Category: Speeches

  • Harriet Harman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Harriet Harman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has (a) made and (b) plans to make any payment to Shaker Aamer (i) in return for an undertaking that he will not pursue legal action against the Government and (ii) for any other reason.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The settlement of the Guantanamo civil claims announced by Her Majesty’s Government in November 2010 was subject to a legally binding confidentiality agreement. We will not comment further about the terms of the settlement or about who is party to it.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been deducted from funding allocated by the National College of Teaching and Leadership to higher education institutions who have trained more teachers than places allocated in each academic year since 2010-11.

    Nick Gibb

    The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) have not reduced the funding for any higher education institutions (HEIs) who have trained more teachers than places allocated since the academic year 2010-11. The NCTL continues to have the right to impose penalties, but have not exercised this previously. The decision to exercise this right in the academic year 2016/17 will be made after institutions submit their trainee registration information.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of whether current arrangements for listed building status take account of potential measures that can be taken to improve the energy efficiency of data centres.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Listed buildings are designated by the Secretary of State on the basis of their special architectural and historic interest. Other factors – including their energy efficiency – can be considered through the process of seeking listed building consent (LBC) prior to the alteration, extension or demolition of such buildings. Requests for LBC are determined by the relevant local planning authority.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the decision not to make personal, social, health and economic education statutory on the ability of schools to teach that subject.

    Edward Timpson

    This Government wants to provide all young people with a curriculum for life, which prepares them to succeed in modern Britain. High quality teaching of PSHE is central to this.

    The Secretary of State wrote to the ESC in February 2016 stating that the Department will continue to keep the status of PSHE in the curriculum under review.

    We have asked leading head teachers and practitioners to produce an action plan for improving PSHE. We will work with these experts to identify further action we can take to ensure that all pupils receive high quality, age appropriate PSHE and SRE.

  • Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dobbs on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Leader of the House, further to her Written Answer on 16 November 2015 (HL3174), what percentage of House of Lords divisions resulted in Government defeats in (1) the 1997–2001 Parliament, and (2) the current Parliament.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The rate of defeats in the present Parliament is more than twice that of the 1997-2001 Parliament: the Government were defeated in 22% of divisions in that Parliament, compared to 49% in the present one (up to Thursday 21 April). These figures are based on statistics compiled by the Journal Office.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the total length is of tunnels for each specific diameter being constructed by the London Power Tunnels Project; and what length of each such type of tunnel has been constructed to date.

    Andrea Leadsom

    National Grid has said that:

    The total length of the tunnels is 32km and tunnelling was completed in March 2015.

    19.6km of the network was constructed using a 3m internal diameter tunnel boring

    machine

    • Willesden to St John’s Wood 3m diameter tunnel – 7.4km

    • Wimbledon to Kensal Green 3m diameter tunnel – 12.2km.

      12.4km of the network was built using a 4m internal diameter tunnel boring machine

      – St John’s Wood to Hackney 4m diameter tunnel.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to investigate reports that asylum seekers have been mistreated and housed in substandard accommodation in Glasgow.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office contract compliance teams regularly check supplier performance, including investigating complaints and incident reporting.

    We have worked closely with our COMPASS Providers, including Serco, to improve property standards and over the lifetime of the contract, quality standards have increased.

    Where a contractor is found to be falling short of these standards, we work with them to ensure issues are quickly addressed. When they are not we can and do impose sanctions.

    Where there are allegations of asylum seekers being mistreated or their accommodation being substandard, I would encourage anyone to notify the Home Office so we can investigate and resolve any issues.

  • Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the total mileage of each UK motorway is subject to speed restrictions lower than 70 mph.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The number of miles of a motorway subject to speed restrictions varies on a daily basis, depending on planned roadworks as well as temporary restrictions that need to be imposed due to incidents. There also are some sections, such as motorway to motorway junctions, which have speed restrictions due to the road geometry or for other safety considerations. Every effort is made to keep such restrictions to a minimum.

  • Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Faulkner of Worcester on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to determine the application for the confirmation of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway byelaws.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    I regret the delay in dealing with this matter and have asked officials to bring it to a conclusion as soon as possible.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to assist unemployed people over the age of 50 back in to work; and if he will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 November 2015 to Question UIN16531.