Category: Speeches

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to introduce or pilot a system of automatic electoral registration.

    John Penrose

    I have considered a range of proposals from local authorities and civil society organisations that could change how registration is currently delivered. The Government is committed to further modernising and improving electoral registration, building on the successful transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER).

    We are keen to explore further possibilities in this area but are concerned there may be tension between some forms of automatic registration and the principles underpinning IER, namely individual responsibility and ownership over registering to vote.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to bring forward legislative proposals for the labelling of ritually slaughtered meat products.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 22 June 2015, PQ UIN 2954.

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations officials, advisers and Ministers of his Department have made to the Chief Executive and Chair of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust since May 2015 on the standard of care in that hospital’s emergency department.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department has not approached the Chief Executive or Chair of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust directly about this matter.

    NHS Improvement is responsible for overseeing hospital trusts. It offers the support that providers need to give patients consistently safe, high quality, compassionate care within local health systems that are financially sustainable.

    NHS Improvement is continuing to work alongside NHS England and the local health and care system to ensure that the Trust has the resources it needs to ensure that patients receive safe, high quality care.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on reports of the persecution of Christians and other minorities living in Pakistan.

    Alok Sharma

    We are concerned about continuing reports of abuses against Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. The Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their religion or beliefs. Our concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual human rights report. We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani Government at a senior level. In April, the previous Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Philip Hammond), raised the importance of safeguarding the rights of all minorities with Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs. It is encouraging that the Government of Pakistan has enacted legislation to protect religious minority groups. The United Kingdom continues to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to religious minorities, and to uphold the rule of law.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on eradicating nuclear weapons through multilateral disarmament by means of the international framework provided by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review restated the Government’s commitment to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons in line with our obligations under Article VI of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We firmly believe that the best way to achieve this goal is through gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step by step approach and within the framework of the NPT. The Government sees entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and successful negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament as key steps towards multilateral disarmament.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the cost benefit analysis of the year 1 and 2 badger cull pilots; for what reasons the roll-out to Dorset of the badger culls went ahead prior to the publication of that cost benefit analysis; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The expected benefits of the policy remain in line with those in the ‘Measures to address bovine tuberculosis in badgers’ impact assessment published in 2011.

  • Lord Eames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Eames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Eames on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, briefed Peers and MPs on the Northern Ireland political agreement prior to her statement to the House of Commons on 19 November and whether all, or any, Northern Ireland-based Members of both Houses were invited to attend.

    Lord Dunlop

    There was no briefing for Peers or MP’s prior to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s Statement to the House of Commons on Thursday 19 November.

    An invitation to the briefing on the Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill held on Monday 23 November was circulated electronically to all Peers via the Usual Channels.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the requirement laid down by the NHS Commissioning Board for Commissioning Support Units to become autonomous by the end of 2016 is to be removed.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    No decision has been made. The proposed change was at the request of Clinical Support Units’ (CSU) Managing Directors – to give greaterflexibility to apply to become autonomous when they are ready, rather than having to work to a fixed timetable. A decision will be taken once NHS England’sCommissioning Committee has met.

  • Glyn Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Glyn Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Glyn Davies on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what criteria her Department uses to designate technologies as less established for the purpose of Contract for Difference auctions.

    Andrea Leadsom

    In designating technologies in the less established group, we considered which technologies could have a significant long-term role in the UK energy mix, and where there remains significant potential for future cost reduction.

  • Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how, and to what extent, they are working with other donor governments to address the current food shortages in Ethiopia.

    Earl of Courtown

    Britain is working closely with the Government of Ethiopia and the international community to ensure adequate funding for drought response activities. Britain’s overall funding for the drought to date is £113 million, making the UK the second largest donor.

    In December, the Government of Ethiopia and the United Nations launched an appeal for 2016 to fundraise $1.4 billion (~£923 million) to respond to the drought in Ethiopia. By the beginning of March, 53% of the required funds have been raised.

    DFID is an active participant in donor coordination fora in Ethiopia, including Ethiopia’s Development Assistance Group, and works closely with other donor governments to monitor the response and to lobby for support from the Government of Ethiopia and UN appeal.

    DFID Ministers have discussed the drought at the highest levels with the Government of Ethiopia. We have been working closely with the Ethiopian Government to support their leadership of the humanitarian response. To date, the Government of Ethiopia has allocated $381 million (~£269 million) to address the crisis.