Category: Speeches

  • Alex Salmond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alex Salmond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Salmond on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to protect children in Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​We are very concerned by the impact the current conflict is having on children in Yemen. The UK is the fourth largest humanitarian donor to the Yemen crisis having pledged a total of £100m this year. This is helping to supply Yemenis with food, medical supplies, water, and emergency shelter. An enduring cessation of hostilities and peace talks remain a top priority in order to bring stability to Yemen and alleviate the suffering.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the public purse received in reimbursement from each EEA country for healthcare provided to their citizens for each year from 1997-98 to 2014-15.

    Alistair Burt

    Regarding non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries, including those with reciprocal healthcare agreements with the United Kingdom, we can confirm that no reimbursements are made from the public purse in respect of healthcare provided to UK citizens.

    For non-EEA countries without a reciprocal agreement in place with the UK, it would be for the individual to pay for any healthcare needed and for that reason appropriate travel and medical insurance is highly advisable. Similarly, for those non-EEA countries with whom the UK does have a reciprocal healthcare agreement, no money changes hands between the parties to the agreement. The basis of these agreements is reciprocity – that is, necessary healthcare is provided in most cases free of charge to the visitor and the associated costs are absorbed by either side.

    The information requested on the amount received in reimbursement from EEA countries in only available for the country totals of cash payment for 2007-08 to 2014-15. That information is provided in attached table. We do not hold totals for amounts before 2007-08, as the information is hot held centrally.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government (a) has made or (b) plans to make any contribution to the cost of (i) the construction and (ii) the running of the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton.

    Tracey Crouch

    The National Tennis Centre (NTC) at Roehampton is a privately funded enterprise owned by the Lawn Tennis Association.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will use his powers under clause 2, section 10 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to appoint a crown servant to act as governor of the Medway Secure Training Centre.

    Andrew Selous

    Kent Police and Medway Council’s child protection team have launched an investigation into the allegations made about Medway Secure Training Centre (STC). The Ministry of Justice and Youth Justice Board will do everything we can to assist and support the investigation. Our immediate priority has been to make sure that the young people in custody at Medway are safe, which is why HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted visited the STC last week.

    The YJB have ceased placements into the STC with immediate effect. They have also increased their own monitoring at Medway and that of the independent advocacy service provided by Barnardo’s.

    We are currently considering how we can best ensure young people at Medway are in a safe, secure and rehabilitative environment and any further decisions will be announced in the normal way.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24145, what support a hospital is expected to provide to people appointed as attorneys to make decisions about property and affairs of people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

    Alistair Burt

    There are no specific guidelines as to what support hospitals should provide to an individual holding a Lasting Power of Attorney for another individual detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. However, when appointed as an attorney, individuals are registered by the Office of the Public Guardian who make them aware of their responsibilities to act in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). A range of support materials are available on operation of the MCA and hospitals should have an appointed MCA lead person who can help disseminate advice and best practice.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department’s policy is on Work Coaches working in schools.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Government has pledged to introduce demand-led Jobcentre Plus staff to supplement careers guidance and help schools deliver their statutory duty to provide high-quality, independent and impartial careers advice.

    As part of the ‘Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools’ initiative introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions, local Jobcentre Plus advisors will work with schools to help offer 12 to 18 year old pupils insight into the world of work and advise on options such as traineeships and apprenticeships. This scheme is directed particularly at those students at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training) or who may otherwise be disadvantaged in the labour market.

    This support will be aligned with The Careers & Enterprise Company Enterprise Adviser Network (or other local structures) to avoid adding complexity to the careers landscape for schools and will be delivered initially as a pathfinder in 10 areas. This pathfinder phase started in Birmingham in January 2016.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Office for Budget Responsibility on the potential implications of the UK withdrawing from the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Office for Budget Responsibility have set out their approach to assessing the implications of a UK withdrawal from the EU in their March 2016 Economic and fiscal outlook (see Box 3.4).

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of recent trends in life expectancy.

    Jane Ellison

    We welcome the overall trend to longer life expectancy. Annual fluctuations in life expectancy do occur, but the overall trend remains positive. We are committed to helping people live longer, healthier lives. Tackling health inequalities amongst people of ages is embedded in policy right across the Department.

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how soils research sponsored by the Research Councils is translated into practical measures that can be readily adopted at farm level.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The findings from soils research are translated into practical measures that can be applied at farm level in a number of ways. This includes testing of measures as part of the research, reviews of the evidence base feeding into the development of farmer guidance or direct knowledge transfer as part of the research project.

    No formal assessment has been made of how soils research sponsored by the Research Councils is translated into practice. However, the part-Defra funded Soil Evidence Review, published in 2015 as part of the Natural Environment Research Council’s Soil Security Programme, emphasised the importance of engagement between researchers and farmers as being a priority to ensure understanding of agricultural issues (e.g. practical and economic challenges) and to aid the effective implementation of new knowledge and technologies.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued on whether responses from residents to public consultation questionnaires issued by local authorities should be anonymous or identified by name and address.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not publish guidance on local authority consultations. However, Local authorities should have regard to the rules on data protection when dealing with any personal information about residents, including personal information contained on consultation responses.