UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-06-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to co-operate with voluntary organisations in bringing unaccompanied minors to the UK from refugee camps in Europe.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    As announced by the Prime Minister on 4 May and now reflected in the Immigration Act 2016, we will work to admit unaccompanied refugee children to the UK from elsewhere in the EU, where this is considered to be in the child’s best interests.

    The legislation is clear that consultation with local authorities is needed before any figure is set. We are working closely with local authorities and consulting NGOs, the UNHCR, UNICEF and relevant Member States to establish suitable processes to im-plement this initiative.

    We are committed to act as quickly as we can but we must take the necessary time to ensure we have the capacity to resettle and support those who are resettled.

    We must also ensure that we fulfil our obligations to children who are already in the UK. We will be working closely with local authorities to find suitable placements within the UK. Statutory agencies at a local level are best placed to understand and meet the needs of all children and will continue to make decisions about the right accommodation and support services for those who are looked after. Unaccompanied children will be eligible for foster care if it is considered that that this placement type will provide appropriate support and best meet their individual needs.

    The UK has well-established and effective safeguarding procedures to ensure the safety of children who come to the UK. All children brought to the UK will be given the care, support and education they require.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans his Department has to develop a trade deal with Jamaica.

    Greg Hands

    Until we have left the EU, the UK will remain a member of the EU with all of the rights and obligations that membership entails.

    In due course, Britain will be leaving the EU. This offers us an opportunity to forge a new role for ourselves in the world: to negotiate, in time, our own trade agreements, including with developing countries, and to be a positive and powerful force for free trade. The Prime Minister has established the Department for International Trade to promote British trade across the world and ensure the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us. The Government is currently reviewing its trade policy. We will engage fully with a broad range of stakeholders, including both governments and business over the coming weeks and months as we prepare for the negotiation with the EU and other international partners.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the regulation of nurses and midwives remains appropriate for the health and social care environment as it evolves.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department is taking forward a Section 60 Order (of the Health Act 1999) which will remove statutory midwifery supervision from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC’s) governing legislation.

    The Department is also in discussions with the NMC on what other reforms may be achieved through the Order.

    The Orderwill be subject to a full public consultation early next year.

  • Carol Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Carol Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carol Monaghan on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claims have been stopped as a result of checks by Concentrix since they took on the contract; and how many such claims were restored upon appeal.

    Mr David Gauke

    The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) men and (b) women were diagnosed as having HIV in (i) the UK and (ii) each London borough in each year since 2010.

    Jane Ellison

    The proportion of the 15-59 year old population (standard reported population) recorded as having human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in England and Wales and across each of the London boroughs is shown in tables 1 and 2.

    The number of males and females newly diagnosed with HIV in the United Kingdom and across each of the London boroughs is shown in tables 3 and 4.

    The data to reflect this information can be found in the attachment.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK voting to leave the EU on UK students’ participation in the Erasmus scheme.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of EU membership that cause so much frustration in the United Kingdom – so we get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) senior officials of her Department have had with representatives from the National Baccalaureate Trust since May 2015.

    Nick Gibb

    I am not aware of any discussions that have taken place with representatives from the National Baccalaureate Trust.

    The Department recently consulted on the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) asking for views on how schools will manage the challenges associated with implementing the commitment that the EBacc becomes the default position for all mainstream secondary pupils. The consultation closed on 29 January and we received 2,755 responses.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much financial support his Department has given to people affected by HIV or hepatitis C through treatment with NHS-supplied blood or blood products in each year since 1988.

    Jane Ellison

    Since 1988 the Government has voluntarily provided ex gratia support for people affected by HIV and/or hepatitis C through treatment with NHS-supplied blood or blood products. To date, over £390 million has been paid out through the schemes, in the United Kingdom.

    The Department only holds finance data for payments under the schemes back to 2007. This information is provided below.

    2014-15 £22,278,096

    2013-14 £27,043,569

    2012-13 £22,052,458

    2011-12 £27,192,232

    2010-11 £39,805,667

    2009-10 £22,461,057

    2008-09 £19,240,337

    2007-08 £20,532,461

  • Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the importance of the particular focus on Alzheimer’s and Type 1 Diabetes in the third Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership Research Call.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The focus of the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) Initiative is regenerative medicine, which can be applied to many fields of medical research. In addition to the regenerative medicine focus, the Initiative has supported more specific research areas, including Type 1 diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions. These areas have been identified as critical in both Israel and the UK, as well as globally, and as ones in which both countries have particular research expertise. The British Council works with leading research charities in the UK and globally, including British Heart Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Parkinson UK to provide mutual funding, and these areas have been highlighted as areas of joint interest. However it is important to note that it is the quality of the science that drives the BIRAX selection process, and that applications which do not come under these priorities but do meet the criteria have also been selected for funding in past calls. The third call for proposals will continue to evaluate proposals according to criteria outlined in the call’s guidelines and their scientific excellence.

    The focus on Alzheimer’s and Type 1 Diabetes has the potential to bring upwards of £1.6 million additional funding (to add to the £7 million existing funding raised by the Initiative) to collaborative projects, of which at least 50 per cent is for use in UK universities.

  • Lord Donoughue – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Donoughue – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2016-06-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many new coal-fired plants are planned by China and India over the next decade.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Table 7.2 of the International Energy Agency’s 2015 World Energy Outlook projects the following demand for coal under the Agency’s New Policy Scenario:

    2013

    2025

    China

    2,932

    2,957

    India

    488

    812

    World

    5,613

    5,874

    Figures in Mtce – million tonnes of coal equivalent.