Category: Speeches

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-09-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she plans to ensure that the forthcoming review of fair funding for early years education will include measures to help close the attainment gap at age five.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This Government is committed to narrowing the gap in attainment between the most disadvantaged children and their peers, including in the early years. We will be investing over £1 billion more per year by 2019-20 to fund our commitments on the early years entitlements – this includes £300 million per year from 2017-18 for a significant increase to the hourly rate paid for the two, three and four year old entitlements.

    The 2014-15 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results tell us that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development continues to increase – 66% in 2015, compared to 60% in 2014 and 52% in 2013. Furthermore, a higher proportion of children eligible for free school meals are achieving a good level of development – 51% in 2015 compared to 45% in 2014.

    We need to continue this improvement. This is why we propose an additional needs factor in our new early years national funding formula, in order to channel funding towards local authorities with a higher relative proportion of children with additional needs. Our consultation on early years funding reform is currently open, and I would encourage my Honourable Friend and his constituents to submit their views.

    The Government already provides additional funding for the most disadvantaged three- and four-year olds through the Early Years Pupil Premium. This will continue as a separate funding stream, additional to the early years national funding formula.

  • Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the propriety of his Department overseeing the consultation on a fixed recoverable cost regime in clinical negligence cases when it is the defendant in most such cases.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department is working closely with stakeholders to develop the proposal to introduce fixed recoverable costs. We have undertaken a pre-consultation exercise with a number of key stakeholders, including representatives of claimant lawyers, and are planning an open public consultation shortly. We welcome views on the proposal from all sectors.

    The consultation documentation, including the Impact Assessment, will be published in early 2016 subject to relevant Committee clearances. We are working upon the assumption that there is nothing about Fixed Recoverable Costs regime which will alter the percentage of unmeritorious claims.

    Any scheme proposed will include consideration of the right incentives to support a fairer and quicker process that provides the improvements to the system whilst maintaining access to justice.

    The NHS Litigation Authority reported in their annual report for 2014/15 that it resolves over 4,000 clinical negligence cases annually for no payment of damages and in 2014/15 it saved over £1.2 billion for the National Health Service in rejecting claims which had no merit.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what level of co-operation there is between the National Crime Agency and authorities in the Republic of Ireland on combatting organised criminal activities taking place between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

    Mike Penning

    The Common Travel Area between the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies and the free movement of goods within the EU mean that close liaison and co-operation between UK and Irish law enforcement partners against serious and organised crime is both vital and valued by both sides. The National Crime Agency has dedicated resources currently working with Irish law enforcement agencies to tackle the threat from organised crime that affects both our countries.

    On 17 November 2015, the Northern Ireland Office published ‘A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’. The National Crime Agency will be involved in discussions with the Department of Justice for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Office, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Immigration Enforcement in relation to the implementation of the agreement.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to begin consulting on the night noise regime for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports for the period beyond 2017.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government is currently assessing the evidence base required to review the current night flight restrictions and we will publish our proposals for the period after October 2017 later this year.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which electoral wards in England have exceeded a one in 200 saturation level for asylum placements; and by what percentage each such ward has exceeded that level.

    James Brokenshire

    As part of the regional dispersal policy for asylum seekers established in 2000, the advisory cluster limit of 1 asylum seeker for every 200 of the settled population, applies to local authority area level only. Data on the numbers of asylum seekers in local authority areas is published and can be found at (Asylum Vol 4. Table 16q). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2015/asylum.

    Data is not collated at ward or constituency level and to do so would incur disproportionate costs, it may also be precluded by the provisions of the Data Protection Act, given that individuals could reasonably be identified through the release of such data.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of passenger rail franchises.

    Claire Perry

    The latest figures show that overall rail passenger satisfaction is up three percentage points since the last survey at 83 percent.

    However we absolutely recognise that behind those national numbers are some routes and stations where customers are not getting the service they deserve including on his local route. That is why we are so committed to getting Network Rail and GTR to work together to minimise delays and drive up customer service.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 31475, on deportation: EU nationals, how many EEA foreign national offenders deported on the basis of a criminal conviction have subsequently re-entered the UK in each year since 2011-12.

    James Brokenshire

    This information is not held centrally.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35786, to which countries mutual legal assistance requests were made in the period from 2009-10 to 2015-16.

    James Brokenshire

    The countries and territories to which outgoing mutual legal assistance requests were transmitted via the Home Office in the period from 2009-10 to 2015-16 were:

    Albania

    Egypt

    Luxembourg

    Seychelles

    Andorra

    France

    Malaysia

    Singapore

    Australia

    Germany

    Malta

    South Africa

    Bahamas

    Ghana

    Mauritius

    Spain

    Bahrain

    Gibraltar

    Mexico

    Switzerland

    Bangladesh

    Greece

    Moldova

    Tanzania

    Barbados

    Grenada

    Monaco

    Thailand

    Belgium

    Guernsey

    Morocco

    The Netherlands Antilles

    Belize

    Hong Kong

    Netherlands

    Trinidad and Tobago

    Bermuda

    India

    New Zealand

    Tunisia

    Brazil

    Indonesia

    Nigeria

    Turkey

    British Virgin Islands

    Ireland

    Pakistan

    Uganda

    Bulgaria

    Isle of Man

    Panama

    Ukraine

    Canada

    Israel

    Philippines

    United Arab Emirates

    Cape Verde

    Italy

    Portugal

    United States

    Cayman Islands

    Jamaica

    Romania

    Venezuela

    China

    Japan

    Russia

    Vietnam

    Colombia

    Jersey

    Rwanda

    Costa Rica

    Kenya

    Saint Kitts and Nevis

    Cyprus

    Liechtenstein

    Saint Vincent and The Grenadines

    Please note that this data is taken from local management information, and as such, should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what public consultation the Forestry Commission has carried out on the future ownership and use of the Cannon Hill plantation in Ferndown, Dorset.

    Rory Stewart

    We are committed to keeping the public forest estate in England in trust for the nation and for it to continue to be sustainably managed. The Forestry Commission has not carried out any public consultation on the ownership of Cannon Hill plantation. The Forest Design Plan approved in 2009, which sets out how the area is to be managed, would have been the subject of a public consultation during the preparation and approval process.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-09-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps in addition to his discussions with his Iranian counterpart his Department is taking to encourage the cessation of capital punishment in Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The British Government opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. We raise this issue with Iran at all levels. In addition, we successfully lobbied to renew the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, and actively support the launch of an EU/Iran Human Rights dialogue.