Category: Speeches

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Dogs Trust pilot quarantine on disrupting the illegal importation of puppies under the Pet Travel Scheme.

    George Eustice

    I welcome the Dogs Trust initiative to pay the quarantine costs of dogs and puppies identified at Dover as being not compliant to enter Great Britain under the EU Pet Travel Scheme. Since 2 December 2015, 108 puppies have been licensed into the quarantine facilities, mainly due to concerns that puppies were under the minimum age for travelling.

    The Animal and Plant Health Agency will carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of the initiative following its conclusion.

  • Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a vote to leave the EU on UK gilt auctions.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The average amount bid by wholesale Gilt-edged Market Makers (GEMMs) at gilt auctions between 14 May 2015 and 7 April 2016 was £202.17 million per GEMM per auction.

    As the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have said, the civil service is working to support the Government’s position that Britain is stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. Gilt auctions are expected to proceed as normal in the build up to the EU referendum, in line with UK Debt Management Office (DMO) plans published on 31 March 2016.

    As customary, the DMO will publish precise details of gilt auctions for July-September 2016 one month before the start of the quarter on 31 May 2016.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 11 May 2016 to Question 36450, what consultation meetings she (a) has had and (b) plans to have with trades unions for UK oil and gas workers on the development of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas plan for the UK oil and gas workforce.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is engaging with a range of stakeholders as it develops a UK oil and gas workforce plan. A range of Unions were invited to a workshop on the 21st March 2016 to discuss the emerging proposals. The Department, along with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will continue to engage with Unions as appropriate.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve journey times on the Tees Valley Line.

    Andrew Jones

    As part of the new franchise award, the Northern franchisee will be required before October 2017 to undertake a feasibility study, identifying options for journey time improvements across the whole network, including services in the North East. This will include possible changes to existing infrastructure, improvements to rolling stock capability and reliability and the implementing of changes to service patterns.

    Any resulting changes would be in addition to the local benefits secured as part of the franchise including the withdrawal of pacer trains and the refurbishment of all the existing carriages retained in the franchise long term.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the UK has signed and ratified (1) Articles 1(c) and 2 of the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions, and Practices Similar to Slavery; (2) Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages; (3) Articles 3 and 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; (4) Article 10 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; (5) Articles 2 and 16 of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women; and (6) the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and if so, when.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK has ratified all of these treaties and it is not possible to ratify single articles of these treaties. The UK ratified the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions, and Practices Similar to Slavery in 1957; acceded to the Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages in 1970; ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1976; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 1976; ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1986; and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions her Department has had with National Grid on its Winter Outlook Report 2015-16, published in October 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC Officials work closely with National Grid counterparts on the analysis in the winter outlook and maintain a constant dialogue as it is developed.

    The Winter Outlook Report presents a snapshot view of the forecast security of supply situation which is constantly being analysed by National Grid in cooperation with DECC and Ofgem. The Winter Outlook is part of a wider programme of analysis including National Grid’s Summer Outlook, Winter Outlook Consultation and Ofgem’s capacity assessment.

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  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) cats and (b) dogs killed by accidental ingestion of poisonous antifreeze in each of the last five years.

    George Eustice

    We have no estimates of the numbers of cats or dogs killed by antifreeze.

    However there are periodically reported cases where antifreeze may have contributed to the death of pet animals. This issue was most recently debated in Parliament on the 2 December 2014.

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  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he made of the number of lung cancer patients in England who have accessed the immuno-oncology drug nivolumab via private healthcare providers or other private sources of funding in the last year; and when NICE will make its final decision about NHS patients gaining access to that drug.

    George Freeman

    The Department does not hold the requested information concerning private healthcare or other private sources of funding.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence currently has two technology appraisals of nivolumab for lung cancer in development:

    (i) Nivolumab for previously treated locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, with an anticipated publication date of May 2016.

    (ii) Nivolumab for previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, with an anticipated publication date of September 2016.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received from faith schools on admissions and staffing policies in such schools; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department greatly values the role of Church and other faith schools in our education system.

    Ministers and officials meet representatives of these schools on a regular basis to discuss a range of topics including staffing and admissions.

  • 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 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of the recruitment process for the post of National Guardian in the Care Quality Commission.

    Ben Gummer

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. The CQC has provided the following information.

    The cost of recruiting for the post of National Guardian was £61,300 (including VAT) and the costs of recruitment were borne equally across NHS Trust Development Authority, NHS England, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts (Monitor) and the CQC. This figure includes the cost of executive search, advertising and minimal individual expenses.

    The recruitment services for the role were provided by Russell Reynolds Associates. Due to the short duration in post of the person appointed the CQC does not envisage a fee being levied to support the recruitment of a replacement.