Category: Speeches

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role his Department has played in advising the Sovereign on the UK’s position on the future use, style and designation accorded to UK nationals of British dual nationals of the Queen’s Commonwealth realms; and what changes there have been to established practice in the last two years.

    James Duddridge

    I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 January 2016 (PQ 22935). The recognition of foreign honours is a matter for the Royal Prerogative.

  • Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18621, what further assessment he has made of levels of preparedness among clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities to CCGs in April 2016.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities to ensure that clinical commissioning groups are fully prepared to assume the role working through collaborative commissioning forums.

    NHS England have provided a commissioning information pack including a stocktake of local services, care pathways, waiting times and a quality overview for each local area. National clinical experts are currently finalising commissioning and clinical guidance on standards for the adult obesity surgery pathway.

    The draft service specification reflects best practice and describes the standard providers will need to meet for the surgical service.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s contribution is to the Government’s emissions reduction plan; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is working with DECC towards the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan. This will be the successor to the 2011 Carbon Plan, which is available at:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-carbon-plan-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions–2.

    The Plan will set out our policies and proposals for meeting the UK’s carbon budgets.

    “

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 April (HL Deb, col 762–4) on religiously motivated crime, whether they will provide details of which community groups the Home Secretary is engaging with in the community round tables”

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    In his speech on countering extremism in July 2015, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to hear directly from those in our society who are challenging extremism. The Community Engagement Forum is one of the ways we are doing this. The Forums provide a platform for a wide range of partners to share their experiences and learn from each other. Attendance at the Forums is fluid to ensure Ministers can hear from a wide range of partners from a variety of backgrounds.

    To date, the Community Engagement Forum has met on 13 October 2015, 19 November 2015 and 14 January 2016. A list of those that have attended is available in response to written parliamentary questions HL6419 and HC20784. Further community forums are planned for later this year. In addition, I myself have chaired round tables with different faith communities and leaders.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications of the UK leaving the EU on (a) border controls and security and (b) the entry of criminals and terrorists into the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Article 50 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union deals with the process of exiting the EU. More detail on implications of withdrawal from the EU is set out in Chapter 4 of the Government’s White Paper, ‘The process for withdrawing from the European Union’, published on 29 February. The White Paper is available using the following link:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-process-for-withdrawing-from-the-european-union

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on maintaining current immigration controls for passengers using international high-speed rail services to and from the UK.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The UK is not part of the Schengen border-free zone and maintains its own border checks, retaining the right to check all arrivals, including EU citizens from continental Europe. The agreements that underpin juxtaposed immigration controls at international rail stations in France and Belgium are not directly affected by Britain’s membership of the EU.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the funding available to the Waste and Resources Action Programme in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The current 2016/17 grant agreement for the Waste and Resources Action Programme is £14m.

    Future years’ allocations have yet to be finalised.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to senior Civil Service posts in his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Treasury have not had a separate budget for senior civil service recruitment in the last 5 years and has no record of using external agencies to recruit to senior civil service posts during this period.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what Government spending was on the Plug-in car grant in each of the last five years; and what estimate his Department has made of Government spending on that grant in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Jones

    The plug-in car grant awards consumers a discount on the cost of a new ultra low emission vehicle. It has proved successful in growing the UK’s early market for ultra low emission vehicles, which is now the largest in the EU and the fourth largest in the world. The Government intends that nearly all cars and vans will be zero emission by 2050.

    Government spending on the plug-in car grant in each of the last financial years was as follows:

    2010/11 £1m

    2011/12 £4.5m

    2012/13 £11m

    2013/14 £20.5m

    2014/15 £90.5m

    The plug-in car grant is guaranteed to continue at £5,000 per vehicle until February 2016. The Chancellor announced at Spending Review 2015 that more than £600m will be spent on support for ultra low emission vehicles in the five years from 2015 to 2020. This funding means the grants can remain for several years after February, as long as there is a demonstrable market need. Future grant levels will be announced shortly.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on proposals by the European Commission to establish a EU border guard.

    James Brokenshire

    The proposal for a European Border and Coast Guard builds on provisions of the Schengen aquis in which the UK does not participate; the UK will not therefore be bound by the new regulation. The new proposal will however allow the UK to continue the same arrangements as those we have currently with Frontex, whereby we are able to support operations and other activities with the agreement of the Frontex Management Board on a case by case basis.

    The UK is supportive of steps to increase the security of the external Schengen border – we have a strong interest in effective management of the EU’s external border, not just in combating illegal migration, and cross-border crime but also as part of the EU-wide counter-terrorism effort.