Category: Speeches

Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure future interoperability of the Boeing Poseidon P-8 platform with the General Atomics MQ9 Reaper platforms.

Harriett Baldwin

The P-8A Poseidon aircraft will form a vital part of the UK’s maritime patrol capability, and interoperability with other platforms and systems is a key user requirement. Work to enable this is under way, however, I am withholding further detail as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

01/01/2023
Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to publish his review of the residential conversion threshold for agricultural buildings.

Brandon Lewis

We announced in the Rural Productivity Plan that we will review the planning constraints facing rural businesses. This will include a review of the current threshold for agricultural buildings to convert to residential buildings. A Call for Evidence will be published later in the autumn.

01/01/2023
Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sanctions measures imposed on North Korea in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

The UN and EU sanctions measures on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have increased the cost and difficulty to the DPRK of its efforts to fund, supply and develop their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

However, these sanctions regimes would be strengthened by more rigorous implementation by all UN Member States. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) said following the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK on the 6 January, we are working with other UN Security Council members to ensure the international community responds robustly, including immediate work on further significant measures in a new UN Security Council Resolution.

01/01/2023
Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) new or existing Housing Benefit claimants and (b) those in supported accommodation will have their allowance cut to Local Housing Allowance rates from 1 April 2016.

Justin Tomlinson

This measure does not apply until April 2018. We value the work of the supported housing sector extremely highly and are working closely with them to ensure they are supported as effectively as possible in advance of the police taking effect.

The Department alongside the Department for Communities and Local Government has jointly commissioned an evidence review of supported housing.

The results of this research will determine our future policy development and any appropriate exemptions.

01/01/2023
Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.47 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review 2015, Cm 9161, which of the two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will be adapted to support amphibious capability.

Mr Philip Dunne

The two new Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers, currently under construction in Rosyth have a planned service life of 50 years each. They will be capable of a spectrum of roles including battlefield helicopter support to littoral operations. The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 made provision to enhance this capability in the QEC aircraft carriers.

01/01/2023
Wayne David – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on (a) setting a fixed price for Energy Performance Certificates and (b) ensuring that Energy Performance Certificates are valid for more than 10 years.

James Wharton

The overall price charged by accredited energy assessors to house holders and businesses for the preparation of Energy Performance Certificates is not set by government.

The validity period is determined by the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings which does not allow the validity period to be extended past 10 years.

01/01/2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on research into the use of aspirin to reduce incidents of cancer.

Jane Ellison

Ministers have had no such discussions.

Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes A Strategy for England 2015-2020 includes a recommendation that NHS England should commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop updated guidelines for the use of drugs for the prevention of breast and colorectal cancers including the use of aspirin for individuals with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. Once these guidelines are published, clinical commissioning groups should ensure that general practitioners implement them. A National Cancer Transformation Board will oversee the implementation of the strategy, and an implementation plan will be published shortly.

The Strategy also noted that Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research will continue to monitor outcomes from trials under way in the United Kingdom and internationally regarding the role of aspirin in cancer prevention more generally. They will make evidence available to NHS England and NICE as results become clear.

01/01/2023

Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many reported personal injury road accidents in each category of severity there were on the M56 between junctions 12 and 14 in each month during the last five years for which figures are available.

Andrew Jones

The following tables contain validated, personal injury data for the M56 between junctions 12 and 14 from 2010 to 2014.

Number of Personal Injury Road Accidents (Collisions)

Collisions	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Grand Total
2010	2	0	0	2	0	1	3	2	2	1	3	1	17
2011	0	0	0	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	1	13
2012	0	0	1	1	1	2	1	1	3	1	0	3	14
2013	3	0	2	4	5	2	4	1	1	1	0	0	23
2014	1	2	2	0	1	3	1	4	1	3	2	1	21
Grand Total	6	2	5	9	8	10	10	10	8	8	6	6	88

Number of Casualties – Fatal

Fatal	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Grand Total
2010	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2011	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2012	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2013	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
2014	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	3
Grand Total	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	4

Number of Casualties – Serious

Serious	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Grand Total
2010	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2
2011	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2012	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	4
2013	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
2014	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2
Grand Total	1	0	1	0	2	0	1	2	1	0	0	2	10

Number of Casualties – Slight

Slight	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Grand Total
2010	2	0	0	6	0	2	5	4	3	2	3	1	28
2011	0	0	0	6	3	3	1	4	1	4	2	1	25
2012	0	0	0	1	1	4	1	2	5	1	0	1	16
2013	4	0	5	5	6	3	4	1	1	3	0	0	32
2014	2	5	2	0	1	5	1	2	1	3	2	2	26
Grand Total	8	5	7	18	11	17	12	13	11	13	7	5	127

01/01/2023

Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory reconsiderations for personal independence payments have resulted in a revised decision as a result of further evidence in each of the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt

The information requested is not available.

01/01/2023
Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to make sex and relationships education compulsory in all schools.

Edward Timpson

We want schools to provide all young people with a curriculum that equips them for success in adult life. High-quality sex and relationship education (SRE) and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education have a vital role to play in this.

SRE is compulsory in maintained secondary schools. Academies and free schools do not have to teach SRE, but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

When teaching SRE, all schools, including academies through their funding agreement, must have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education guidance. The existing SRE guidance was last updated in 2000. We have received requests about updating the guidance which we will consider carefully.

Schools and teachers have the freedom to design lessons that meet their pupils’ needs, taking account of pupil and parent views. Teachers are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals. Many of these specialist organisations have produced resources that can be used and adapted by schools.

We hold regular meetings with Ofsted about a range of matters. As the Secretary of State said at the Education Select Committee hearing in September 2016, we need to look again at how schools deliver high-quality PSHE, including SRE. We are considering all the options, including the need for any statutory powers, and will come to a view soon.

01/01/2023