Category: Speeches

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26719, what change programmes are underway which are expected to reduce the number of his Department’s civilian employees.

    Mark Lancaster

    The main change programmes which are in progress and expected to deliver significant civilian workforce reductions are Army re-basing, the US Visiting Forces restructuring, and transformation of Information Systems and Services.

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is also considering further programmes which are intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of defence outputs and the support provided to the Armed Forces. These include plans to reduce the overall Defence Estate; provision of Defence Fire and Emergency services; transforming the provision of hard and soft facility management, arrangements for infrastructure policing, options for the delivery of the MOD Guard Service and for the provision of shared corporate services. Each of these further programmes may impact on civilian staff. As I stated in my previous answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26719, the timing and reductions associated with individual programmes are still to be determined.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to the hon. Member for St Albans to Question 30493, on health services: EU nationals, if he will take steps to collect and publish before 23 June 2016 estimates of the numbers of nationals of other EU member states who received acute care at hospital trusts in each of the last 10 years.

    Alistair Burt

    There are no plans to collect, estimate or publish this information.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many 16 and 17 year olds from (a) West Midlands and (b) Birmingham Yardley have participated in the National Citizen Service in each year since it was piloted in 2011.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Transport has ever consulted ExxonMobil and other lubricant manufacturers about whether they have ever undertaken inhalation toxicity testing of heated engine oils as a whole, and if so, with what results.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Committee of Toxicity (COT) referred to this and other research on pyrolysed oils in the 2007 Statement that it published after being commissioned by the Department for Transport to undertake a scientific review of data submitted by the British Airline Pilots’ Association on the possible effects on aircrew health of oil/hydraulic fluid smoke/fume contamination incidents in commercial aircraft.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the draft BBC Charter and Agreement will be laid before Parliament.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    The BBC’s draft Charter and Framework Agreement published was published on Thursday 15th September.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to page 8 of the consultation document Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market, published in October 2015, if she will publish research conducted by her Department that shows that there has been a shift from abuses of employment regulation towards increasingly organised criminal activity engaged in labour market exploitation over the last 10 years.

    Karen Bradley

    Operational information, which is not publically discloseable, received from the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority indicates that, since the Authority began operations in 2006, it has seen an increase in the number of vulnerable people being exploited by organised criminals and criminal networks for profit in the sectors it regulates.

    Further information about the role of organised criminal activity would come from the proposed new role of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement who will have a role to gather information on worker exploitation and publish a strategic approach to tackling it.

  • Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Avebury on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations to the UN Security Council members in the Human Rights Watch report of 26 November, What Military Target Was in My Brother’s House: Unlawful Coalition Airstrikes in Yemen.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of the report released by Human Rights Watch on 26 November and its recommendations to the international community. The UN Security Council has made clear that sanctions will be applied to those individuals or entities who have been designated or listed for engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security and stability of Yemen. We take all reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Yemen by any side to the conflict very seriously. We have raised our concerns with the Saudi Arabian government and have received assurances of IHL compliance and continue to engage with them on those assurances. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL and international human rights law. We agree that all parties to the conflict have a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to allow and facilitate humanitarian access to facilitate immediate access to life-saving supplies both into and within Yemen. The Resolution on Yemen adopted at the September session of the Human Rights Council commits the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to work with the Government of Yemen and produce an oral report on developments to be given at the next session in March 2016, and a written report to be published and presented to the Council in September 2016. We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen and will continue to work with all parties to find a political solution to the conflict.

  • Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to communicate to learner drivers that their tests have been cancelled in the event of strike action.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) sent emails to candidates who had tests booked during the recent industrial action. The emails advised candidates about the industrial action and reminded them that they could change their test date online without loss of fee by giving three clear working days’ notice. The emails also advised candidates that if they came for a test and it was cancelled because of strike action they could claim out of pocket expenses, and that their test would be rebooked automatically for the earliest possible date at no further charge.

    DVSA alerted driving instructors and other stakeholders who are signed up to DVSA’s email alert system, proactively contacted driving instructor associations, displayed posters in driving test centres and published advice for candidates on the GOV.UK website. DVSA also used its social media channels to respond to queries and to direct customers to the guidance on GOV.UK.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the aircraft noise attitudes survey carried out by Ipsos Mori on his behalf; and how he plans to use the findings of that survey to inform aircraft noise policy.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently analysing the results of the survey carried out by IPSOS Mori to produce a report, which will be independently peer reviewed. The Government hopes to publish a report later this year on the findings.

    The report along with other relevant robust evidence will be used to inform the Government in setting out its aviation noise policy.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) atmospheric stability class was assumed for the downwind dispersion and deposition of the release fall-out; and what the assumed distribution and gross area of ground and surface contamination was in terms of contours versed in Becqueral per square metre in each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012.

    Penny Mordaunt

    I am withholding the requested information as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice national security and international relations.