Category: Speeches

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that supply chain contracts from the Beatrice offshore wind project will create jobs in the UK.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department, together with UKTI and BIS, work closely with the Beatrice offshore wind farm developer to ensure that UK companies are able to bid for contracts in an open and fair competition process to maximise the UK content in the wind farm.

    Offshore Wind Developers have committed to achieving their vision statement of providing over 50% UK content in UK offshore wind farms. There is an agreed industry standard methodology in place for the Industry to measure and record the UK content in each offshore wind farm. The industry publishes the anonymised and consolidated results to allow the sector and the public to track the sector’s progress towards fulfilling their vision.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer submitted to Question 21401, what new or changed policies her Department has implemented as a result of the evidence submitted.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We have not implemented new policies specifically as a result of the call for evidence on park homes. The evidence did support decisions made on the Warm Home Discount where this scheme year we have introduced a pilot scheme to allow eligible park home residents to apply for £140 to help with their energy bills.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the extension of the plug-in grant to motorcycles; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport has received representations from the Motorcycle Industry Association on a consumer incentive for zero emission motorcycles, as well as correspondence form the public at official level.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to assist UK firms to access Chinese markets.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    As part of the Government’s new ‘whole of Government’ Trade Strategy, Departments are working together to make it easier for UK businesses, including Small and Medium Enterprises, to take advantage of overseas opportunities. This includes significant opportunities in China, which generates over a quarter of global growth. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Secretary of State, my right Hon. Friend the member for Tatton (Mr Osborne) have both visited Beijing in 2016, in order to: emphasise the UK’s comparative advantages in sectors that are important to China’s ongoing economic reform; stress the importance of improved market access and a reliable business environment for British companies; and encourage China to address overcapacity. The Secretary of State for Business, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Mr Javid) also held talks with his counterpart in Birmingham in February, encouraging further Chinese investment into the regions of the UK. We will continue to take an active approach to strengthen bilateral investment and expand two-way trade with China.

  • Alan Mak – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Mak – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Mak on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the strength of diplomatic and economic relations between China and the UK.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our relationship with China is strong and prosperous. We are building on the global partnership established during last year’s Chinese State Visit, by cooperating on international challenges and boosting trade and investment. We also have frank discussions on difficult issues including steel over-capacity, human rights and the South China Sea.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to endorse the (a) commitment on explosive weapons at the World Humanitarian Summit and (b) other core commitments on protecting civilians in armed conflict.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK is working through the 32 Core Commitments proposed by the World Humanitarian Summit and will make a decision shortly on which we can align with.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in each clinical commissioning group area had IVF treatment in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not collected centrally.

  • Lord Palmer of Childs Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Palmer of Childs Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer of Childs Hill on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the remarks regarding litigation over the Balfour Declaration made by the Foreign Affairs Minister and the President of the Palestinian Authority, what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority regarding a return to direct negotiations without preconditions between it and the government of Israel.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem have discussed the remarks about litigation with Palestinian officials and politicians. We continue to urge a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, although we have not called for a return to direct bilateral negotiations without preconditions. The UK’s vision for a future two-state solution is clear. It should be based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and with a just, fair and agreed settlement for refugees.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in implementing the recommendations put forward by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government shares the concerns of the UN Commission of Inquiry regarding human rights in Eritrea, in particular shortcomings in the rule of law and indefinite national service.

    We have made clear to the Eritrean Government the tangible improvements we want to see, including amending its national service system and fully implementing its own constitution. We are also urging the Government of Eritrea to increase further its engagement with international human rights bodies, such as the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recently visited Eritrea and was allowed access for the first time to a place of detention. We are supporting UN and EU programmes set up to address recommendations made by the Universal Periodic Review on human rights, and are funding a programme on strengthening the rule of law implemented by the Slynn Foundation.

    The mechanism of the Special Rapporteur is an important tool for the international community to strengthen its engagement with Eritrea. The UK Statement to the Human Rights Council on 21 June called on both the Special Rapporteur and the Government of Eritrea to consider ways that they might work together constructively to enhance the progress Eritrea has begun to make in its human rights observance.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the progress of local authorities in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change annually requests that local authorities in England measure, and report on their websites, greenhouse gas emissions data for their own estate and operations. The exercise enables local authorities to make assessments of their own progress against previous years and also against other local authorities.