Category: Speeches

  • Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stuart on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to make the certification process for the Basic Payment Scheme more efficient for farmers; and if she will include further accountability bodies who are able to certify active farmer status to improve efficiency of that scheme.

    George Eustice

    We are considering what changes are required to the administration of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) next year, taking into account the feedback we have received from farmers and experience from the first year of implementation.

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the contingency fund for the new generation of successor Trident submarines was based on a full quantitative risk assessment of the project.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we have set a contingency of £10 billion, which represents around 35% of the cost to completion. This is a prudent estimate based on past experience of large, complex projects, such as the 2012 Olympics.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral evidence by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the Scottish Affairs Committee on 3 February 2016, Question 173, what steps he is taking to ensure that proposals for the revised fiscal framework with Scotland will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

    Greg Hands

    I welcome the scrutiny which the Fiscal Framework has received so far. While the exact nature of further framework scrutiny will depend on its final content and format, it is my current intention to deposit the final document detailing the agreement in the House libraries as soon as possible once an agreement is reached, make a statement to the House as soon as possible after an agreement is reached, and to set out what it means for the UK and for Scotland and to make annual reports to Parliament on the operation of the Framework.

    Elements of the Fiscal Framework may require legislative change. Where this is the case the appropriate legislative procedure will be followed and the Government hopes these changes will receive thorough scrutiny in Parliament.

    Once the Fiscal Framework is agreed, the Government would welcome further scrutiny from Parliamentary Committees in both Houses.

  • Lord Marlesford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Marlesford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances the UK would be able to opt out of implementing the agreement contained in the statement of the Heads of State or Government of the EU issued on 7 March to accelerate the implementation of the visa liberalisation roadmap with all member states with a view to lifting the visa requirements of Turkish citizens at the latest by the end of June 2016″.”

    Lord Bates

    The UK Government cannot be obliged by the EU to lift visa requirements. Visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens as referred to in the Statement of 7 March is in respect of the Schengen area only. In accordance with the Schengen Protocol (No.19), the UK does not participate in the Schengen acquis concerning visas. The UK is free to request to participate in some or all of the provisions of the Schengen acquis which it does not already participate in, but is explicitly not obliged to do so. Nor is the UK bound by any Justice and Home Affairs measures in the area of EU visa policy unless the UK explicitly chooses to opt in, in accordance with the UK and Ireland’s JHA Protocol (No 21).

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes her Department funds for the support and treatment of African former child soldiers.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Government is committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and protecting children affected by armed conflict. Minister Shapps met with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict at the UN General Assembly in 2015 to demonstrate the UK’s engagement on this critical issue. We also support international efforts, for example through the Common Humanitarian Funds and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in conflict-affected and fragile countries in Africa, to assist children, including those who have been members of armed groups, and to reduce the risks of violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. In the long-term children are best protected by peaceful, accountable states capable of providing security and justice for all, access to basic services, and meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Building peaceful states and societies is the overarching framework of our work in countries affected by conflict and fragility.

    We also recognise that education is important in order to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers and reintegrate former child soldiers back into their communities. DFID is one of the biggest bilateral donors to basic education in low income countries, especially in Africa. Between 2010 and 2015 the UK Government supported 11 million children in school across 21 countries; 7.5 million of them in countries considered to be fragile. We have again pledged to support 11 million children with a decent education between 2015 and 2020.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Russia about alleged state interference in the affairs of the RBC newspaper and news service; and whether they will make public any responses received.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government has not made any specific representations to the Russian Federation regarding the dismissal of three editors of Russian newspaper RBK on 13 May. However the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), did raise our broader concerns about the suppression of civil society in Russia with his counterpart Deputy Minister Titov in December 2015. As set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Report, the UK is deeply concerned about the reducing space for dissenting views and the increasing pressure on the media community in Russia.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many air ambulance rescues have taken place in Cumbria in each month of the last 10 years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The information requested is not centrally collected.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the progress of audiology services achieving IQIPS accreditation; and what plans he has to ensure that audiology services in NHS trusts and communities give priority to registering with IQIPS.

    David Mowat

    Comprehensive data on the number of audiology services in England is not collected.

    NHS England has no current plans to introduce financial incentives for the achievement of Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation.

    As of 1 September, there are 39 organisations with IQIPS accreditation for audiology, covering 28 adult and 21 paediatric audiology services. If an organisation is accredited for both adult and paediatric audiology, United Kingdom Accreditation Service considers that one accreditation.

    In Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A framework for clinical commissioning groups, published in July, NHS England strongly encourages clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to expect providers to have completed the IQIPS self-assessment tool and applied for accreditation with UKAS, and achieve accreditation within the duration of their contract. This is reflected in the model service specification for adults.

    In the contract for Genomics Medicines Centres, Annex M requires National Health Service trusts nominated as Lead Organisations and Local Delivery Partners to be working towards diagnostic accreditation across all available schemes, including IQIPS.

    NHS England is also working with the Care Quality Commission to agree the use of scientific and diagnostic schemes as an information source for inspection purposes, as set out in their latest strategy.

    We currently have no plans to introduce mandatory accreditation of audiology services in England.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken in the last 12 months to improve access to off-patent, repurposed drugs; and what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of those steps.

    George Freeman

    Our policy on generic prescribing has been in place for a number of years. The policy helps ensure that patients can access the medicine that best meets their needs and it has been a key driver in the National Health Service making maximum use of off-patent drugs which are also known as generics. We have the best prescribing rate for these drugs in Europe.

    To support clinicians who may want to prescribe a product off-label for a patient to and improve the flow of research evidence into clinical practice, the Department hosted a Roundtable Event in February 2015. Attendees included the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Breast Cancer Now and other charities and discussions helped determine those non-legislative measures that could be undertaken. The Government is committed to this work and is holding a further roundtable event with charities.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ruth Cadbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will reopen his Department’s consultation on the proposed NHS mandate.

    George Freeman

    Each year the Government aims to publish the mandate to NHS England before Christmas, in order to allow the NHS sufficient time to plan before the new financial year. The mandate to NHS England 2016-17 was laid before Parliament and published on Thursday 17 December 2015. Alongside it, the Government published its response to the consultation, explaining what we heard and how the mandate has changed as a result.

    The Government is therefore unable to reopen the consultation on the mandate to NHS England.