Category: Speeches

Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-12-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s announcement on Government shares in Lloyds Banking Group, published on 18 December 2014, whether he had set a target for the (a) number of shares to be sold and (b) price per share for Lloyds Banking Group at the time of that announcement.

Harriett Baldwin

In December 2014 the Chancellor launched a trading plan to sell the Government’s stake in Lloyds Banking Group, which has since been extended twice; in June and December 2015. The number of shares sold over the course of the trading plan is subject to an overall volume limit of up to but no more than 15% of the aggregate total trading volume in the LBG over the duration of the trading plan.

The final amount sold will depend on market conditions, among other factors. Shares will not be sold below the average price the previous government paid for them, which was 73.6p.

As outlined to the House at the time of the trading plan’s launch, a statement with further details will be laid before Parliament when the plan concludes.

01/01/2023
Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what consultation process took place in respect of the (a) establishment and (b) proposed privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.

Anna Soubry

The answers to the hon. Member’s questions can be found in the policy document entitled “Future of the Green Investment Bank plc” that was published on 18 November on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-investment-bank-the-future

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01/01/2023
David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2016 to Question 25444, whether she has made an estimate of the proportion of coal that may have been mined by children.

Andrea Leadsom

The majority of power station operators in the UK are members of BetterCoal, an industry-led initiative which is taking action to promote responsible coal mining and has established a set of ethical, social, and environmental principles with which companies in the supply chain are expected to align. This includes conformity with a number of International Labour Organization conventions and recommendations which aim to eradicate child labour.

01/01/2023
Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-03-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on press freedom of the takeover of the Turkish newspaper Zaman.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We continue to monitor specific cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November 2015, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in these areas. These reports reinforce our long-standing concerns about freedom of press in Turkey. Freedom of press and access to a range of views are crucial in a democracy. As a friend and ally, we urge the Turkish government to uphold the right of media to operate without restriction.

01/01/2023

Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were excluded from academy schools in Halton in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb

The number of permanent and fixed period exclusions in secondary academies in Halton local authority in each year since 2010/11 is provided in the table below. Note that the figures relate to secondary academies only as there were no special academies in Halton in the period the figures relate to and there were no permanent or fixed period exclusions reported by the primary academies in the area.

	Number of secondary academies	Number of permanent exclusions[1]	Number of fixed period exclusions
2010/11	1	x	39
2011/12	2	6	144
2012/13	3	x	158
2013/14	4	x	228

The number of permanent and fixed period exclusions in each of the years for all other secondary schools (i.e. those that are not academies) in Halton local authority is provided in the table below.

	Number of schools	Number of permanent exclusions	Number of fixed period exclusions
2010/11	6	9	639
2011/12	5	5	565
2012/13	5	13	461
2013/14	4	9	388

[1] Figures marked “x” are suppressed as they are less than 5

01/01/2023

Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on maritime exports from UK ports to the EU of the UK voting to leave the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

If the outcome of the EU Referendum is a vote to leave, the effect on maritime exports from UK ports to the EU would depend on the relationship agreed between the EU and the UK. This would have to be negotiated using the detailed processes set out in the EU Treaty.

The Government has published several information documents, setting out the Government’s views on UK membership of the EU, the process for withdrawing from the EU and alternatives to EU membership. The documents can be viewed at www.eureferendum.gov.uk.

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01/01/2023
Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his long-term plans are for the operation and use of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Penny Mordaunt

RAF Akrotiri has performed a vital strategic function in support of operations over many years and continues to fulfil that function today including in support of operations in Iraq and Syria. We expect RAF Akrotiri to remain an essential element of the UK’s overseas presence for years to come.

01/01/2023
Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-09-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress of badger culls in England and the effects of those culls on the welfare of cattle.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Government plans to publish a report on this year’s licensed badger control operations as it has done for the first three years of the programme. The Animal and Plant Health Agency continues to assess annually the incidence of tuberculosis in cattle in areas where badger control is licensed for the purposes of controlling the disease. The analysis of the first two years impact is available on the GOV.UK website.

01/01/2023
Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department has taken to embed the Family Test into its policy making.

Caroline Dinenage

Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test, disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

01/01/2023
Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to paragraph 19 of the Prime Minister’s written response to the Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on British military operations in Syria published on 26 November 2015, what the evidential basis is for the statement that within Syria local councils and emerging local governance structures (a) have become stronger and (b) deliver basic services to a population of over 1.1 million people.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK, through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund, is supporting local councils and emerging local governance structures in 28 communities across Syria. These communities contain a population of 1.1 million people. Our support means that local councils have the assistance they need to deliver essential services, including health, education and utilities, in a way that they were not able to previously. This also includes specific support for building good governance practices. This is confirmed by our project partners who operate in Syria.

01/01/2023