding plans for investment in cycling and walking by the end of winter 2015-16.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Infrastructure Act 2015 does not place an obligation on Government to publish plans for investing in cycling and walking at any specific time. However, in December my Department published “Setting the first Cycling and Walking Strategy” which set out our proposed timescales for publication, including our intention to publish a Statement of Funds Available. My officials are currently working on the first Strategy, to be published in draft in spring 2016, which will contain information on financial resources as well as our ambition, objectives and actions for delivery.

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Burmese counterpart on prisoners of conscience in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The release of political prisoners has been an early priority for the new NLD-led government, with over 100 having been released since Friday.

    The UK Government has long campaigned on the issue of political prisoners in Burma and we welcome this quick action.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that women refugees in Syria and Iraq have access to adequate sanitary protection; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The humanitarian crises in Syria and Iraq have placed many women and girls at risk of exploitation and insecurity. In both countries, DFID continues to work with the UN, NGOs and international community to ensure women’s rights are protected.

    The UK has pledged over £2.3 billion in response to the Syria crisis since 2011. Of this, DFID has provided £5 million to UNFPA inside Syria. As part of this assistance UNFPA distribute hygiene or “dignity” kits to preserve and promote the hygiene and dignity of displaced women and adolescent girls as well as men, and to allow their social integration while away from home. These include sanitary napkins, underwear, and a range of practical personal hygiene items. With UK support, UNFPA alone distributed 50,900 dignity kits inside Syria in 2015. UNFPA and other partners are also improving access to reproductive health services inside Syria.

    The UK has committed £79.5 million of humanitarian assistance to Iraq since summer 2014. This includes cash assistance for vulnerable displaced Iraqis, allowing them to prioritise what they need most. Through the UN- managed Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, we fund a number of projects meeting the most urgent needs of displaced Iraqis including emergency healthcare, water and sanitation, and protection services for women and girls. Our partners consider gender related differences in needs in all DFID funded projects.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to address the downward trend in cervical cancer screening uptake.

    Jane Ellison

    There is a range of work going on to understand the reasons for the decline and to try to address them. This includes:

    – Data and information – access to data, cleansing, benchmarking for providers, timely and useful for commissioners;

    – behavioural insight – communication with commissioners, providers, patients, public;

    – commissioning levers – commissioning contracts in public health (S7a), primary care;

    – partnership work – relationships with commissioners and providers; and

    – sharing best practice – what works well, evaluation, how to embed quality improvement

    Public Health England Screening is also awaiting the outcome from the Strategies to Increase Cervical screening uptake at first invitation (STRATEGIC) trial which looks at various interventions to help assist women to attend screening and increase uptake across all quintiles. The trial was completed in 2015 and researchers are expected to publish findings later this year.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking ahead of the EU General Affairs Council on 20 September to engage their EU counterparts on the issue of imposing restrictive measures on individuals in Bosnia and Herzegovina who oppose those who will administer or facilitate the referendum on 25 September.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK Government, together with international partners, is pressing political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to use domestic processes to find a constitutional solution to the issue of the referendum on 25 September. The UK is also engaging with EU partners on how to respond if the referendum does take place on 25th September.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on eradicating nuclear weapons through multilateral disarmament by means of the international framework provided by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review restated the Government’s commitment to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons in line with our obligations under Article VI of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We firmly believe that the best way to achieve this goal is through gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step by step approach and within the framework of the NPT. The Government sees entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and successful negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament as key steps towards multilateral disarmament.

  • Kate Hoey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kate Hoey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what was discussed at the meeting between Sir John Scarlett and Moussa Koussa in the UK in 2001.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    It has been the policy of successive governments not to comment on meetings involving intelligence officials.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he made of the effect on (a) environmental bodies, (b) biodiversity conservation, (c) pollution prevention, (d) waste reduction and (e) public parks of the proposed reduction in the Landfill Communities Fund.

    Damian Hinds

    Since its introduction in 1996, the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) has contributed over £1.4bn to community projects in areas affected by a local landfill site and the government acknowledges the positive impact of this funding for communities. However, as the LCF is a tax credit scheme, it reduces the government’s tax revenues and we therefore have a responsibility to seek value for money for the taxpayer.

    Despite difficult decisions on spending, the government has decided to retain and reform the LCF. The value of the LCF for 2016-17 will therefore be set at £39.3m. The government is committed to providing the best value for communities, and over the next five years £20m of the additional Landfill Tax revenues resulting from this change will be used by the Environment Agency to address waste crime.

    The government wants LCF money to get to communities more quickly. Our reforms will encourage money to be spent in the communities that need it. The LCF will provide £39.3m additional funding for communities in 2016/17 alone and we hope more unspent funds, which this year totalled £118m, will also reach projects as soon as possible.

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effects of the ban on fishing for bass on the North Devon fishing industry.

    George Eustice

    The overall estimated reductions of the EU bass measures for the main gear groups in the commercial sector are set out in the following table; at this stage calculated for the UK fleet. This is an estimate which takes into account the effects of the initial 6 month moratorium, related derogations, and the subsequent monthly vessel catch limits.

    Those parts of the industry that use hook and line and fixed gillnets will benefit from derogations in the form of higher monthly catch limits and a moratorium of 2 rather than 6 months.

    More in depth analysis also taking into account additional factors such as the effects of last year’s increase of the minimum conservation reference size for bass and reduced availability of bass will be undertaken.

    Gear type

    Previous average tonnage 2011-13

    Estimated tonnage catch potential in 2016

    Estimated % reduction from 2011-13 average

    Bottom Trawl

    131

    37

    72%

    Nets

    378

    224

    41%

    Hook and line

    171

    167

    2%

    Purse seine

    56

    21

    63%

    pelagic trawl

    77

    11

    86%

    Totals

    813

    460

    43%