Category: Speeches

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking in co-operation with UN agencies to tackle the increase in child brides in refugee camps and conflict areas.

    Priti Patel

    The UK is committed to the ‘Call to Action’ on women and girls and keeping girls and women safe in emergencies, including providing £23.5 million to UNFPA in Syria, to support women and girls vulnerable to child and forced marriage, domestic violence, and sexual violence, abuse, and exploitation through improved access to psycho-social support and sexual and reproductive health care.

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in its report, Is Britain Fairer, published in October 2015, that there are persistent gender pay gaps among graduates.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The EHRC is an independent body, and its report ‘Is Britain Fairer?’ covers a five-year period 2008-13 across both the Labour and coalition governments. We welcome the positive areas of progress it refers to and note the challenges it raises. The information in the report will be used by the EHRC to help develop its next strategic plan, covering the period 2016-19.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reduction to local government spending announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 on (a) local and (b) national arts and culture organisations.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    TheSpending Review settlement puts national arts and culture organisations on a strong footing. It will ensure continued free access to national museums and galleries and allow them to pursue an ambitious agenda across this Parliament. As the Chancellor said in his Spending Review speech, "one of the best investments we can make as a nation is in our extraordinary arts, museums, heritage, media and sport".

    Forecast increases to other sources of income (including business rates and council tax) mean that local government spending is forecast to be higher in cash terms in 2019/20 than in 2015/16 . Local authorities understand the importance of investing in cultural activities in their areas, and are best placed to decide how to prioritise their spending.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passengers use Stratford station annually; and how this number is expected to change following completion of Crossrail.

    Claire Perry

    On 15th December 2015, the Office for Rail and Road published the latest in a series of Estimates of Station Usage for 2014/15, for all stations in Great Britain.

    They estimate that in 2014/15, 30,974,204 people travelled to or from Stratford and 3,053,317 people interchanged at Stratford.

    By 2026, Transport for London’s forecasts indicate that passenger movements at Stratford – including those resulting from Crossrail services stopping there – will see an increase of around 20% on the 2014 passenger numbers.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2016 to Question 20756, whether a response from the Chief Regulator of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation has been received by her Department; and when that response will be placed in the Library.

    Nick Gibb

    Glenys Stacey, Chief Regulator of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), has written to the Hon Member in response to written question 20756. This letter, dated 24 February 2016, is attached and will be placed in the Library.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to counter people trafficking.

    Karen Bradley

    We are committed to tackling people trafficking and all forms of modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 gives law enforcement agencies the tools they need to tackle modern slavery, ensures that perpetrators can receive suitably severe sentences up to life imprisonment, enhances support and protection for victims and places a duty on large businesses to report on what they are doing to stop modern slavery occurring in their global supply chains. We have successfully lobbied for the establishment of the first ever UN Sustainable Development Goal to end modern slavery and are working with a range of international partners to tackle slavery and its causes. We are also piloting a new approach to identifying and supporting potential victims of slavery through the National Referral Mechanism and we have appointed an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to spread best practice in the UK and overseas.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what training is available for prison officers in dealing with inmates who are under the influence of psychoactive substances on the prison estate.

    Ben Gummer

    Public Heath England has produced guidance to support healthcare and operational staff in prisons in England manage the impact of new psychoactive substances on the health and wellbeing of prisoners and staff and help staff manage security. This guidance is available at:

    http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/nps-manual-final.pdf

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes to the subsidy profile for the Northern Rail franchise on the quality of rail services.

    Claire Perry

    Thanks to the work of this Government, the hon. Lady’s constituents will benefit from a transformed rail service under the new franchise. In addition, this improvement for passengers will be provided while improving the value for money of the operation for the benefit of all tax payers.

  • 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 2016-06-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the wounding with live fire of fishermen who were working within three nautical miles of Gaza, and the subsequent arrest of fishermen and confiscation of boats on 31 May.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Government of Israel, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have expressed our concern previously over the Israel Defence Forces’ use of live fire against fishermen and also about the confiscation of their boats.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-07-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether individuals using generic versions of Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) obtained online from overseas can access free at the point of need the appropriate monitoring and tests that are required, including as necessary tests for the pharmacological efficacy of the generic drugs they are taking, even though Truvada for PrEP has not been commissioned by NHS England.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    It would not be possible or practical to monitor how individuals choose to access medicines or services outside of the National Health Service or to assess the impact on that individual. Registered pharmacies that operate online and that may supply drugs for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are the responsibility of the General Pharmaceutical Council. We are aware that some local authority commissioned sexual health services are offering monitoring of the pharmacological efficacy of generic PrEP however this is a matter for local decision.