Category: Speeches

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which infrastructure projects in Scotland have received European Commission funding in each of the last five years; and how much each project received in each year.

    Anna Soubry

    The Scottish Government, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), funded 148 infrastructure projects during the 2007-2013 period totalling in excess of £128m. Lists of all projects funded under both the Highlands and Islands, and the Lowlands and Uplands ERDF programmes can be found on the Scottish Government website.

    Scotland’s infrastructure continues to benefit through the following projects:

    • Green Infrastructure – to date £8.25m to improve the quality, accessibility and quantity of green infrastructure in Scotland’s major towns and cities. Information can be found on the Scottish Government website under ‘Green Infrastructure’;
    • Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme – to date £32.9m to grow Scotland’s low-carbon economy, promote low-carbon research and innovation, and encourage investment in low-carbon technology. Information can be found on the Scottish Government website at ‘Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme’;
    • Low Carbon Travel and Transport – to date £13.9m to increase low-carbon transport and travel in Scotland including increased use of public transport, low-energy vehicles, a national smart ticketing scheme and reliable low-carbon refuelling services. Information can be found on the Transport Scotland website under ‘Environment’;
    • Resource Efficient Circular Economy – to date £30.7m to increase the resource efficiency of Scottish SMEs and further develop and strengthen Scotland’s circular economy. Information can be found on the Zero Waste Scotland website under ‘Circular economy investment fund and service’.

    Information on transport projects funded by the European Commission under the TEN-T programme and the Connecting Europe Facility can be found at the Innovation and Networks Agency website. Scotland is involved in the Intelligent Transportation Systems Deployment project led by the Department for Transport (Arc Atlantique) which is listed there.

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will grant the Brain family residing in Dingwell, Scotland leave to appeal the decision to deport them from the UK whilst remaining domiciled in the UK; and if she will take steps to permit members of that family to maintain their employment until that appeal has been decided.

    James Brokenshire

    We do not routinely comment publicly on individual immigration cases and have written to the Honourable Member on 12 April 2016.

  • Keir Starmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keir Starmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keir Starmer on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to consider the final report of the Home Affairs Committee’s planned inquiry into asylum accommodation before she makes her decision on whether to extend Compass asylum accommodation to 2019.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Secretary will consider the Home Affairs Committee’s report on their planned inquiry into asylum accommodation when it is published.

    The timing of any decision to extend the COMPASS contracts is subject to ongoing discussions with providers and is commercially sensitive. In deciding whether to extend the contract the Home Office will take a number of things into account, including the performance of the contracts and the value for money that they offer to the taxpayer.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports his Department has received on the progress of Iraqi forces in recapturing Fallujah.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We welcome the progress made by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in recapturing Fallujah. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi declared the city fully liberated on 26 June. Iraqi forces continue to clear pockets of Daesh resistance along with the thousands of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that have been placed by Daesh in schools, mosques, hospital and homes. The United Kingdom is providing support to the ISF through RAF air strikes, military assistance and training, alongside our coalition partners.

    The UK is also working with the Coalition to support the Government of Iraq in developing plans to stabilise areas, like Fallujah, which have been liberated from Daesh, and by working to provide the governance, services and security necessary to enable the safe return of Iraqis to their homes, including the management of explosive hazards such as IEDs.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which UK officials were present at discussions on the peace process in Syria between the US and Russia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​Discussions to re-establish a nationwide Cessation of Hostilities have been led bilaterally between the US and Russia as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). The UK participates in full meetings of the ISSG as well as through our Permanent Membership of the UN Security Council.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the current status is of the draft NHS Research and Development Strategy which was consulted on last year; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The consultation for the NHS England Research and Development Strategy closed in December 2013. The findings have been used to inform development of the NHS England Research Plan for 2015/16 which has been agreed with the Department.

  • David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what restrictive covenants exist on the use and disposal of each prison establishment in England and Wales.

    Andrew Selous

    We will consider what impact the existence of any restrictive covenant would have on any future closures and new prison sites. Providing a list of restrictive covenants on the use and disposal of each prison in England and Wales could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 14108, if he will place in the Library a copy of the preliminary feedback on his announcement of the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.

    Anna Soubry

    The preliminary feedback to which my earlier answer refers is the outcome of private informal conversations that the Green Investment Bank (GIB) and our financial advisers have had with a number of potential investors on an in‑confidence basis to help gauge market appetite for acquiring a stake in GIB. The substance of these conversations is commercially sensitive and not for publication. The Government does, though, intend to report to Parliament setting out our detailed plans for a sale and to provide a further report following completion of a transaction and any subsequent transactions.

  • Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses accessed the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) in 2014-15; what the cost of SEIS was to his Department in that year; and what the return on investment was for the economy as a result of the SEIS.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) is forecast to cost the Exchequer £180m in 2014-15. Outturn figures for 2014-15 are not yet available. Updated figures on the cost of the relief will be published in December 2016.

    The first official statistics on the number of companies raising funds, number of subscriptions, and amounts raised for Seed Enterprise Investment Schemes for 2014-15 will be published in April 2016.

    No results have been published on the return on investment from the SEIS.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2016 to Question 26467, what recent estimate he has made of the average cost of private rented property in the West Midlands.

    Brandon Lewis

    Statistics on average rents by region and local authority are published by the Valuation Office Agency at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/private-rental-market-summary-statistics-england-2014-15

    These show the estimated mean monthly rent between 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2015 by type of property.

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