Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the positive findings of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs research Digestate and Compost in Agriculture, what action they are taking to increase the volume of food waste going to anaerobic digesters rather than to incinerators.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    It is wrong for good surplus food to go to waste when it could go to people. For food waste which is unavoidable and inedible, anaerobic digestion is the most environmentally beneficial means of dealing with it.

    The Waste Framework Directive sets out a priority order for waste treatment: the waste hierarchy. We have departed from the waste hierarchy to place anaerobic digestion above – rather than on a par with – composting and other energy recovery technologies for the treatment of food and garden wastes. We explain this position in our “Guidance on applying the waste hierarchy”. While local authorities are best placed to determine local collection arrangements, they must have regard to this guidance.

    The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has recently published guidance to local authorities on how to introduce or improve the effectiveness of food waste collection systems. WRAP is also looking at whether greater consistency in how waste is collected has the potential to improve recycling rates.

    The “Food Waste Recycling Action Plan”, soon to be published by WRAP, aims to bring together industry and local authorities to increase the supply and quality of household and commercial food waste to the food waste recycling industry.

  • Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-06-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the 2013 Report of the European Court of Auditors EU Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority said (1) that a number of civil servants in Gaza were being paid without going to work, and (2) that the EU was not using its leverage on the Palestinian Authority to promote reforms; and what assessment they have made of the EU allocation of 252.5 million euros to the Palestinian Authority in 2016 through PEGASE.

    Baroness Verma

    The European Court of Auditors report of the EU’s Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority assessed the European External Action Service’s and the European Commission’s management of the direct financial support provided through the PEGASE mechanism to the Palestinian Authority. The report is accessible in the public domain.

    The UK is supportive of the EU’s programme of financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority, which supports delivery of essential basic services to Palestinians and helps maintain the viability of the two-state solution.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices in Scotland the Government plans to close by 2020; and what changes there will be in the total number of HMRC employees working in Scotland.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new regional centres in Scotland in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 full time equivalent posts by 2025. As work is transferred to the regional centres HMRC plans to close ten offices in Scotland by 2020. The changes are part of a ten-year transformation programme to deliver better public services at lower cost to the taxpayer. Scotland has 12 per cent of HMRC’s total workforce and that will not change with modernisation.

    HMRC believes that its responsibilities will be unaffected by the changes. Staff are receiving guidance and training to deal with any enquiries relating to the Scottish rate of income tax, as with any other tax issues.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s primary objectives are at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is an opportunity to demonstrate the continued relevance of the organisation in the 21st century. The British Government will pursue its commitment to strengthen the Commonwealth’s focus on promoting democratic values and development. We will also use the Heads of Government Meeting to shape a Commonwealth role in implementing the new Sustainable Development Goals, and consider how the organisation can help address other global challenges. A new Secretary General will also be announced at this meeting.

    The Heads of Government Meeting also takes place the week before the Paris Climate Conference. The British Government will therefore use the meeting as an opportunity to build support amongst Commonwealth members for an ambitious agenda and targets.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account the Airports Commission took of the concern raised by its expert advisors that the failure to account for high value-added international sectors in measuring the agglomeration benefits of the three shortlisted projects was a significant limitation.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.

    The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including that on costs, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support Clinical Commissioning Groups to commission effective mental health services for children under 18 who have experienced abuse.

    Alistair Burt

    This Government is committed to delivering the vision set out in Future in mind and is driving forward the transformation of children and young people’s mental health services.

    As a first step in delivering this transformation and in line with guidance published by NHS England in August, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have produced Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) for children and young people’s mental health with their local partners as proposed in Future in mind. These include plans which set out how CCGs will ensure that the needs of vulnerable groups, including children who have been abused, are met. LTPs covering all local areas have been submitted and are now being assured by NHS England’s regional teams.

    Strategic Clinical Networks provide clinical advice and leadership to support decision making and strategic planning at a local level. The networks were established to bring together those who use, provide and commission the service to make improvements in outcomes for complex patient pathways using an integrated, whole system approach such as for children who have been abused. The networks work in partnership with commissioners (including local government), supporting their decision making and strategic planning, by working across the boundaries of commissioner, provider and voluntary organisations as a vehicle for improvement.

    NHS England is scoping a further programme of commissioning support to build on what is already being delivered locally.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the core and non-core contributions made by the Department for International Development to the United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and UN Women in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

    Earl of Courtown

    The core and non-core contributions (in £ millions) made by the Department for International Development in the years 2013 and 2014 can be found in the table below. These figures are from the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics.

    United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

    UNICEF

    World Health Organisation (WHO)

    Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

    UN Women

    Core contributions 2013

    20

    46

    14.5

    15

    12.5

    Non-core contributions 2013

    41.9

    286.9

    163.5

    -0.1

    0.8

    Core contributions 2014

    20

    48

    14.5

    15

    12.5

    Non-core contributions 2014

    203.3

    274.6

    84.5

    0

    0.5

  • Graham Brady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Graham Brady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Brady on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in which EU countries the purchasing power of sterling is currently less than in the UK; and whether the Government has made an assessment of the likelihood that, under proposals for reform of the UK’s relationship with the EU, EU law would require proposed child benefit payment adjustments to be increased in such countries.

    Mr David Gauke

    Information regarding the purchasing power of the sterling compared with other EU Member States is publically available at the following address:

    ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&pcode=tec00120&language=en.

    Details of the proposals for child benefit is subject to the ongoing negotiation.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s policy is on the provision of accommodation for naval personnel and their families visiting (a) HMNB Clyde and (b) RNAD Coulport.

    Mark Lancaster

    The provision of accommodation for all naval personnel and their families is contained within the Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations which are available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502127/20160222_-_JSP_464_Volume_1_Part_1_-_Version_3.pdf

  • 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 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in discussions with the European Commission about whether it would be in accordance with the EU Consumer Rights Directive for both primary and secondary market ticket sellers to be required to provide a unique reference number to ensure event organisers can track ticket sales.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Her Majesty’s Government is satisfied that it has a clear understanding of the constraints on legislation imposed by the Consumer Rights Directive and has not to date sought discussions with the European Commission on this matter.