Category: Speeches

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 32851, on Asylum housing, how many and what proportion of properties were deemed compliant with contractual obligations following an inspection by (a) her Department and (b) providers in each (i) COMPASS region and (ii) contractual pay period in (A) 2014-15 and (B) 2015-16; and how many people were affected by faults identified from COMPASS inspections not being repaired within the contract timescales in each of those regions in each of those periods.

    James Brokenshire

    The performance standards defined in the COMPASS contract are managed using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which include measure of whether an individual property is compliant with contractual obligations following an inspection and also the number of service users affected if a fault is not repaired within the contract timescales.

    The Home Office contract management reporting regime does not retain information in a format that readily allows for data extraction on the number of individual property inspection or faults in the format requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether external consultants were involved in the design of the (a) Remedial Plan or (b) emergency timetable for Govia Thameslink Railway services.

    Claire Perry

    The Department did not design either the Remedial Plan, or the revised timetable being introduced on 11 July. Emergency timetables are introduced by the rail industry in reaction to specific circumstances as they are responsible for operating the railway and do not need the prior approval of the Secretary of State.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on the use of citizens’ juries to define the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

    Mr David Jones

    There are currently no plans to use citizens’ juries to define the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the action that could be taken to assist freedom of expression in Egypt and Turkey; and what assessment they have made of whether fair criticism would improve the economy and the quality of government in each country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    More political progress is essential for Egypt’s long-term stability. This includes freedom of the press, as well as freedom of expression in all its forms. We also want to see better protection of Egyptians’ constitutional rights and more space for non-governmental organisations and civil society. Ministers and officials regularly raise our concerns with their Egyptian counterparts. When the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), met President Sisi on 5 November they spoke about the need for political progress in Egypt as the essential foundation for Egypt’s long-term stability. For further details of our assessment I am attaching relevant extracts from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2013 and 2014 Human Rights and Democracy Reports.

    We regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression,with the Turkish government. The EU’s 2015 Annual Progress Report on Turkey highlighted that the high turnout in elections this year were a clear sign of the strength of Turkish democracy, and that the Turkish economy is well advanced, while recognising that Turkey needs to do more to meet EU standards through continuing to reform, particularly in the areas of fundamental rights and rule of law. Active and credible accession negotiations remain the best way for Turkey to make further progress.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether revenue received from the criminal courts charge has exceeded the cost to the public purse of running such courts since that charge was introduced.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The principle underlying the Criminal Courts Charge was for offenders to contribute towards the cost of running the Criminal Courts, not to cover the full running costs.

    Data on the amount of the Criminal Courts Charge imposed and collected from April to September can be found here – https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics.

    “

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had during the visit of President Narendra Modi to the UK in November 2015 on outstanding payments to British companies for services provided during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The British High Commission in New Delhi has repeatedly raised with the Government of India the dispute over payment of the British company Satellite Information Services (SIS), urging them to settle the case, and has provided consistent support to SIS. I also raised this case with the Indian High Commissioner in London in October 2015. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discussed opportunities and challenges for British business in India with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the UK in November 2015. We will continue to press for a satisfactory settlement.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff in her Department and non-departmental public bodies receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    No one working in my Department is in receipt of any of these allowances.

    My Department has two executive non-departmental public bodies – the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland; and one advisory non-departmental public body – the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. As these bodies are independent of Government, the hon Member may wish to write to the Commissions directly on these matters – contact details are set out below:

    ALB

    Status

    Contact Details

    Parades Commission for Northern Ireland

    Executive NDPB

    info@paradescommission.org

    Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

    Executive NDPB

    information@nihrc.org

    Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland

    Advisory NDPB

    contact@boundarycommission.org.uk

    “

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 24 February (HL6131) concerning a proposal by the EU to requisition member states’ gas supplies under certain circumstances, whether such a policy would require (1) parliamentary consent, and (2) a referendum.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    There is no suggestion in the proposals that the EU will requisition Member States’ gas supplies. The proposals are at a very early stage and we are engaging with the Commission to ensure that the final version is practical and proportionate. The proposals do not involve any agreement by the UK to transfer power or competence to the EU. These proposals are subject to the usual scrutiny process of both Houses.

  • Biography information for Earl Attlee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Biography information for Earl Attlee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Earl Attlee on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a UK power station is required to be able to make a black start”

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    National Grid procure the Black Start service from providers that have the capability to start main blocks of generation from an on-site auxiliary generator, without reliance on external site supplies. It is not a requirement for all UK power stations to have this capability.

    In the event of a Black Start, the service would require the provider to start up its main generator(s) and deliver power to start up sections of the National Transmission System and distribution network.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether all children in Calais with valid family reunion claims and the first 300 of those children identified as most at risk will be re-located to the UK in time for the start of the new school year in September 2016.

    James Brokenshire

    Both Governments are clear that migrants in Calais in need of protection should claim asylum in France. The UK will consider requests to take responsibility of an asylum application made in France, where an asylum claim is lodged by a minor with close family connections in the UK and both governments are committed to ensuring such cases are prioritised. To assist the handling of these cases the UK and France have established a senior level standing committee, agreed single points of contact within respective Dublin Units and the UK seconded an asylum expert to the French administration to facilitate the improvement of all stages of the process of identifying, protecting and transferring relevant cases to the UK. Since February 2016 the UK has accepted over 30 requests from France under the Dublin Regulation to take charge of asylum seeking children on family grounds of which more than 20 have already been transferred to the UK.