Category: Speeches

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to paragraph 6.14 of English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 Vision, what steps his Department will take to ensure employers are still encouraged to take on 16 to 18 apprentices following the introduction of the apprenticeship levy.

    Nick Boles

    We are working through the policy implications of the levy. Ministers and officials are conducting end to end meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of getting the detailed design of the levy right before its implementation in 2017.

    We want 16-18 year olds to play a key part in the success of apprenticeships. The lifetime benefits associated with the acquisition of apprenticeships are significant, and there is a high level of return to investment delivered by the apprenticeship programme. We will continue to encourage employers to take on 16-18 year olds as apprentices.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the briefing by the National Audit Office, entitled Delivering major projects in government, published on 6 January 2016, what steps his Department is taking to (a) correct inconsistent reporting of costs referred to in that briefing and (b) ensure more accurate reporting of costs on major projects.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department has issued clear guidance on how projects should report financial data. This includes whether costs are reported as real or nominal and further information on how costs are calculated. The Department is working with the Infrastructure Project Authority (IPA) to ensure consistent portfolio reporting across Government.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Local Government Boundary Commission is under an obligation to ensure that proposals for boundary changes reflect representations it has received from people in the areas affected.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Local Government Boundary Commission for England informs me that the procedure for electoral reviews is set out in the Local Democracy, Economic Democracy and Construction Act 2009. The Act requires the Commission to publish recommendations and consider representations made on them.

    In drawing up new ward or electoral division boundaries, Section 58 of the Act requires the Commission to take into consideration any representations made to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England within its consultation periods.

    In practice, the Commission always conducts at least two phases of public consultation for every electoral review. First, in advance of drawing up draft recommendations, the Commission will invite local proposals for new ward or electoral division boundaries.

    Following the initial consultation, the Commission publishes draft recommendations and consults on them before finalising ward boundaries and the wider electoral arrangements for a local authority.

    After each phase of consultation, the Commission will consider all local representations against the statutory criteria which are set out in Schedule 2 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. The criteria oblige the Commission to have regard to delivering electoral equality for voters, to build electoral arrangements that reflect community interests and identities as well as ensuring that wards or divisions promote effective and convenient local government.

    The Commission analyses all local representations to assess the extent to which they meet the statutory criteria. If submissions present a fair reflection of the criteria and can be accommodated within an authority-wide scheme, it will usually adopt them. In the event that multiple (but conflicting) submissions meet the statutory criteria, the Commission will choose the option which it believes most strongly reflects them. If no local representations provide a satisfactory reflection of the statutory criteria, the Commission will substitute its judgement and draw up its own pattern of wards or divisions for the area in question.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government plans to reinstate a bilateral aid programme with Burundi.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    There are no plans for DFID to re-open the office in Burundi. Our bilateral programme in Burundi closed in 2012 following the 2010 Bilateral Aid Review. We continue to provide support to Burundi through Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), an independent agency promoting trade and regional economic integration given that this is central to Burundi’s growth and prosperity. We have provided £10 million for TMEA work in Burundi since 2012. We also support Centrally Managed Programmes working in Burundi, covering areas such as food security and livelihoods. In addition, we are providing significant humanitarian support to Burundian refugees in the region and will consider providing humanitarian support in Burundi should a humanitarian crisis materialise.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces have been employed specialising in the repair and maintenance of survival equipment in the RAF in the last twenty years; and how many former such staff have (a) received a medical discharge and (b) submitted a claim for compensation on the grounds of occupational related ill-health.

    Mark Lancaster

    The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information is available from 1 April 2006 to 1 February 2016, and is given below.

    Of the 1,027 personnel identified as being employed in the repair and maintenance of survival equipment in the RAF, around 40 were medically discharged from Service. Around 60 registered an injury/illness claim for a disablement pension under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). Around 100 registered an injury/illness claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Fewer than five made a legal claim for compensation.

    Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias. This is because there is a duty under the Data Protection Act 1998 to protect individuals from being identified by the release of information.

    The War Pension Scheme provides no-fault compensation for all ex-Service personnel where illness, injury or death is caused by Service from the start of the First World War up until 5 April 2005. This was replaced by the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme on 6 April 2005. Please note that these statistics relate to illness and injury; it is not possible to determine which claims are related to occupational ill-health without accessing the individuals’ medical files. An award under the AFCS or WPS may be made for a variety of reasons and not necessarily directly related to the role of a Survival Equipment Fitter.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) whether Turkey has breached the Geneva Conventions by (a) killing and wounding unarmed civilians in south-east Turkey, and (b) firing across its frontiers with Syria and Iraq; and (2) whether there may be scope for prosecuting individuals responsible for those actions before the International Criminal Court and for claiming compensation for individuals whose property has been destroyed.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are closely monitoring Turkish government security operations in south-east Turkey and actions it has taken in northern Iraq and northern Syria. Our condolences are with civilians caught up in the violence, as well as Turkish soldiers and police who continue to be targeted in terrorist attacks by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our Ambassador in Ankara have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process. We understand that the Government of Turkey has committed to compensating those whose properties were damaged in recent violence.

  • Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Cox on 2016-06-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of securing a UN Security Council Resolution focused on the actions of Daesh in Iraq, in the light of the previous vetoes by Russia.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Any decision to refer to the International Criminal Court must be made on the basis of what will be the most effective means to bring perpetrators of atrocities to account. In close consultation with the Government of Iraq, we will continue to look at every available option to ensure accountability, and to work with our international partners on what can be done both to assist the victims and to bring those responsible to justice.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times nuclear convoys travelled through (a) Glasgow East constituency, (b) the City of Glasgow and (c) Scotland from May 2015 to September 2016.

    Mike Penning

    The Ministry of Defence keeps defence nuclear material convoy movements to the minimum necessary to maintain the operational effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. I am withholding information on the frequency and routes used by the convoys for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the age of young refugees from the camp in Calais received into the UK.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The EU’s Dublin Regulation clearly sets out the criteria for transferring asylum claims between Member States. The Government wishes to reaffirm that migrants in Calais have not yet been determined as refugees, and furthermore, the Dublin Regulation is the EU’s mechanism for transferring asylum claims, rather than a resettlement route. Section 67 of the Immigration Act sets out that ‘unaccompanied refugee children’ will be relocated to the UK. In respect of Calais, the Government has been clear that unaccompanied children will be prioritised if they meet the Dublin criteria.

    We work closely with the French authorities and their partner agencies to ensure all those who come to the UK from the camps in Calais are eligible under the Dublin Regulation. All individuals are referred to the UK authorities by the NGO France Terre D’asile (FTDA) and are then interviewed by French and UK officials. Basic security checks are conducted on all individuals prior to arrival, with further verification carried out once in the UK.

    Where credible and clear documentary evidence of age is not available, criteria including physical appearance and demeanour are used as part of the interview process to assess age. Where we believe someone is significantly over 18, they will be refused. The Home Office does not use dental x-rays to confirm the ages of those seeking asylum as they have been described by the British Dental Association as inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical.

    Since June the Home Office has been working closely with local authorities and Strategic Migration Partnerships across the UK to ensure that we have the structures in place to support the transfer of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children, both within the UK and from Europe.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and (b) her counterpart in the Republic of Ireland on steps to ensure the proposed North-South electricity interconnector is delivered.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    Non-nuclear energy policy is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.