Category: Speeches

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 prevents the full implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland.

    Mark Lancaster

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 January 2016 to Question 22174 to the hon. Member for Belfast East (Mr Robinson).

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-01-12/22174/

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what, if any, extra security measures are being implemented, and at what cost, following the decision by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission to refuse the Home Office the right to deport six individuals, allegedly linked to al-Qaeda, to Algeria.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We do not comment on security matters. However national security remains our primary consideration and we have taken, and will continue to take, all necessary measures to protect our national security.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department can take against developers who illegally build new developments too close to river banks and exacerbate existing flooding problems in the area.

    Gavin Barwell

    National planning policy is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where unauthorised development has taken place, we have given local planning authorities a wide range of powers to tackle the situation. These powers include the ability to serve an enforcement notice setting out the steps required to remedy a breach – which can include the demolition of a building if the authority considers that appropriate. Non-compliance with such a notice is punishable by an unlimited fine and local authorities have the power to take the necessary steps themselves and recover the costs from the developer. Other powers include the ability to apply for a planning injunction against apprehended as well as actual breaches of planning control. The penalties for non compliance with an injunction are severe – including imprisonment for contempt of court. Full details of local authorities’ enforcement powers can be found in our online planning guidance: http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/ensuring-effective-enforcement/.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of victims and witnesses in historic sex abuse cases.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    Victims of specific sexual offences, including historical sex abuse cases, are automatically provided with lifetime anonymity, by way of reporting restrictions, from the point of complaint. Anonymity is granted in recognition of the nature of the offence against them and to encourage other victims to come forward.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of how effectively pupil premium funding is used by schools to support disadvantaged highly-able pupils.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The department recently published ‘Supporting the Attainment of Disadvantaged Pupils: Articulating Success and Good Practice’[1]. This is independent research on the effective use of the pupil premium, carried out by National Foundation for Educational Research.

    On the basis of this report, the department published ‘Supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils: briefing for school leaders’[2], which reinforces the importance of supporting more able disadvantaged pupils to meet their potential.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473974/DFE-RR411_Supporting_the_attainment_of_disadvantaged_pupils.pdf.

    [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473976/DFE-RS411_Supporting_the_attainment_of_disadvantaged_pupils_-_briefing_for_school_leaders.pdf

    “

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his Russian counterpart the release of the Ukrainian MP Nadiya Savchenko.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK Government believes that Nadiya Savchenko is being held illegally and has repeatedly called for her release. I have raised our concerns with the Russian Government at Ministerial and Ambassadorial level on multiple occasions, most recently with First Deputy Foreign Minister Titov during a visit to Moscow on 22 December.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent analysis his Department has made of levels of cycling among different age and gender groups.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The number of cycle trips per person per year for different age and gender groups are given in the table (based on data for England in 2014) are given in the table.

    Males

    Females

    All people

    0-16

    22

    6

    14

    17-20

    30

    5

    18

    21-29

    33

    13

    23

    30-39

    33

    16

    25

    40-49

    38

    10

    24

    50-59

    29

    11

    20

    60-69

    22

    6

    14

    70+

    14

    2

    7

    All ages

    28

    9

    18
  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the public sector exit cap proposed in the Enterprise Bill on employees of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

    Greg Hands

    An impact analysis was published within the exit payment cap consultation document which respondents had an opportunity to comment on. Further, the Government has been working with departments, including the Department of Energy and Climate Change, to inform the impact of a public sector exit payment cap set at £95,000 in different sectors and on different categories of workers. The exit payment cap consultation can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-a-public-sector-exit-payment-cap

    “

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 30445, how many full-time equivalent staff are working for the Careers and Enterprise Company; and what estimate she has made of what the final number of full-time equivalent staff at that body will be.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) has made excellent progress in its work to transform the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people.

    The CEC is aiming for Local Enterprise Partnerships to recruit 50 Enterprise Co-ordinators and 300 volunteer Enterprise Advisers between September 2015 and March 2016. The Department for Education is in the process of agreeing the CEC’s funding and targets for the forthcoming financial year.

    The number of full-time equivalent staff currently employed by the CEC is 18. Further recruitment will depend on the funding available to the company and its objectives for future years.

  • Alan Whitehead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alan Whitehead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Whitehead on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she plans to publish the impact assessment relating to her Department’s consultation on further reforms to the Capacity Market, published on 1 March 2016.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We are currently reviewing the responses to the 1 March consultation on further reforms to the Capacity Market and will be publishing a Government response shortly. An impact assessment will be published alongside the Government response.