Category: Speeches

  • 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, what training and assistance the UK Border Force provides to transport carriers and port operators who are required to collect Advance Passenger Information to identify false documents; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    Border Force has worked closely with carriers and port operators to ensure that Exit Checks are carried out in accordance with Home Office requirements.

    Immigration Enforcement’s Risk and Liaison Overseas Network (RALON) has staff in key locations providing training and support for airlines and their handling agents operating services to the UK. Training covers UK visa requirements, security safeguards in passports, national identity cards, travel documents and visas, and how to identify cases of impersonation. In addition to the safeguards described above, RALON staff also raise awareness of current trends or specific types of abuse that the UK is encountering.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the self-esteem of female police officers of having to wear a uniform.

    Brandon Lewis

    Decisions on uniform requirements for different roles within their force are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

    The police remain operationally independent and it is for Chief Constables and PCCs locally to decide how to best equip their staff.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the reformed discretionary support scheme for people affected by contaminated blood will consider (a) housing benefit or (b) jobseeker’s allowance in calculating eligibility for financial support for (i) widows and widowers of people affected and (ii) other beneficiaries.

    Nicola Blackwood

    In 2017/18, as part of the wider reform of the Infected Blood Payments Scheme in England, a new discretionary scheme will replace the current three discretionary schemes. The new discretionary scheme is in design and the relationship between receipt of welfare support and eligibility for discretionary support from the new scheme has yet to be decided.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-11-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the average wage increase of agricultural workers since the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects information on average wage rates of farm workers, via their Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

    The abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board came into effect on 30 September 2013.The table below shows the average (median) hourly pay for farm workers, excluding overtime, for the most recent four years available. The data is compiled through a sample survey and is therefore subject to a level of sampling error.

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014 (prov)

    Farm workers

    £7.70

    £7.52

    £7.76

    £7.83

    Source: ONS ASHE – Table 14.6a – Hourly pay excluding overtime


  • Lord Stevenson of Balmacara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Stevenson of Balmacara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevenson of Balmacara on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) what was the budget for the Trade Show Access Programme (TAP) from 1 April to 30 March in (a) 2014–15, and (b) 2015–16; (2) what they expect the budget to be for the financial years (a) 2016–17, (b) 2017–18, and (c) 2018–19; and (3) whether the Minister for Trade and Investment plans to meet the Sponsors Alliance to discuss the future of the Trade Show Access Programme, and if so, when the meeting will take place.

    Lord Maude of Horsham

    The budget for the Tradeshow Access Programme was £11.05M in 2014/15 and the estimated spend in 2015/16 is £10.25M.

    For 2016/17 and beyond, UKTI will be reviewing how the Tradeshow Access Programme is aligned with other Export Services as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement. It is therefore not possible to confirm the budget at this stage.

    I will respond positively to a request for a meeting with the Sponsors Alliance subject to diary commitments.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the legal opinion issued by Philippe Sands QC concerning alleged violation of national, European and international arms transfer control law by their continued authorisation of arms exports to Saudi Arabia, especially in the context of their alleged use in Yemen; and what action they are taking in this regard.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware of this legal opinion provided on instructions from certain non-governmental organisations. In accordance with long standing Government policy we do not disclose legal advice given or received, and it would not be appropriate to discuss any potential or ongoing litigation matters. The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent arms export control regimes in the world. All arms export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all relevant information, to ensure compliance with our legal obligations, including under international law. A licence will not be issued for any country if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria. This includes the export of arms to Saudi Arabia.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training is available for judges and barristers to assist them when questioning child witnesses in cases involving sexual offences.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Judicial training is a judicial matter and fulfilled by the Judicial College, which reports to the Lord Chief Justice. Training for barristers is a matter for their own professional bodies.

    The Judicial College have advised me that a workshop on the cross examination of vulnerable witnesses is incorporated into their Serious Sexual Offences Seminar. This is mandatory training for all judges who have been authorised to hear cases involving serious sexual offences.

  • 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, how much the UK has received in grants and funding from the EU to fund research into cancer under (a) the EU’s 7th framework programme 2007-2013 and (b) the current Horizon 2020 programme.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department does not hold this information.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of nationals of other EU member states who are living in social housing in the UK.

    Brandon Lewis

    The department collects details on the nationality of all household reference persons in the English Housing Survey. However, the sample size of the English Housing Survey does not permit us to report detailed nationality statistics.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that the quality of service is consistent at jobcentres around the country.

    Priti Patel

    There are comprehensive operational instructions available that all Jobcentres are expected to adhere to. This is monitored through internal checking to ensure processes and the quality of our interaction with claimants meets the required standard. Alongside the checking of results, other sources of data, such as DWP Customer Survey and complaints data, are exploited to ensure services meet the required standard. Continuous improvement is a key factor in our approach and examples include providing coaching/training, improving operations instructions and making better use of technology.