Category: Speeches

  • Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Crispin Blunt on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made since the publication of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 on the Trident renewal programme in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Further to the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we are investing an additional £642 million in the design of the Successor submarine and ordering additional long-lead items, including for the fourth submarine. Negotiations with industry remain on-going on options for the subsequent investment stages and their scope, time and cost. The 2016 Annual Update to Parliament, which sets out progress on the Successor submarine programme, is planned for later this year.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of the revised EU Directive on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provisions for lowering the exposure of pension fund savers to climate change-related financial risk.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government’s priority for the draft Directive is ensuring sound and proportionate regulation of occupational pension schemes, which respects differences in the national arrangements between Member States.

    As is usual practice, an overall impact assessment for the draft Directive has been prepared by the EU institutions, and a national-level impact assessment will be prepared as and when the Directive is transposed into UK law.

    The Government has approached negotiations on the Directive in line with the usual co-ordination process across departments.

  • Lord Allen of Kensington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Allen of Kensington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Allen of Kensington on 2016-07-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the changes that have placed responsibility for universities within the Department for Education and the responsibility for research, including for the research councils and Innovate UK with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how they plan to ensure that businesses and the university sector work closely together to maintain the UK’s research and science base, and to make the UK an attractive place to innovate.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    This Government has demonstrated its commitment to the UK’s research and science base, protecting £4.7bn funding in real terms at the Spending Review. Our proposals set out in the Higher Education and Research Bill will meet Sir Paul Nurse’s ambition to strengthen strategic leadership and maximise the benefit from the Government’s investment in research and innovation.

    A single minister for Universities and Science whose portfolio spans both departments will ensure coherence and integration across universities, research councils and Innovate UK and have a strong input into our industrial strategy.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what account his Department took of the case of Andargachew Tsege in its decision to fund the executive MSc programme in security sector management in Ethiopia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​In line with standard government policy, we conducted an Overseas Security and Justice Assessment before funding for the executive MSc programme in security sector management was approved. The consular case of Mr Andargachew Tsege was not a factor in the process. The programme focuses on building an understanding of the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law, and the assessment evaluated the programme to be supporting the reduction of human rights violations. The Government takes the detention and welfare of Mr Andargachew Tsege very seriously and continues to raise his case with the Ethiopian government at the highest levels.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Wilson Doctrine has been consistently applied to the parliamentary communications of the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; and whether that hon. Member has been subject to surveillance.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Government’s position on the Wilson Doctrine was set out by the Prime Minister in a written ministerial statement made on 4 November 2015.

    As the Prime Minister made clear, the Wilson Doctrine has never been an absolute bar to the targeted interception of the communications of Members of Parliament or an exemption from the legal regime governing interception. The Doctrine recognised that there could be instances where interception might be necessary.

    The Prime Minister announced that as matter of policy the PM will be consulted should there ever be a proposal to target any UK Parliamentarian’s communications under a warrant issued by a Secretary of State. This applies to Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and UK members of the European Parliament. It applies to all activity authorised by a warrant issued by a Secretary of State: any instance of targeted interception and electronic surveillance and equipment interference when undertaken by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is in addition to the rigorous safeguards already in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Code of Practice issued under it which set out a series of robust safeguards for any instance of interception.

    It is long standing policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny any specific activity by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence for anyone to identify an individual interception warrant or an individual interception that takes place.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS has recently taken to improve its support for (a) child witnesses and (b) people with learning disabilities who give evidence in criminal proceedings.

    Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to improving the ‘at court’ experience for all witnesses. The CPS works closely with the police and the voluntary sector to ensure that vulnerable witnesses such as children and people with learning disabilities are well supported through the Criminal Justice System.

    Special measures such as the use of intermediaries, using screens at court and video live links help vulnerable witnesses, including children and people with learning difficulties, to give their best evidence. Recently, the CPS assisted the MoJ in recruiting an additional 105 intermediaries, who play a vital role in facilitating coherent conversations during police interviews and at court. The use of pre-recorded cross-examination has also been successfully piloted and the Lord Chancellor has committed publically to a national roll-out.

    In September, following public consultation, the Director of Public Prosecutions announced the launch of new guidance for prosecutors entitled ‘Speaking to Witnesses at Court’. The aim of this guidance is to set out the role played by prosecutors at or before court in ensuring that witnesses give their best evidence. This will benefit all prosecution witnesses and will help them understand what to expect. These enhanced arrangements will be piloted over the coming months and will be rolled out nationally during 2016.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the recommendations of the independent reviewer of the overseas domestic worker visa will be implemented.

    Lord Bates

    The Government is considering carefully the recommendations of James Ewins and will announce its response in due course.

  • 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 2016-01-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 19 January (HL4840), why the independent review of the contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare Partnership will only focus on the commissioner perspective.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are advised that NHS England’s review of the contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare Partnership will focus on the commissioner perspective. Monitor, as the sector regulator for health services in England, will also be conducting a review.

    However, Monitor’s review will assess the contract from the perspective of the providers involved and consider how relevant issues might be mitigated in the future. Monitor and NHS England will share their respective findings with each other.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that applications for passports are processed without delays over the peak summer period.

    James Brokenshire

    Robust operational plans are in place and are reviewed regularly to ensure Her Majesty’s Passport Office is able to process passport applications within the published service standards. The organisation’s workforce and operational plans take account of demand cycles, and contingency measures are in place.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provided to the Sovereign Base Area police force in Cyprus for the investigation of serious crimes.

    James Brokenshire

    The ACRO Criminal Records Office, which operates the UK Central Authority for the international Exchange of Criminal Records, has signed an information sharing agreement with the Sovereign Base Area of Cyprus. This allows for the exchange of criminal records, including access to UK criminal records for the purposes of checking the records of those arrested in the Sovereign Base Area.