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Category: Speeches

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 5 September 2016, Yemen Update, HCWS 128, whether the Government plans to raise (a) alleged breaches of international humanitarian law, (b) allegations that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions and (c) the need for other countries to increase humanitarian funding at the UN General Assembly meeting on Yemen to be hosted by the UK in September 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK will host discussions on Yemen at the UN General Assembly later this month with key international partners. We have raised the use of cluster munitions with the Saudi Arabian authorities and, in line with our obligations on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, we continue to encourage Saudi Arabia, as a non-party to the Convention, to accede to it. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. We have raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her oral contribution of 18 October 2016, Official Report, 301WH, which directives are no longer fit for purpose; and if she will make a statement.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government is currently considering future arrangements for existing EU legislation in preparation for the repeal of the European Communities Act 1972. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will effectively convert current EU law into our domestic law. We look forward to working with the industry, rural communities and the wider public to shape our plans for a future outside the EU when we can assess the benefits of moving to an outcomes-focussed regulatory framework.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of outstanding cases handled by the Child Support Agency were classed as non-compliant before the implementation of the 1993 and 2003 statutory schemes’ closure process.

    Priti Patel

    Proactive Case Closure of 1993 and 2003 Scheme cases began on 30 June 2014. As at June 2014, 14% of cases with a current liability were non-compliant i.e. paying nothing.

    The Department records statistics on the compliance status of 1993/2003 Scheme cases and publishes these in the Quarterly Summary of Statistics. This information is set out on Page 51 of the statistics which can be accessed online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2015.

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  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have evidence that Saudi Arabia funds Wahhabi mosques and Wahhabi communities in the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    HM Government does not collect information on the denomination of religious institutions, nor of communities in the UK.

  • 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 steps his Department is taking to support the curry industry.

    Anna Soubry

    We have a range of measures to help support all businesses, including the curry industry. The British Business Bank programmes are supporting £2.4 billion of finance to over 40,000 smaller businesses. Included within this is the Start-Up Loans programme, which has provided over 34,000 loans worth over £187 million. We have saved businesses £10 billion of red tape and we have extended small business rate relief.

    Employer-led Trailblazers are currently leading the way in the design and delivery of new more rigorous apprenticeship standards to support a range of sectors. Standards relating to several chef roles have already been developed and these are intended to cover specialisms such as Indian cuisine.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 28 January 2016, WS499, how much the Government spent on work on the criminal legal aid tendering process before deciding not to go ahead with that process.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page six of NHS England’s document, Delivering the Forward View: NHS planning guidance 2016-17 to 2020-21, if he will place in the Library a list of the planned footprints for the sustainability and transformation plans.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS England will publish the planned footprints for the sustainability and transformation plans later this month.

  • David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of residential addresses in the parish of Hatton are currently within reach of superfast broadband.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Department does not hold parish level data.

    However, current estimates suggest that almost 85% of premises in the Warrington South constituency are subject to commercial rollout, and a further 9% of premises (4,615) now have coverage as a result of this Government’s Superfast Broadband programme.

    Based on DCMS modelled estimates and current delivery plans, 97.7% of premises in the Warrington South constituency will have access to superfast broadband by December 2017. Early gainshare funding that BT will return in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, could help extend coverage further.

    In addition, the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation will give people the legal right to request a broadband connection, no matter where they live, by the end of this Parliament. Our ambition is that this should be set at 10 Mbps.

  • 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 steps her Department plans to take to enforce the new £35,000 settlement threshold for Tier 2 skilled workers.

    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.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many persons of interest have been found to have left the UK when it has not been possible to check and act upon Advance Passenger Information in real-time since April 2015; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    This information is not centrally held. Since April 2015, Advanced Passenger Information has been provided by international commercial air, sea and rail carriers to Border Force in advance of passenger travel from the UK. This data is used to identify known or suspected criminals and where appropriate is acted upon in real time by Border Force or another law enforcement partner.