Category: Speeches

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what her policy is on extending the time in which women may take a pregnancy and maternity discrimination case against their employers to a tribunal from three to 12 months.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government awaits the final report on pregnancy and maternity discrimination and will carefully consider any recommendations from the Equality and Human Rights Commission before deciding on next steps.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his oral contribution of 6 January 2016, Official Report, column 275, what the source is of the figures which he quoted on application rates for higher education.

    David Mundell

    These figures were published by UCAS on 30 January 2015. The relevant publication can be found at:

    https://www.ucas.com/sites/default/files/january_application_rates_2015_final_0.pdf

    “

  • Lord Harrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Harrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are still interviewing prospective pupils, despite this being banned in 2006.

    Lord Nash

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.

    Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.

    We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the UK’s (a) direct and (b) indirect funding was to NATO in each of the last five years.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    Direct Ministry of Defence (MOD) funding to NATO can be found in the table below. The term "indirect funding" is not one used by the MOD in relation to NATO funding.

    Financial Year

    NATO Security Investment Programme

    Military Budget

    Total

    £ million

    2010-11

    £83.225

    £101.566

    £184.791

    2011-12

    £70.063

    £104.292

    £174.355

    2012-13

    £45.974

    £123.408

    £169.382

    2013-14

    £53.287

    £109.741

    £163.028

    2014-15

    £47.261

    £82.050

    £129.311

    “

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the number of UK firms based in Yorkshire and the Humber that trade with other EU member states; and how many people are employed by each such firm.

    Anna Soubry

    HMRC Regional Trade Statistics on the number of firms trading with the EU are publically available through the UKTradeInfo website.

    HM Treasury has published estimates of the number of UK jobs linked to EU exports broken down by region. These are available through the GOV.UK website.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to encourage progress towards the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution of the final status of Western Sahara. The UK encourages both sides to cooperate with the United Nations process to reach a mutually acceptable solution that provides for the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2016-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the advice by Europe Direct that providing unique reference numbers on tickets by primary and secondary market ticket sellers is not regulated under the Consumer Rights Directive, and is therefore permitted.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government has not made an assessment of advice by Europe Direct on this issue.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings at official level her Department has had with the Department for International Trade in which her Department’s budget was discussed.

    Rory Stewart

    We hold regular meetings with colleagues across Whitehall including with the Department for International Trade.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what oversight is provided to private higher education providers enrolling students onto degree courses to ensure minimum criteria are met for entry onto undergraduate degrees.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    It is for individual higher education providers to determine the minimum criteria for entry onto their courses.

    However, private providers must meet a number of conditions to gain designation for student support. These include having a successful Quality Assurance Agency Higher Education Review (Alternative Providers), which tests providers’ recruitment, selection and admission policies and procedures, as well as ensuring that all students recruited onto courses designated for student support meet a minimum English Language requirement.

    The Department monitors whether providers comply with the conditions of designation to ensure providers are held accountable and to protect the student and public interest. If at any point the Department determines that the conditions have not been met, it could put in place a range of sanctions, including the removal of course designation.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the potential negative effects of restricting dietary sodium intake.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The evidence base relating to dietary sodium intake was extensively reviewed in the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) report ‘Salt and Health’, published in 2003. In reviewing the evidence, SACN noted that the greatest benefits were likely to be achieved by taking a population approach to reducing salt intakes rather than through individual targeted advice.

    The SACN continues to monitor average salt intakes through a programme of dietary survey work.

    New voluntary salt reduction targets have been developed for 76 specific food groups that contribute most to people’s salt intakes and major retailers, manufacturers and caterers are working to meet these targets by December 2017.

    The SACN has also reviewed the evidence around the impact of low sodium intakes. It found no basis for changing the existing recommendation for a target reduction in average salt intake to 6 grammes per day for the adult population, equivalent to 2.4 grammes per day of sodium.

    The SACN ‘Salt and Health’ report is attached and can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-salt-and-health-report

    “